By Steve Clemons

Pat Choate used to run TRW’s shop in Washington, DC — until he went out and wrote a book about the pervasive influence of Japan in the lobbying industry in the 1980s.

As I reported the other day, Evan Bayh is the favored candidate to find himself on Barack Obama’s ticket. Obama will probably finalize his decision today or tomorrow and then announce his decision as he comes out of his Hawaii vacation.

General Colin Powell has shrugged off good efforts by the Obama campaign to nudge his support into the open — but while it can be understood that Obama’s agents would try to sign Powell up, what does Bill Kristol have in mind stating that he expects Powell to tilt towards Obama? Earlier today, Huffington Post‘s…

(Keith Olbermann talks to Rachel Maddow — which he does lots!) Tonight, I’ll be discussing Georgia, Russia and foreign policy lobbying with Rachel Maddow at Air America at about 6:30 pm EST. This is one of the articles Maddow will be referencing.

I need to issue a correction.

One of the smartest people — and most pleasant public intellectuals — I know is Ted Widmer, who was one of Bill Clinton’s speech writers and was a key aide to Clinton in writing his memoir, My Life.

Ari Melber has just written a great summary just out in the Washington Independent on the surge of concern across the blogosphere about an Obama/Bayh ticket.

Well, not quite. . .but Max Bernstein just launched this Facebook affinity aversion page by the same name. I was signatory #75, but the list is comprised of some of the most powerful progressive bloggers and activists in the United States.

Word has reached me that at Barack Obama’s Hawaii retreat, Evan Bayh‘s chances to find himself the next Democratic VP candidate have moved to better than 50/50. The conflict between Georgia and Russia has been one of several factors that has helped boost his status.

This is a rush transcript of a hard-headed exchange between Nixon Center President Dimitri Simes and former US Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke moderated by Margaret Warner. Prior to their conversation, Gwen Ifill engages in a conversation with Russiam Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin.