June 2012
34 posts
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WE WIN! SCOTUS Upholds the Affordable Care Act
The Supreme Court issued their decision on health care reform today… what now?
We argue that supporters of the Affordable Care Act must use this moment to go to back to basics and explain to people what they are getting in this bill—or what they are losing.
Our Advice:
Don’t take a victory lap. The fight is far from over.
But…stop selling the law. Start explaining it.
Use this...
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The Politics of National Security
Wondering what the public is thinking on national security issues? Third Way’s newest memo, The Politics of National Security, gives you the latest round-up of public opinion polling on a wide range of national security issues. In this memo we bring you the data behind:
President Obama’s strength on national security issues, which does not stick to Democrats;
The public’s gut...
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Making Plain the Rain in Spain: A Cheat Sheet on...
Yep, Europe’s debt crisis is back in the news. Now it’s Spain.
Our new memo explains what’s happening in Spain and whether we need to be worried here.
READ: Making Plain the Rain in Spain: A Cheat Sheet on the Financial Crisis in Spain
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“Barack Obama is facing the most dangerous period of his presidency. The danger...”
– Third Way’s Bill Schneider
Read Bill’s new piece “Is Everything Under Control?” published today in The Huffington Post.
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WatchWatch Third Way co-founder Jim Kessler talk on BloombergTV about the U.S. budget, taxes, and the “fiscal cliff.”
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Holding Children Blameless, but not Adults—A...
by Jim Kessler and Lanae Erickson Hatalsky
Third Way has and always will support an earned pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants now residing in the United States. But we have come to the conclusion that a blanket path to citizenship is politically impossible—for now and for the foreseeable future. The debate around what to do with this population is often...
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“If there is a young person here who has grown up here and wants to contribute to...”
– President Obama, speaking about his administration’s immigration policy change in a Rose Garden address Friday afternoon.
“Under the new policy, people younger than 30 who came to the United States before the age of 16, pose no criminal or security threat, and were successful students or served in...
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What Now? How to Respond to the SCOTUS Decision on...
When the gavel bangs down this month and the Supreme Court issues their decision on health care reform, there will be a split second before the tsunami of reaction. Everyone will collectively be thinking… what now?
In this memo, Third Way’s Senior Fellow for Health and Fiscal Policy, David Kendall, offers advice to supporters of the landmark Affordable Care Act about reacting to the decision...
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Infographic: How Master Limited Partnerships Work
At a time when the United States needs to increase domestic energy production and leaders of both political parties say they support an “all of the above” energy strategy, Congress should level the playing field and give all sources of domestic energy — renewable and non-renewable alike — a fair shot at success in the marketplace.
The federal government should not be in the business...
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The State of Relationship Recognition in 2012
In 1996, when the Defense of Marriage Act was passed, only 5% of Americans lived in a place that had any legal recognition for gay and lesbian couples. Sixteen years later, that number is poised to become a majority—currently hovering at 48%. The ground has shifted substantially under our feet, and the country is now approaching a tipping point for the first time in history.
This report...
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Human rights concerns complicate efforts to ramp...
By Vicki Needham
Via The Hill.
Congress, the Obama administration and business groups are ramping up efforts to pave the way this summer for improved trade relations with Russia, but that work is being complicated by parallel efforts to address human rights concerns in that country.
While the push is being made to repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment and grant permanent normal trade relations,...
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Obama calls on congress to act on jobs bill
Interview by David Brancaccio
Marketplace Morning Report for Friday, June 8, 2012
Via Marketplace.org
David Brancaccio: For analysis, let’s turn live to Jim Kessler, a Capitol Hill veteran who keeps an eye on national policy at Third Way, a centrist think tank he co-founded. Mr. Kessler, good morning.
Jim Kessler: Good morning.
Brancaccio: So, the president, in the speech, was...
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“If you want a smart policy fix every now and then, check out Third Way.”
– Great write-up about Third Way in the Smart Policy Fix article by Carter Eskew from The Washington Post! Check it out!
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Senators say tweak to tax code would boost...
By Ben Geman
Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) say a small change to the U.S. tax code would provide a big boost to renewable energy projects.
The duo is floating legislation that would allow investors in green-power projects to use the “master limited partnership” tax structure, which is already available to investors in fossil fuel projects. The lawmakers call it a “powerful...
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How to Change Your Public Position on Marriage →
By Lanae Erickson Hatalsky
Our country is nearing a tipping point on the issue of marriage for gay couples, with polls now consistently showing majority support for marriage, and state legislatures voting to add three new states to the list of those allowing gay couples to marry in just the past few months. The politics of the issue are moving incredibly quickly, and policymakers on both sides of...
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Why Greece Matters →
By Lauren Oppenheimer and David Hollingsworth
Does Greece—with an economy the size of Indiana—really matter to the U.S. economy?
As if DC policymakers don’t have enough to worry about with our own debt, we argue that the Greece bailout may not stop the bleeding. In this memo we dissect and explain how a Greek default could affect the American economy—from Wall Street titans to widows on...
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U.S. officials confirm: al Qaeda's number two... →
A U.S. drone struck a militant compound early Monday morning in North Waziristan, part of Pakistan’s northwestern tribal area. Pakistan security reports indicated the pre-dawn strike killed 15 insurgents. That brought the total killed in three attacks over the past several days to nearly 30.
Al-Libi was a leading al-Qaida operative who was viewed as one of five candidates to succeed Osama bin...
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If Scott Walker wins Wisconsin's recall election,...
By Rachel Rose Hartman
If Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker loses the election to recall him from office Tuesday, the political press will declare the arrival of Big Labor’s comeback. If Walker wins, it will be seen as yet another sign of labor’s demise.
The election to recall the Republican governor, sparked by Walker’s successful 2011 effort to end collective bargaining for public...
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The Common Good: Senators beckon immigrant... →
The Startup Act would help the U.S. stop the “brain drain,” by giving students the opportunity to fully use their education, skills, and work experience for their benefit while also contributing to America’s collective prosperity. Read our related report: “Becoming a Magnet for Global Talent”
thecommongoodusa:
J.D. Harrison, Washington Post - A bipartisan group of senators has introduced...
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Unity Has Failed
By Bill Schneider
Can President Obama get re-elected the same way President Bush did in 2004? The recall election in Wisconsin on Tuesday will give us a pretty good idea.
Bush got re-elected with a base strategy. He rallied conservatives with an “us versus them” campaign. Republicans demonized John Kerry and tried to discredit Democrats as soft on terrorism. It was an intensely...
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Afghanistan: Understanding the Administration's...
The exit from Afghanistan is underway, but the debate continues over whether it’s moving too slowly, too quickly, or just about right. President Obama has charted a responsible path to ending our combat role in Afghanistan while maintaining our ability to eliminate future threats. Why?
In our newest digest, we explain:
Why the President’s transition plan is ending the combat mission as quickly...
