Thomas Jefferson Street Blog

Wit and wisdom from all sides of the political spectrum.

 
Peter Roff »
Obamacare Opponents Have to Keep Pushing Repeal Yesterday

Congress is getting busy, starting to move legislation on everything from soup to nuts. For a columnist, this creates a target rich environment, filled with things to poke at because they go too far, don't go far enough or are just silly.

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Robert Schlesinger »
Can Obama's Berlin Speech Match John F. Kennedy's and Ronald Reagan's? Yesterday

President Obama has been called one of the most eloquent of the modern presidents – and not without reason. That reputation will be put to the test tomorrow when he speaks in Berlin, a city which has served as the stage for two of the best-known modern presidential speeches: John F. Kennedy's "ich bin ein Berliner" address, which will see its 50th anniversary next week, and Ronald Reagan's "tear down this wall" address.

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Noah Kristula-Green »
Reform Conservatives Need to Tackle Unemployment and Jobs Yesterday

If you care about the Republican Party's plans to modernize, then you should know that there have been some positive developments on that front online. There is a growing community of "reform conservatives," and they are broadly unified by two big ideas: a willingness to recognize that the economic problems America faces are different from the problems President Reagan faced, and the understanding that the task most appropriate for the Republican Party to tackle is the economic health of America's middle class.

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Kelly Riddell »
If Background Checks are Good Enough for Guns, They're Good Enough for Jobs Yesterday

As Senate democrats and President Barack Obama gear up for another round of gun control legislation, I find it ironic that the same lawmakers who think expanded background checks are useful in helping filter out who shouldn't own a gun, don't see the same benefits when used by U.S. businesses to sift through potential job candidates.

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Jamie Chandler »
NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Is Neither a Whistle-Blower Nor a Civil Disobeyer Yesterday

In July 1846, Massachusetts tax collector Sam Staples confronted Henry David Thoreau, a transcendentalist period philosopher, over his delinquent six-year tax bill. Staples threatened Thoreau with arrest if he didn't pay, but Thoreau refused. He opposed the Mexican-American War and slavery, and didn't want to give the government money to fund things he objected to. He willingly went to jail.

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Jamal Simmons »
Obama Should Bring Small Business Owners on His Trip to Africa Yesterday

Can we have a little fun?

The news has been filled with one tough story after another for months. Washington has been focused on gun safety, the political jockeying over the tragedy in Benghazi, the IRS controversy and secret electronic surveillance programs. Political gridlock is the bitter icing on this sourpatch cake making it no surprise that confidence in Congress is down to 10 percent in a recent Gallup poll and a CNN poll shows President Obama's approval rating has dropped overall and by 17 points with young people in the last month.

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Q&A

America Unwound

Reporter George Packer explains how the erosion of American institutions led to an unwinding of our society.

Rumsfeld Explains His Rules

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld explains the rules that got him through his career.

The Supreme Court Isn't All About Politics

Reporter Marcia Coyle explains how recent rulings show the justices aren't as polarized as they seem.

World Report

10 Reasons the War on Terror Must Continue

Saying that the War on Terror can end is naive and misguided.

Economic Intelligence

Why iTunes Works

Shopping pleasure, conspicuous consumption and creative expression add up to business success.

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Robert Schlesinger

JFK's Virtuoso Turn at the Bully Pulpit

Kennedy presented a radical idea: Peaceful coexistence.

Mary Kate Cary

Calling Terrorism What It Is

Refusing to call terrorism by its name helps no one.

Mort Zuckerman

Let’s Learn From America’s Innovative Cities

Leaders in Washington must wake up to the potential of the city.

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