Third Way Products
National Security
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Memo
A "Dual Track Strategy" for Afghanistan
This memo takes on the rising chorus of voices calling for a military withdrawal from Afghanistan and offers ideas about how we can more effectively fight our enemies there and help the Afghan people rebuild.
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Report
Protecting the Homeland from Day One: A Transition Plan
A manual for the President-elect and his team in dealing with the threat of a terrorist attack on the United States early in his administration.
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Message Memo
Reckless and Out of Touch: President Bush’s Speech at National Defense University
President Bush’s announcement that he will keep troops in Iraq rather than deploy reinforcements to Afghanistan highlights his reckless and out of touch approach to America’s security interests in the Middle East. Progressives have a tough and smart approach to Afghanistan and Iraq focused on taking the fight to our enemies and preventing an attack against the United States.
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Memo
Winning on National Security: Results of New Public Opinion Research
In June and July, Third Way did extensive public opinion research with Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner to examine public perceptions of Democrats and Republicans on national security. In this strategy memo, we present a frame progressives should use to discuss national security issues in 2008 based on our findings.
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External
Energy and Environment Poll: 2008
A new poll conducted for Third Way and the CAP Action Fund, testing attitudes about energy costs, energy dependence, and the economic and environmental aspects of the energy debate.
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Memo
Taking the Fight to Our Enemies II: Responding on the “Success” of the Surge
The surge in Iraq has become a political football, with John McCain and his allies accusing those who opposed the surge of a failure of vision. We conclude that the real question is not if the surge “worked,” but rather if devoting extraordinary resources to Iraq while ignoring the rising dangers in Afghanistan and the deepening strain on the Army was a smart strategy. We argue that the answer clearly is no.
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Memo
Taking the Fight to Our Enemies: A 50-50-50 Plan for American National Security
If advocates for a change of course in Iraq make it clear that their approach reflects a hard-headed, clear-eyed view of what it takes at this moment to keep America safe, they will effectively rebut conservative attacks on their patriotism, resolve in the war on terrorism, and support for our fighting men and women.
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Message Memo
Petraeus Confirmation Hearings
Now that General Petraeus has been nominated to oversee operations in the entire Centcom region, it is vital that Senators press General Petraeus to answer the broader policy questions that he refused to answer last time around.
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Memo
Foreign Political Leaders
A list of the names, titles and pronunciations for the leaders of countries commonly interacting with the US.
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Message Memo
Backfire: Bush vs the Commanders
The Petraeus/Crocker Hearings and the New Rift between Bush and His Military Commanders
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Memo
The Blunted Spear III: The Iraq War and US War-Fighting Ability
Covers General Richard Cody's recent testimony about the extremely degraded war-fighting capability of the Army due to the strain of the Iraq War and offers messaging ideas for Congress on the eve of the Petraeus/Crocker testimony.
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Memo
FISA and Immunity
A memo laying out Third Way's reasons for supporting the Senate Intelligence Committee's bid to provide immunity to the telecom industry over their post-9/11 cooperation with the government.
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Memo
The Blunted Spear II: The Army at the Breaking Point
The United States Army, the most powerful fighting machine in human history, is at the precipice. After nearly seven years of abysmal stewardship by the civilians in the Bush administration, the Army is, as retired General Barry McCaffrey said last week, “on the verge of unraveling.”
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Memo
The Blunted Spear: General Casey, Iraq and American Security
A memo in response to Army Chief of Staff George Casey's testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.
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Report
A Growing Threat: Al Qaeda and Its Allies on the Move
An update of the analysis of al Qaeda's strength first done in Beyond Bush.
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Message Memo
Supporting the Military Readiness Bill
A memo for those supporting the Tauscher bill to provide for sustainable troop deployments.
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Issue Brief
Our Military Stretched Thin
A Powerpoint presentation detailing the perilous state of our ground forces.
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Report
Security First: A Strategy for Defending America
A report summarizing the Bush failures on national security and offering a new path forward for America's next leaders.
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Memo
An Independent Assessment of the President's Surge
A new idea for holding the President accountable on Iraq.
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External
Third Way Co-Hosts Senator Reid
Third Way joined the Wilson Center in co-hosting a speech on Iraq by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
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Memo
America's Role in the World - Results of a New Poll
A message memo based on a new Third Way poll on national security/foreign policy.
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Report
Beyond Bush: A New Strategy of Constriction to Defeat Al Qaeda and its Allies
A report analyzing the current threat of terrorism posed by al Qaeda and the flaws in the Bush approach and providing a new conceptual framework and strategy for approaching the battled against terrorism.
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Memo
Pressing the President on Ending the War in Iraq
A short memo outlining an idea for Congress: demanding that the President provide a plan for ending America's combat operarations in Iraq.
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Talking Points
Military Tribunal Talking Points
Talking points on the bill authorizing military tribunals that recently passed Congress.
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Memo
Winning the National Security Debate: Lessons From a New Poll
A memo on national security providing insights from a new national poll and providing a four-step plan for progressives to win on national security.
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External
National Security Poll: September 2006
A September 2006 poll on national security, focusing on Iraq, terrorism, the terror amendments currently before Congress.
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Report
The Neo Con: The Bush Defense Record by the Numbers
This report examines the data behind the Bush claim that he has made America safer and concludes that "the numbers don't lie - the Bush strategy is not working."
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Memo
Addressing Iraq in a Charged Political Environment
This memo lays out how progressives should approach this debate and offers some concrete policy ideas for handling the catastrophe in Iraq.
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Message Memo
Tough and Smart: A Winning National Security Strategy
An eight-point strategy for progressive candidates on handling national security issues.
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Message Memo
Tough and Smart on Iran
A strategic framework, policy ideas and message points for meeting the challenges of Iran's nuclear weapons program.
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Message Memo
Tough and Smart on Latin America
A strategic framework, policy ideas and message points for meeting the challenges of US relations with the nations of Latin America.
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Message Memo
Tough and Smart on China
A strategic framework, policy ideas and message points for meeting the challenges of a rising China.
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Message Memo
Tough and Smart on the US Military
A strategic framework, policy ideas and message points for ensuring that we have the military we need to meet 21st Century threats.
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Message Memo
Tough and Smart on WMD
A strategic framework, policy ideas and message points on protecting America from the single greatest threat to our security.
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Message Memo
Tough and Smart on Homeland Security
A strategic framework, policy ideas and message points on protecting America at home.
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Legislation
Army Relief Act of 2005
The United States Army is stretched dangerously thin. This nation is fighting on multiple fronts with an Army sized for peacetime. This legislation calls for troop levels commensurate with the threats we face from abroad.
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Report
Boots On The Ground: Increasing the Size of the Army To Meet The Missions of the 21st Century
Reveals the enormous strains on today's Army and the danger that, unless it is made substantially larger, the Army will be unable meet its current and future missions.
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Module
Restoring Military Equipment after Iraq
This module addresses the equipment shortages the military will face after Iraq and recommends funding to restore our Army, Marines and National Guard.
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Module
Keeping Nuclear Weapons out of the Hands of Terrorists
This module addresses the United States' most serious national security concern: a nuclear terrorist attack.
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Module
Disrupting the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan
This module offers a strategy to reduce the threat from al Qaeda and the Taliban in the world’s most dangerous region.
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Module
Modernizing Our Intelligence Force
This module proposes creating a program modeled on ROTC to train a new generation of intelligence officers with the skills needed to defeat the threats of the 21st century.