Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Today is the first day of the Democratic National Convention where Hillary Clinton will be confirmed as the party's candidate for president. Part of the convention is to approve the party platform and the 2016 Democratic Party platform is unlike anything your grandparents Democratic Party ever imagined. It includes provisions which allows taxpayer funding of abortion; Supports Planned Parenthood by name; Supports homosexual marriage and calls sexual orientation and gender identity a civil right and favors the legalization of recreational use of marijuana.  The Democratic platform also supports the nuclear agreement with Iran; Free tuition to in-state colleges for families making less than $125,000/year; raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and it calls for the abolition of the death penalty.  NBC News called it the most liberal political platform ever.