By Steve Clemons

So, the administration says that ‘official unemployment’ falls to 9.7% from 10.0% but that the economy still shed 20,000 jobs.

Actually, he hasn’t yet, but Obama should. The Obama team has not had a very good month. From GITMO to health care, to bickering behind the scenes about Paul Volcker’s bank regulation efforts, to China policy, and making any progress on any international initiatives, the administration’s “magic” has been collapsing.

In this short interview during his Washington visit, Kenya VP Kalonzo “Steven” Musyoka speaks impressively about his participation in the National Prayer Breakfast, about concerns on Kenya’s border in Somalia, about the limits of military responses in failing state situations, and about the views of Kenyans toward US President Barack Obama.

(An Iranian bank note modified by Green Movement member; A re-write of a saying on the left side, which says ‘Iranian people will find “knowledge” no matter where – Prophet Muhammad’ – changed to say ‘Iranian people will find “justice” no matter where’; photo credit: NIAC Insight) This is a guest note exclusive to The…

(US President Barack Obama chairing a historic session of the United Nations Security Council on 24 September 2009) There is a giddiness that has taken hold in some foreign policy circles in Washington that the Obama administration is showing more courage all of a sudden and is finally breaking away from its courtship of China…

China America is going to experiment with a tougher line with China. Helene Cooper has a very insightful piece in today’s New York Times (which is great despite quoting this writer) that notes that the Clinton and GW Bush administrations started off badly with China and then moved into a smoother course.

This is a guest note by National Security Network Deputy Director Joel Rubin who is blogging this week from the famed Herziliya Conference on behalf of Democracy Arsenal, Huffington Post and The Washington Note. Rubin can also be followed on Twitter @JoelMartinRubin.

As Iraq tilts towards March 7th elections, there are disconcerting trends unfolding inside the Maliki-run government that portend serious problems and potentially civil war in the not distant future.

Hot off the press from the White House. . . Bills signed into law by the President today, Friday, 29 January 2010: H.R. 1817, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 116 North West Street in Somerville, Tennessee, as the “John S. Wilder Post Office Building,” H.R.

This is a guest note by Ralph Gomory, one of the nation’s leading thinkers about technology, innovation, and the productivity health of national economies. Gomory previously served as IBM’s Senior Vice President for Science and Technology and subsequently as the immediate past president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.