Van Jones and Co. Unveil 'Contract for the American Dream'

As if Van Jones' "progressive Tea Party" -- a.k.a. Rebuild the Dream -- were not enough, the former green jobs czar has assembled an all-star cast of left-wing movers, including MoveOn.org executive director Justin Ruben and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, to help debut the group's new "Contract for the American Dream." Does the title sound familiar? That's because Jones and company have borrowed the contract's concept, and title, from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's 1994 Contract with America.

Rebuild the Dream's leaders reportedly describe their contract as a "progressive economic vision crafted by 125,000 Americans … to get the economy back on track." Organizers allege the contract's debut will involve a nationwide day of action and an ad placement in The New York Times to run at some point this week. Huffington Post explains the premise behind the movement:

The basic premise of the campaign is that America isn't broke, it's merely imbalanced. In order to stabilize the economy, politicians should make substantial investments in infrastructure, energy, education and the social safety net, tax the rich, end the wars, and create a wider revenue base through job creation.

"Many of our best workers are sitting idle, while the work of rebuilding America goes undone," reads one bullet point of the Contract. "Together, we must rebuild our country, reinvest in our people and jump-start the industries of the future. Millions of jobless Americans would love the opportunity to become working, tax-paying members of their communities again. We have a jobs crisis, not a deficit crisis."

But what Jones' contract, and the greater Rebuild the Dream movement may really be seeking to achieve is to fill a void present in organized liberal activism. While there is a progressive movement so to speak, it is arguably not as cohesive or identifiable as the Tea Party movement. Perhaps that is what Van Jones and his compatriots hope to attain with Rebuild the Dream.

It is ironic, however, that two conservative icons targeted for condemnation by liberals -- Newt Gingrich and the Tea Party as a whole -- have turned out to be their very inspiration.