Doug Heye 04:58 PM ET

Democrats’ Biggest Problem Is Spending, Not Gridlock

By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

In the interest of participatory debate, I must disagree with Peter Roff.

Indecision regarding Afghanistan is a problem President Barack Obama is battling, at least in perception. But voters still want the president to make the right decision and to follow through on his oft-repeated campaign pledge to listen to the generals on the ground. Should he do so, or come up with a proposal the generals find to be a workable solution, the timing of such a decision becomes less a factor and the president may well earn bipartisan praise. (Though I agree, time is running out.)

And while gridlock demonstrates the difficulties of governing, the stimulus bill was signed into law and Obamacare passed the House. Given what we've seen so far this year, voters may actually want more gridlock. The 39 Democrats who defied Speaker Nancy Pelosi and voted against the healthcare reform bill didn't do so because of worries about gridlock, they did so precisely because their constituents wanted it stopped.

No, the Democratic Party has a larger problem. It's called spending.

Peter Roff 11:03 AM ET

Gridlock and Indecision Spur Polling Shift from Obama to Republicans

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

The venerable Gallup organization reports that, according to its latest national survey, registered voters now favor the Republicans over the Democrats on the congressional generic ballot test by a margin of four points, 48 percent to 44 percent.

For the Democrats, particularly in the White House, this is not good news as it reflects a pronounced move away from President Obama and his policies at a particularly critical juncture. Key to the swing is the shift in attitude by independent voters who, while not necessarily willing to call themselves Republicans, are saying they are willing to vote that way in the next national election.

Mary Kate Cary Yesterday

Muslim Leaders Need to Condemn Violence

By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

I received a call from the Gallup Organization a few nights ago, conducting a poll on various world religions. They asked if I knew the name of the holy book of Islam (the Koran) and the name of the prophet of Islam (Muhammad). But here's the sad part: they asked me if I agreed that Islam is a religion of peace. I thought about it, and said I had to disagree.

The reason I don't think Islam is a religion of peace is that I am not aware of a single Muslim cleric stepping forward to denounce acts of violence committed in the name of Islam. This has happened over and over, and yet the mainstream Muslim leaders—presumably peaceful religious leaders who are not radicals—never step forward to call for an end to murderous rampages and terrorist acts committed in the name of Islam.

Why not?

Mary Kate Cary Yesterday

Supreme Court Should Listen to Alan Simpson on Juvenile Sentencing

By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of sentencing juvenile offenders to life without parole for crimes that do not involve the taking of a life. One of my all-time favorite Republicans, former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson, made a better argument than any of the lawyers could have—on his spending part of his youth with guns and jail, and facing the possibility of being locked up for good. It's a great read, and very persuasive. In the weeks since he wrote his opinion piece, it's been quoted in newspapers all over the world. You can read it here.

Peter Roff November 10, 2009

Time for Term Limits in Congress?

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

In the early '90s the Republican march to majority included the idea that it was time to impose term limits on members of the U.S. House and Senate. A part of the Contract with America, term limits died thanks in part to a disagreement among its supporters over just what those terms should be.

It also didn't help the cause that those who followed Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey as leaders of the House GOP determined that voluntarily ceding power to other people might not be the most prudent of ideas, especially after the party had spent 40 years in the political wilderness.

Bonnie Erbe November 10, 2009

Google's Free Airport Wi-Fi: Techno-Heroin?

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

I'm conflicted about Google's announcement today that it will subsidize free wireless network access in 47 airports from now until January 15—and indefinitely in the airports of Burbank, Calif., and Seattle.

The promotion, in cooperation with Boingo Wireless, Advanced Wireless Group, and Airport Marketing Income, is the latest effort to use free Wi-Fi to boost a brand. Among others: Yahoo is sponsoring Wi-Fi in Times Square in New York, and Google is sponsoring Internet access on Virgin America flights during the holidays.

It's a great holiday gift, don't get me wrong. I'm one of those frequent travelers who hates long layovers with my laptop. I'm stuck killing time between flights only to encounter the deal-breaker of a $5.00 or $10.00 charge when I try to logon at an airport.

Doug Heye November 10, 2009

Pelosi’s Cynical Politics: Cutting the Voters Out of the Healthcare Debate

By Doug Heye, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Did you get the sense that the House Democratic Leadership was frantic, even desperate, to nail down the vote for the 1,990-page healthcare reform bill?

No, not the actual votes from members Democrats were worried might go south on them—though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had good reason to be concerned about that; 39 Democrats opposed their party's bill—but scheduling the actual vote itself. It had to be before the Veterans' Day recess.

What was the hurry? The vote was promised before Congress' August recess and didn't happen—what are a few more days to allow the legislation to be seen by the American public for 72 hours, as Pelosi promised?

Jamie Stiehm November 09, 2009

The Army Deserves Better Than Afghanistan--and Fort Hood

By Jamie Stiehm, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Let's get real about the Army and Afghanistan. Now's not the season to study more war.

Let me count the ways, saving the Fort Hood tragedy for last.

Clearly, the Army has suffered enough in the Iraq War—so has the nation and the world since 2003. The president of peace, Barack Obama, has a historic opening to close out two conflicts started by the bellicose George W. Bush. The 43rd president's fingerprints are all over these scenes; let him own the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nor is this a matter of sending 35,000 or 40,000 troops to take care of the problems in Afghanistan. Guess what: All those troops mean another 10 years on the ground (at least). Those troops cost more money and resources than our distressed economy can afford right now. We have lost so many lives—more than 5,000—in these cruel winters of war.

Mary Kate Cary November 09, 2009

Bill Clinton on the Berlin Wall and Why We Owe George H.W. Bush Thanks

By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and I thought you might enjoy President Bill Clinton's take on what happened on November 9, 1989. He and President George H.W. Bush were both honored a few weeks ago by The International Crisis Group at a dinner in New York City. Lauren Bush stood in for her grandfather, and here's what 42 had to say, both about 41 and 43:

Lauren, thank you for coming for your grandfather. I love him very much and we have had the time of our lives in our dotage doing the work we've done in the tsunami, for Katrina. I can't tell you how much I admire him. 

And I want to emphasize something that means a lot to me and that made my job as President much easier. When the Berlin Wall fell, it was the product of nearly a half century of bipartisan American determination to protect the freedom of Western Europe and to stand up for our values. You can argue that not every call we made was right, but in the end I think we were on the right side of history. But whenever some momentous event like that happens, the question is always "Then what?"