John Bolton is now formally and appropriately addressed as “Ambassador Bolton” because of the right of the executive branch to make recess appointments in the wake of inaction by Congress on presidential nominations. Bolton never got a confirmation vote in the Senate.
Japan’s Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, is having a tough time. The popularity of his cabinet has fallen to the high 30s/low 40s from previously unsustainable, stratospheric heights — but structural change has costs, and I remain optimistic that Democracy 2.0 is taking over in Japan.
I don’t know the figure myself but someone should compute how much of every federal $ committed to non-agricultural, non-nuclear renewable energy sticks inside the U.S. vs. how much leaks out to Germany, China, India, and Scandinavia.
David Frum and many observers think that he was excommunicated from the Cheney-dominated halls at the American Enterprise Institute because of a hard-hitting, honest appraisal of Republican self-delusion and hyperventilation over the health care battle. If you missed Frum’s humdinger of an essay titled “Waterloo“, read it here. And here is the GOP empire’s response….
Wow. When the unexpected happens in an election, it’s a good market test of whether balloting really does serve as a credible system of expressing the public’s will. Incumbents hardly ever lose — particularly in the Middle East. Despite Hamas winning the elections in Palestine a few years ago, President George W.
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I had an interesting chat a few days ago with George W. Bush Institute Executive Director James Glassman, who served as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy during the latter part of the G.W. Bush administration. He was also Chair of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
Assassinations have their costs, and the UK is penalizing Israel for the Mossad’s use of British passports in the assassination in Dubai of Hamas military leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. UK Foreign Minister David Miliband has been particularly incensed by the Mossad’s alleged actions and will be addressing Parliament on Tuesday regarding the expulsion. More here.
I have only been in Libya a few hours but am intrigued with this place and the people here. Libyan Leader Muammar al Gaddafi’s pictures are everywhere — but at least they are creative and have some panache compared to what one finds in some other countries with dominant political bosses who have no style….
