National Security
Lawrence Korb and Laura Conley suggested President Barack Obama should follow President Harry Truman’s example on ending discrimination in the military by taking the lead on ending "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell," which continues to forbid gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans from serving openly in the armed forces.
Stephanie Miller argued that the arrival of Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli creates a new opportunity for the Obama administration to improve bilateral relations with the maturing democracy.
And Nina Hachigian explained the importance of the “&” in the Strategic & Economic Dialogue between China and the United States, which marks an important shift by the Obama administration toward global cooperation.
Economy
The economy freefall has ended, said Christian Weller, and government spending is responsible for slowing a recession that was worse than we originally thought.
Andrew Jakabovics also explained the importance of this week’s meeting of representatives from the top U.S. mortgage companies and senior officials from the departments of Treasury, Housing, and Urban Development to discuss their performance under the Home Affordable Modification Program.
Domestic
CAP released several materials on health reform this week as debate continues on Capitol Hill. Josh Rosenthal demonstrated in an issue brief that health reform will help LGBT Americans in the same ways that it would help others. CAP Action Senior Fellow Elizabeth Edwards testified before a House of Representatives committee on how medical debt is causing Americans to enter bankruptcy. And Peter Harbage explained how health care reform could make providing coverage affordable for small businesses in an Ask the Expert video.
Jessica Arons also assessed a proposal to find “common ground” on abortion and health reform.
Finally, a new memo by Louis Caldera showed how Congress can leverage U.S. know-how in information technology and educational instruction to develop high-quality online programs for high school students and adults.
Media and Culture
President Obama’s changes in foreign policy have dramatically improved the U.S. international image, said Ruy Teixiera in an assessment of recently polling on favorability toward the United States.
Eric Alterman explained how conservatives’ misdirection on President Obama’s response to Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s arrest reveals the dismal quality of conservative commentary these days.
And Sam Fulwood III criticized talking heads and their media employers for seizing upon flat-earth theories and pretending that the Internet-fed paranoia surrounding the “birther movement” holds any credibility. He also argued that the arrest of Professor Gates should teach us that racial healing is real, tangible, and visible, although our national work is not done and may never be.