The other evening, I spent some time discussing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell with Senator Joe Manchin and his wife. Democratic super donor Connie Milstein did the same.

The New START Treaty isn’t just about a bilateral arrangement with Russians to keep their and our nuclear warheads under tight management. It is really about momentum in reversing the dramatic erosion of controls on a whole range of WMD materials.

This clip captures Julian Assange’s recent release on bail from British prison — and I must say that I’m very impressed by how he is managing his public profile.

See how American culture is spreading around the world today? — Steve Clemons

I’m coming out of the closet as a fan of David Makovsky.

I will be writing more soon about the just released Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, the first ever — but wanted to post this video of the event and the transcript of an exchange that I had with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Two things quickly.

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Tomorrow President Obama will offer remarks updating Americans on progress in Afghanistan and the nation’s next steps. Richard Holbrooke, was a key member of the team as Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has conferred the Hilal-e-Pakistan (Crescent of Pakistan), the nation’s highest civilian award on Richard Holbrooke for his service to Pakistan and contributions to US-Pakistan relations. Other American recipients of the Hilal-e-Pakistan are Richard Nixon, Joe Biden, and John Kerry.

For those following America’s increasingly high cost misadventure in Afghanistan, check out Elisabeth Bumiller’s account of the grim intelligence estimates on US progress there.