On May 9, 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman suggested the banding together and rationalization of Western European coal and steel production. This was the spark of the incremental intertwining of sovereignty, currencies, and aspiration into what is now the European Union. The 9th of May is now memorialized as “Europe Day“.

(President George W. Bush and Lt. General Michael Hayden) The crack team that puts out the American Progress Action Fund’s “Progress Report” has its Mike Hayden review out, and its predictably critical. But they get the Michael Hayden picture half-wrong.

Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is pulling a slick and interesting move in US-Iran diplomacy by sending President Bush the first letter from an Iranian President to a U.S. President in 27 years. This is clever. The Europeans have been our interlocutors with Iran, but that hasn’t been enough.

Tony Blair is demoting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to serve as Leader of Parliament’s Lower House. Margaret Becket, who has been serving as Secretary of State for the Environment, will succeed Straw. Straw is taking the same path of the late Robin Cook when he was demoted from the Foreign Secretary portfolio.

As mentioned, I’m off to Lisbon to think through American and European approaches to and grand strategy regarding Iraq, Iran, Israel/Palestine, and beyond. I should be on line, but the thread is now open. And many of you have been asking for more Oakley pics. Here he is as D.C.’s watchdog. More later.

A quick note on schedule. This morning, I am hosting a delegation of the International Women’s Commission comprised of Israel, Palestinian and international women calling for final status negotiations between Israel and Palestine as opposed to the imposition of a unilaterally decided border.

This is very cool. Last January, John Aravosis of AmericaBlog went out and bought General Wesley Clark’s phone records for $89.95.

America and the Europeans have co-drafted a UN Security Council Resolution with some teeth and have written into the resolution the trigger for economic sanctions against Iran if it fails to cease its nuclear program. This is serious.

Last night, I sat next to a former foreign minister of a major nation at a small dinner and discussion which focused heavily on Iran and Middle East issues.

I like Tim Roemer, the former Congressman from Indiana who now is President of the Center for National Policy as well as his staff — but I have to give him some push back on his New York Times op-ed this morning.