July 2010

GOP should prop up moderate Dems

When moderate Republicans are courageous enough to collaborate with Democrats they are held up and promoted by Democrats as mainstream, patriotic politicians who care more about country than party.  This was the case when John McCain (the former Maverick) worked with Democrats to pass such common sense solutions as campaign finance reform.  As McCain now panders to the far right, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has taken his spot.  Graham has shown his ability to collaborate on such issues as energy policy and climate legislation.  Democrats in return have shown their support for Graham’s collaborative approach.  President Obama has even invited Graham to the White House more times than any other Republican to discuss policy. 

• American Politics

Open Forum

What reforms and policies should centrists promote? 

Our top two priorities are:

• Policy

Democrats need to run on common sense

Obama won the presidency in 2008 because he appealed to centrists; independents, moderate Democrats and even some moderate Republicans.  As Mark Murray pointed out recently in his NBC News blog, Democrats need 60% of the centrist vote to win the presidency. 

Obama accomplished that by campaigning on “common sense.”  He branded himself as a pragmatic centrist who offered change.  First, he rejected the ideologically driven agenda of his predecessor George W. Bush.  And second, he proposed common sense solutions such as middle of the road financial reforms, a pragmatic national energy policy, and new education standards and funding.

• Elections

The A.M. News Roundup July 27, 2010

We compile the morning’s most important and interesting political stories for you so that you don’t have to. 

BP’s CEO finally steps down
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38423486/ns/business-oil_and_energy/

Review of WikiLeaks docs show no “smoking gun”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38417666/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

• The Media