New York Times – Really Soft Power
Is the State Department really so weak? Well, Obama has said he wants to restore the power of the UN Ambassador, theoretically weakining it further. More importantly, who have we heard more despicable pro-war rhetoric from, David Petraeus or Hillary Clinton? I seem to recall one of them calling for open dialogue with Iran and other states frequently last year, and it isn’t the one who was running for President.
Yes, I know, Hillary will (as someone told me the other day) “do as she’s told”. But why did Obama pick someone who will need to be told what to do instead of someone who has a progressive instinct?
The outlining of the Defense Department’s need to restructure is also interesting. If Obama plans to hold over Gates only for a year or so, how easy will it be to induct his new SoD in the middle of a major transition?
