All You Need Is Diplomacy (Hillary Clinton's world tour. )

Mar 16, 2009 - All You Need Is Diplomacy Hillary Clinton's world tour. by James Rosen With the demented face of Heath Ledger's splendidly wicked Joker flickering on the drop-down screens behind her, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stood serenely in the aisle of the press cabin aboard her plane, beverage in hand, and spoke off the record for almost 30 minutes. She had just logged 20,000 miles on her first foreign trip as the nation's top diplomat, a weeklong tour of Asian capitals that had taken her, and some 20 journalists, to Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and China. - 1 Comment

Clinton seeks "smart power" in the Middle East

Jan 13, 2009 - Clinton seeks a 'smart power' Middle East strategy By ROBERT BURNS and ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writers WASHINGTON – Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that she intends to revitalize the mission of diplomacy in American foreign policy, calling for a "smart power" strategy in the Middle East and implicitly criticizing the Bush administration for having downgraded the role of arms control. At a daylong confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for secretary of state sailed smoothly through an array of non-contentious questions until two Republican committee members pressed her to take additional steps to ensure that former President Bill Clinton's global fundraising work does not pose even an appearance of conflict with her role as the chief U.S. diplomat. - 6 Comments

Reid Bill True cost

Nov 19, 2009 - Reid's fuzzy math Comments: 2 'Reform' bill's true cost is twice advertised price By JEFFREY H. ANDERSO Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is touting the Senate’s newest health-care bill as costing $849 billion over 10 years. But this uses the same accounting trick as past versions: 99 percent of the costs don’t kick in until the fifth year of that “10 year” period. - 0 Comments

China Holds Firm on Major Issues in Obama’s Visit

Nov 18, 2009 - President Obama toured the historic Forbidden City in Beijing on Tuesday during a break from meetings with Chinese leaders. Source BEIJING — In six hours of meetings, at two dinners and during a stilted 30-minute news conference in which President Hu Jintao did not allow questions, President Obama was confronted, on his first visit, with a fast-rising China more willing to say no to the United States. On topics like Iran (Mr. - 1 Comment

Pro and Con of Ten Commandments posted in schools

Nov 14, 2009 - PRO 1 Our government was based on religious principles from the very beginning. The 10 Commandments are the foundation of our moral government. CON 1.1 Having religious principles does not mean that they wanted to use the government to force religion on the country. - 15 Comments

Michael Powell and Four Secretaries of State Endorse McCain

Oct 21, 2008 - * This is a public post.** Yes, folks, this is the Powell endorsement that no one seems to be discussing. "Powell has endorsed McCain. Huh? - 45 Comments

Is China headed toward collapse?

Nov 11, 2009 - Is China headed toward collapse? By EAMON JAVERS The conventional wisdom in Washington and in most of the rest of the world is that the roaring Chinese economy is going to pull the global economy out of recession and back into growth. It’s China’s turn, the theory goes, as American consumers — who propelled the last global boom with their borrowing and spending ways — have begun to tighten their belts and increase savings rates. - 9 Comments

UN Budgets and Follow the Money

Nov 09, 2009 - UN Budgets and Follow the Money Kenneth Anderson • November 8, 2009 9:01 pm The New York Times reports on budget season at the UN and various battles hotting up. It’s a good piece by Neil MacFarquhar, dated November 7, 2009. As the article says, that fact that it costs the United Nations an average of $2,473 per page to create every single document in its six official languages, while outside contractors complete the same work for around $450, prompts diplomats to accuse the organization of running amok during a global financial crisis. - 0 Comments

SECURITY CHECK-Distancing Obama

Nov 10, 2009 - Distancing Obama By The Prowler on 11.9.09 @ 6:08AM SECURITY CHECK While it is true that alleged Fort Hood shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, never served in an any role for the Obama Administration's transition team, the White House was concerned enough about Hasan's appearance on a list of attendees at a homeland security conference that it ran a check on Hasan before President Obama made impromptu remarks about the shooting last week. "You hate to say it, but this is what it's come to," says a White House source. - 4 Comments

Iran charges three detained Americans with espionage

Nov 09, 2009 - TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran has charged three detained U.S. citizens with espionage, the official IRNA news agency quoted a prosecutor as saying on Monday, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there was no evidence to back the charges. The three, Shane Bauer, 27, Sarah Shourd, 31, and Josh Fattal, 27, were held after they crossed into Iran from northern Iraq at the end of July. - 5 Comments