Third Way Perspectives
Archive for April, 2010
De-Mavericking McCain
April 28th, 2010
This piece was originally published on The Huffington Post.
In the ongoing effort to de-maverick himself, yesterday’s news that he is a lead sponsor of a bill to eliminate DC’s gun laws must go down as the most spectacular and blatant reversal in Senator McCain’s political career:
Doing Nothing on Energy Doesn’t Work
April 28th, 2010
This piece was originally published in Roll Call.
Americans are worried about the direction of our country. They fear that China is moving ahead of us economically. They are frightened by joblessness stuck at 10 percent. And they are fed up with a Congress they see as paralyzed by partisan warfare. Moderates in the Senate, representing swing states and constituencies often among the hardest hit by the recession, are particularly sensitive to these concerns. As they get ready to go home for the Memorial Day and summer work periods, they are going to have to answer one simple question, “What did you do to help the American economy?”
The Tea Party: Goldwater 2.0
April 24th, 2010
This piece was originally published in National Journal.
If you are of a certain age, the “tea party” movement may evoke a distant memory, the takeover of the Republican Party by Barry Goldwater’s supporters in 1964. The two political movements share the same driving force — not personal discontent, but ideological outrage.
As American as apple pie
April 20th, 2010
This piece was originally published in Politico.
April really is the cruelest month.
April 19, 1995 — the Oklahoma City bombing. 168 killed.
April 19, 1993 — the Waco siege ends with a catastrophic fire. 76 dead.
April 20, 1999 — the Columbine school shootings. 13 dead.
April 16, 2007 — the Virginia Tech shootings. 32 people murdered.
Polarized Parties Play Parliament
April 16th, 2010
This piece was originally posted in National Journal.
American politics is becoming more parliamentary. British politics is becoming more presidential. Oddly, though, the countries are moving further apart, not closer. In the United States, the major parties are shifting toward greater polarization. In Britain, where an election has been called for May 6, all signs point toward a more centrist government.
Psst … It’s a Moderate Bill
April 16th, 2010
This piece was originally published on The Huffington Post.
“Embarrassingly liberal,” “shockingly liberal,” and “too liberal for too long” are among the highlights of former Republican strategist Arthur Finkelstein’s narrative on Democrats in the 1980s and 1990s. Born out of the bare-knuckle campaigns of Senators Alfonse D’Amato and Jesse Helms, Finkelstein did as much to ruin the word liberal as midnight basketball did.