By Steve Clemons

I really love going to London. David Miliband, the UK foreign minister, has been a long time, excellent, committed blogger — and this is one of many things that draws me to London.

Politico‘s Carol Lee wrote an interesting profile of Obama foreign policy speech writer Ben Rhodes on May 18th, 2009. But then in the German publication, Stern, an article written by Von Niels Kruse which references Rhodes and makes strikingly similar comments as Carol Lee’s piece was published on June 3rd, 2009.

This post is a “professional courtesy salute” to Helene Cooper who we now see so frequently in White House press conferences with Barack Obama. She often gets the first question in at some of the high sizzle press moments with the President.

I have been watching parts of this online feed of a historic meeting today of the Organization of American States. A final, persistent chunk of the Cold War is in the process of quickly thawing and breaking up in these very minutes.

From about 12:10 pm PST/3:10 pm EST, I will be chatting with Warren Olney of To The Point, a nationally syndicated NPR show produced by KCRW and Public Radio International. It is often easiest to listen live online — but a roster of other stations around the country and air times is available here.

Video journalist Max Blumenthal talks to many in the Jewish settler movement who put it all out there. Winners of the Moskowitz Prize state frankly that they want to continue the ethnic cleansing of Occupied Territories — and young kids parrot the meme that Palestinians have no right to lands that are Israel’s holy lands….

Loyal reader of and passionate commentator at The Washington Note, Pissed Off American (aka POA) sent this rendition of his loyal pup “Jake” for me to post. I’ve been meaning to do it for some time — and have enjoyed it on my desk top on somewhat of an exclusive basis.

This is a guest note, exclusive to The Washington Note, by James P. Pinkerton — a contributor to the Fox News Channel and frequent poster at FoxForum.com. Pinkerton is also fellow at the New America Foundation, and contributing editor at The American Conservative magazine. AMERICA NEEDS A DEFENSE THAT DEFENDS I.

Obama, Japan is a sleepy Japanese fishing port that went nuts for Obama — cheering him on and dancing for him in March 2008 when “his winning steak in the U.S. presidential primaries stalled.” And above, Obama village dwellers sing “O-B-A-M-A! Obama!” as a tribute to Barack.

Over the last day and a half, I’ve been seeing as much as possible of the area around the Izu Peninsula in Japan. For those who want to venture out and see scenery like that above, Hana Fubuki is a great place to stay with seven different, private natural hot springs baths.