GOP Donors and K Street Fuel Third Way’s Advice for the Democratic Party

[TomCADem]

The Nation has a nice article noting how Third Way is nothing more than a sock puppet operation staffed and funded by many GOP donors who strongly supported Romney's 2012 Presidential bid. Not surprisingly, Ron Fournier of the National Journal, another closet conservative who insists that President Obama should lead by accepting Republican positions, thinks the Third Way's WSJ's attack on Elizabeth Warren is ample evidence that Warren does not speak for the Democratic party.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/177437/gop-donors-and-k-street-fuel-third-ways-advice-democratic-party#

Third Way, a centrist think tank that portrays itself as a Democratic group, has some advice for the party: avoid economic populism at all costs. In a column for The Wall Street Journal today, the group argues that the party should steer clear of creating a strong safety net, and criticizes Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s call for universal pre-K funded through an upper-income tax increase as a foolhardy idea for national Democrats.

As many have noted today, in reaction to the column, Third Way’s attacks on Social Security and Medicare fail on the merits. It’s bad policy, and it’s equally bad politics.

* * *
What’s more, Third Way’s leadership has tenuous connections to the Democratic Party it hopes to shape. Daniel Loeb, a hedge fund manager listed as a trustee on Third Way’s 2012 annual disclosure, bundled $556,031 for Mitt Romney last year. Third Way board member Derek Kaufman, another hedge fund executive, also gave to Romney.

There is a long and storied tradition of corporate, right-wing interests seeking to shape the economic policies of the Democratic Party. The DLC, another Third Way–style group that folded in 2011, was funded by none other than Koch Industries. Richard Fink, a strategist to the Koch brothers who helped found what is now known as Americans for Prosperity, was on the DLC’s board.

[Mnemosyne]

1. Thanks Tom. I wish this was surprising. nt

[blkmusclmachine]

2. Third Way/DLC DINOs. Wanna be GOP.

[yurbud]

6. "Can I be a Republican WITHOUT sucking up to the racists and religious nuts?"

"It's so distasteful pretending to like them."

[Laelth]

3. Elizabeth Warren had the courage to ask where Third Way's money was coming from.

I suspect that's a key reason why this issue is even being discussed.

k&r for some disinfecting sunlight.

-Laelth

[yurbud]

4. that explains why DLC'ers attack progressives with far more vitriol than they do Republicans

[yurbud]

5. Jesus! with that one pushback, Warren might have just driven a stake into the DLC vampire

I actually thought they were funded by rich guys who mildly disagreed with the rich guys who backed the GOP not the EXACT SAME rich guys.

Shit.

Put a fork in their ass, they're done.

Hillary and Biden are going to have to scramble to put daylight between themselves and Third Way if they want any knowledgable Democrats to vote for them.

[Doctor_J]

7. Well, the party will die rich, at least

and the poor working saps who applaud this shit will blame the death on the liberals.