In a speech to the Communications Workers of America on Tuesday, Pelosi mentioned Democrats' opposition to outsourcing. She said Democrats will end tax subsidies for companies that send jobs overseas.

She also said Democrats support the "right of all Americans to organize," a sentiment that goes over well with labor unions such as the CWA.

To protect workers who want to join unions, Pelosi said Democrats are "fighting" to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) in the House and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in the Senate. "The bill will guarantee that when a majority of workers in a company want a union, they will get a union," Pelosi said.

Democrats also support an increase in the minimum wage. Pelosi, describing the income of corporate American CEOs as "immoral," used Wal-Mart to make her point:

"I was told that an entry level person at Wal-Mart, who works his or her entire career at Wal-Mart, would make as much as the CEO makes in two weeks. A lifetime of work versus two weeks in the executive suite -- this is not America, this is not fairness, this is not the basis of a strong middle class that is essential for our democracy. We must change that in our country," she said.

Pelosi also mentioned the Democrats' "Innovation Agenda" to maintain America's leadership role in the global economy.

America lags behind other countries that have universal broadband deployment, Pelosi said; but the Democrats' agenda "guarantees" that every American will have affordable access to broadband within five years.

"We also believe that the nationwide deployment of high speed, always-on broadband and Internet and mobile communications will fuel the development of millions of new jobs in the United States," Pelosi said.

Democrats support "energy independence" within ten years; health care for all American within five years; and "dignified retirement" (no privatization of Social Security) through an "AmeriSave" plan.

In short, the agenda is anti-outsourcing, pro-union, minimum wage increasing, tax-payer subsidized broadband internet, and energy independence.

Besides the typical issues that are nothing new for Democrats, at least not new enough to trot out as a new agenda after years of having no agenda other than "we hate Bush," this new agenda lacks innovation. Some of the items will bring our economy backwards from the progress made over the past 5 years, others ensure an increase in taxes, and yet others, are simply showboating.

Affordable broadband? Why should I pay taxes so that people who probably can’t afford a computer get cheap high-speed access to the internet? You know where that will lead to... if we're going to give them high speed access; we better give them a computer too.

Energy independence? Heck, that's not new, President Bush has been advocating this for a long time, and besides that, Democrats have worked feverishly to stop all initiatives for the US to become energy independent. Wind farms like the Cape Wind Project, and drilling for oil in ANWR, are a few prospects for the United States to become more energy independent that Democrats have led the charge against.

Pelosi's remarks on Wal-Mart are just stupid. Is it fair that an entry level person at Wal-Mart makes in his or her entire career what the CEO makes in two weeks? You bet it is fair--but I'm sure raising the minimum wage by $0.15/hr will help close the gap. Will she also whine about congressmen who make less than, say, the House Minority Leader? No, because she's the House Minority Leader, and is in the top tier already, earning close to $20,000 more than the base salary for a typical congressman. So will she accept a pay cut? Yeah, right. Her example is nothing more than promoting communistic ideology. No dice.

One of the last things we need is more unions, and making it easier, if not, required creation of unions sounds like a Big Government scam. Why is the government getting involved in private business? Don't the democrats often criticize the Bush Administration for their increased spending (hence, bigger government) while they propose the same thing?

This new agenda is all about pandering to Democratic special interest, like the unions. The sad thing is, it took the democrats a long, long time to come with nothing new.