By Steve Clemons

I’ve just heard — and read — the

Something weird just happened. I received the first formal “opening statement” of John Bolton just before the hearings began and quickly read it. I highlighted in my last post what I saw as the most shocking part of his statement and reported it.

I am covering the John Bolton hearings from 216 Hart Senate Office Building. Senator Lugar has just called the hearing to order and opened proceedings. So far, the Senators in attendance are Barbara Boxer, Richard Lugar, John Warner, George Allen, Chris Dodd, George Voinovich and Norm Coleman.

Here are some very useful resources regarding the John Bolton confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. First of all, The Washington Note will be there. Second, for others who want to be there — the hearing will be taking place in 216 Hart Senate Office Building (a big room)….

On Thursday, 20 July (last week), former National Security Advisor and one of America’s top strategic thinkers, Zbigniew Brzezinksi, spoke at a public policy dinner salon that my colleagues and I at the New Amerca Foundation organized. Brzezinski’s presentation and responses to questions were riveting.

There have been several thousand UN observers stationed in Lebanon for 28 years. Their role was not peacekeeping — but they have been at least an institutional “toe in the door” in Lebanon and the neighborhood around Israel. Today, at least two UN observers were killed in a strike by Israel.

For those of you in the Washington area, I am chairing a book event and public policy discussion with two-time Pulitzer winner and Washington Post Pentagon correspondent Tom Ricks, whose new book, Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq is hitting the book stores today. Col.

The most interesting item I came across tonight on the Middle East crisis came by way of an email from former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and former Asst. Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Chas Freeman.

Like many Americans I guess, I received an email from George W. Bush this morning asking for my contribution to the Republican National Committee. Bush’s appeal starts out: Republicans have a record of dealing with some serious economic times during my presidency.

Last Thursday night, my colleagues and I at the American Strategy Program of the New America Foundation hosted an extraordinary dinner at which Zbigniew Brzezinski spoke about America’s stakes in the worsening Middle East crisis. I am working this weekend to review the transcript of Dr.