DLC 2.0: Help People Move Houses

The Democratic Leadership Council, the group of centrist/conservative Democrats formerly chaired by then-Gov. Bill Clinton, is under new leadership as CEO Bruce Reed has taken the reins. Today it released its first major policy proposal/report: the expansion of the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit in the stimulus package to include people who own other real estate.

Much of the rhetoric surrounding homeowner aid has centered on the idea that if people are looking to make a profit, they shouldn't get taxpayer money to do it. The new DLC says just the opposite: a key to ending the recession is to spur the real estate market, and it doesn't matter so much why people are getting into it, just that they are. It's an interesting angle for Demcoratic advocates of private-sector growth, and an interesting time to be one...