By Steve Clemons

First of all, it’s important to remember that today is Martin Luther King day — a “day on” rather than a “day off” as Barack Obama said in commemorating remarks this morning.

This is a guest note by defense expert and businessman Harlan Ullman who serves as Chairman of the Killowen Group that advises leaders of government and business and who also serves as Senior Advisor at Atlantic Council of the United States.

This is a guest note by Jordan D’Amato who has recently joined the New America Foundation’s American Strategy Program as a research assistant. As grainy pictures of China’s new J-20 stealth fighter circulate the internet, many American defense analysts have been tempted to sound the alarms.

This is a letter and collection of photos from regular TWN reader Paul Norheim that I thought deserved placement on the blog. — Steve Clemons Hi Steve, I’ve just returned from a seven weeks’ vacation in Ethiopia.

The following is a statement by Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, regarding the shooting in Tucson, Arizona of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords: “I was with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on a panel just last week at Renaissance Weekend in Charleston, South Carolina. Gabby is a warm, upbeat, and cheerful woman who I’ve been blessed to know….

Statement from Jim and Sarah Brady: Jim and I are deeply saddened and deeply angered by the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, members of her staff, Judge John Roll, and the constituents, including a 9-year-old child, who had assembled with her outside of a Tucson grocery store today.

I agree with Rachel Maddow. Fox News is not news. It’s a political operation. See the cutaway above by Fox as soon as Sarah Palin is mentioned at a Giffords shooting vigil as well as this good commentary by John Amato.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Sarah Palin has just put out a pretty weak statement regarding the tragic shooting of House Member Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of many others, including a federal judge.

[The speech can now be watched any time above.] At the Center for Strategic and International Studies today, from 12 noon until 1 pm EST, Japan Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara will speak. His presentation will run here live at The Washington Note.

Courtesy of defense analyst and businessman Harlan Ullman and his wife, I had the opportunity to meet and talk extensively with Pakistan Punjab Province Governor Salman Taseer at their Georgetown home on May 17th this past year. The intimate reception was comprised mostly of senior level Department of Defense and Department of State officials.