Obama and Clinton On Foreign Policy - Overall A Pretty Good Combo - No Axis Of Evil Talk

[Median Democrat]

I know that some folks want some sort of revolutionary change in foreign policy, but I for one am encouraged with the steps that have been taken as Hillary Clinton has begun to reach out on behalf of the Obama administration. The possibility of reaching an agreement with Russia regarding a missle shield that forces Russia to put up or shut up with respect to whether they would work to limit Iran's access to nuclear weapons. Likewise, the outreach to Syria is mildly surprising given Hillary's strong reliance on pro-Israel groups in the United States. Finally, the U.S. has begun to draw down its forces in Iraq. In other words, the contrast with the Bush administration has been striking in that Obama and company are not running around telling everyone that they are either with us or against us, and lecturing the world on democracy and freedom while ignoring the same at home.

For all the right wing efforts to pump up the "presumption" of Obama, his approach to foreign policy has been far more humble than that of George Bush.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/08/AR2009030801389.html

/snip

The outreach to Syria seems more promising to many. Several former senior U.S. diplomats in the Middle East are saying that Bashar al-Assad's regime is eager to improve relations with the United States. Syria seeks an easing of U.S. economic sanctions and would also like to see U.S. mediation of peace talks with Israel. For its part, the administration wants Syria to curtail its material support for Hamas and Hezbollah; both the United States and Israel dream of rupturing Syria's alliance with Iran.

There are big and probably insurmountable obstacles to any such breakthrough. Mr. Assad heads a murderous regime; a United Nations tribunal was established last week to consider political murders in Lebanon that most likely were authored in Damascus. Mr. Assad continues to seek hegemony over Lebanon, something that the United States should not countenance. Israel's next government will probably be led by Binyamin Netanyahu, who promised immediately before his election that he would not return the occupied Golan Heights to Syria.

Yet the Obama administration, Syria and Israel may all benefit by engaging even in negotiations that go nowhere. The appearance of better relations with the United States may attract more European investment and diplomatic support for Syria; it may also inject an irritant into relations between Syria and Iran. Mr. Netanyahu's unwillingness to discuss Palestinian statehood may draw him toward talks with Syria despite his pledges. Such modest movement may be all Mr. Obama can hope for from "direct diplomacy," at least in the short term.

/snip

[Captain Hilts]

1. It's ALL good. Anything is better. My standards just aren't that high now.

Go, 'Bam! Go, Hill!

[BlooInBloo]

2. Yup. Having Obama as the boss puts the nix on any of that "obliterate Iran" bullshit of hers.

[Cha]

3. Obama, Hillary, et al have the Axis of

Evil Stupid to deal with.

The goperverts, corporatemedia, and rush limpbaugh.