Third Way Dispatch

(This arrived at Third Way as a letter from Sean dated 4/6/2006)

Fallujah, Iraq

We’ve been in Fallujah for about a week now. Our work rotation has kept us extremely busy. We rotate between patrolling and conducting operations, standing ready as a quick reaction force, manning observation posts throughout the city, and standing guard post at our FOB. A couple of days ago we conducted a raid on the house of a suspected, big-time weapons smuggler. The raid went off without incident and the suspected gun-runner is now in the custody of the Iraqi authorities. This morning we saw some small arms fire in front of our observation post overlooking one of the main entry points to the city. We all jumped up and reinforced those standing watch but the gunmen ran off quickly after firing a few potshots.

(Note: This arrived at Third Way as a letter from Sean dated 4/02/06)

Fallujah, Iraq

Last night we arrived at our forward operating base (FOB) in the center of the city of Fallujah. After two days at Camp Victory in Kuwait, we were flown in a C-130 to a large air base about 20 miles outside of Fallujah. After another two days at the air base, we convoyed through the city of Fallujah to another base just outside of Fallujah at Baharia. Finally, after another two days at Baharia, we convoyed into the heart of the city to occupy our FOB.

April 14, 2006

Dear Governor Romney, President Travaglini and Speaker DiMasi:

Third Way commends you for your bipartisan achievement in the recent passage of health care reform legislation. With this new law, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is taking a path-breaking step forward toward comprehensive health care reform.

In yesterday’s New York Times’ editorial How to Lose the Brain Race, Steven Clemons and Michael Lind made a critical point about the proper goals of immigration reform. While it must be tough, let’s not forget about being smart.

The Candidate Training that is described in Sharon’s post has garnered some attention.

The premier political tipsheets all covered it – it was the lead (or lede) item in ABC’s The Note on Thursday, and it’s been covered in CNN’s Morning Grind. The April 5 edition of the Hotline (subscription only) covered the press conference held at the end of the DSCC training:

“At a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee briefing announcing the poll, three Dem Senate candidates, Bob Casey of PA, Rep. Sherrod Brown of OH and Jim Pederson of AZ, previewed the party’s national security message. One word: competence. As in: the Bush administration is not. Two more words: “tough and smart” as in—that’s what the Democrats are.

There was also a great story in CQ.

With its unique blend of arrogance and incompetence, the Bush Administration has handed progressives the best opportunity in a generation to close a long-standing credibility gap on national security issues.

On Monday, April 3rd, we spent the day helping 36 progressive candidates for Congress do just that. Our message to all these candidates was drawn from Tough and Smart – A Winning National Security Strategy. The bottom line? Bush and his rubber-stamp Congress may talk tough – about or “bring em (sic) on”, about “gettin (sic) bin Laden dead or alive,” or “Mission Accomplished”(sic), but they haven’t been smart. We need national security policy that’s tough enough to protect the country, but smart enough to do it right.