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Obama To Tell U.N.: Don't Wait For America To Solve World's Problems Alone
In his upcoming speech to the United Nations today, President Obama will call for international cooperation -- and declare that America can't fix the world's problems alone. "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility," Obama will say, also adding: "Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 9 a.m. ET with Prime Minister Hatoyama of Japan. At 10 a.m. ET, he will address the U.N. General Assembly. At 12 p.m. ET, he will attend a meeting with leaders of peace-keeping troop contributing countries. At 1:05 p.m. ET, he will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony for fallen U.N. staff members. At 1:15 p.m. ET, he will attend a lunch hosted by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, for heads of state and government. At 3:30 p.m. ET, he will meet with President Medvedev of Russia. AT 7:05 p.m. ET, the President and First Lady will host a reception for heads of state and government.

Biden's Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will travel this morning to Silver Spring, Maryland, where he will deliver remarks and hold a discussion on health care reform with seniors, accompanied by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle. In the afternoon, he will meet with senior staff at the White House. In the evening, he will attend a reception at the State Department, for the National Energy Summit and International Dialogue.

Today: Massachusetts Legislature To Finalize Senate Appointment Law
The Massachusetts legislature will hold the final votes today on enacting the law to provide for a temporary appointment to Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. However, as we found out yesterday, a key issue will be whether the legislature can get to two thirds for this final vote -- if not, they could be left open to a court challenge under the state constitution's procedures for enacting emergency legislation.

Palin Speaks To Investors In Hong Kong
Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) spoke to investors in Hong Kong yesterday, accompanied by former McCain campaign adviser Randy Scheunemann. The New York Times reports that Palin pitched herself as a down-to-Earth politician, and stayed away from incendiary rhetoric: "Mrs. Palin said she was speaking as 'someone from Main Street U.S.A.,' and she touched on her concerns about oversized federal bailouts and the unsustainable American government deficit. She did not repeat her attack from last month that the Obama administration's health care proposals would create a 'death panel' that would allow federal bureaucrats to decide who is "worthy of health care.'

McCain Blasts Obama "Disconnect" With Military, Putting "Young Americans' Lives In More Danger"
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) spoke yesterday at a Foreign Policy Initiative event in Washington, criticizing President Obama for a "disconnect" with military leaders on Afghanistan policy. "Apparently the administration does not want Gen. McCrystal's recommendations on troop strengths," said McCain. He later added: "Every day that goes by if you are not pursuing a strategy for success and implementing it as quickly as possible it puts young Americans' lives in more danger."

WaPo: Rising U.S. Death Toll In Afghanistan Stirs Unease On Capitol Hill
Also on the Afghanistan front, Gen. Stanley McChrystal's new guidelines from July, which created greater risk for U.S. troops in order to minimize civilian deaths, are coming under increased criticism as American casualties mount. "I am troubled if we are putting our troops at greater risk in order to go to such extremes to avoid Afghan casualties," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

Cantor: Pelosi "Living In Another World" On Worries About Protests
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) blasted Speaker Nancy Pelosi's public warning against violence from right-wing protestors, in an interview with the Politico. "I think she's living in another world -- I really do," said Cantor. "I'm not condoning any of the things that, you know, the media may catch in terms of messages on the signs and what have you. But I have not run into any violence. I have not run into crowds running over people."

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17 comments

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September 23, 2009 9:14 AM   

I can see Hong Kong from my house!

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September 23, 2009 9:15 AM   

...circuiting President Obama for a "disconnect" with military leaders on Afghanistan policy."

"circuiting"?

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September 23, 2009 9:47 AM    in reply to converse

Looks like a case of spell-check gone horribly awry. Read as "criticizing."

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September 23, 2009 10:01 AM    in reply to de TOQUEville

D'oh!

It was indeed what happens when spell check goes wrong. It's been fixed.

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September 23, 2009 10:06 AM    in reply to Eric Kleefeld

Um, sorry, but you also missed the "wrath-laying" ceremony.

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September 23, 2009 1:00 PM    in reply to LisB

"Wrath-laying" is at least an accurate description of the political times.

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September 23, 2009 9:56 AM   

Imagine paying to hear Palin speak? Talk about having buyer's remorse.

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September 23, 2009 10:42 AM    in reply to Rich in NJ

Or you could just edit together all the Marge Gunderson lines from Fargo out of order. Oh, and get kinda drunk.

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September 23, 2009 10:01 AM   

McCain Blasts Obama "Disconnect" With Military, Putting "Young Americans' Lives In More Danger"

As opposed to wanting to put more young Americans' lives in danger?

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September 23, 2009 10:08 AM    in reply to TBender

Being a Republican means that there is no limit on the number of lives that can be sacrificed in order to vindicate a mistake.

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September 23, 2009 10:28 AM   

Embarassing Eric: "But I have not run into any violence. I have not run into crowds running over people."

That's because 1. you are spending your time Twittering, probably to your Conservative family values buddy, Britney Spears, and 2. you've held one, just one, town hall meeting at a newspaper office with Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat who is far and away smarter and politically savvy than you will ever be.

It is clear that Eric Cantor firmly believes that lying is acceptable moral behavior. What a horrible example he sets for his own family. I feel sorry for his kids learning that lying is good from their father.

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September 23, 2009 10:43 AM    in reply to dswx

...his kids learning that lying is good from their father.

That's how they get Young Republicans.

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September 23, 2009 10:55 AM   

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) spoke yesterday at a Foreign Policy Initiative event in Washington, criticizing President Obama for a "disconnect" with military leaders on Afghanistan policy. "Apparently the administration does not want Gen. McCrystal's recommendations on troop strengths," said McCain.

This couldn't be the same Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that just a few days ago was all over the president for following the unanimous advice of the Joint Chiefs, could it?

http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/59181-mccain-missile-shield-cancellation-a-victory-for-putin

No, that would be such obvious hypocrisy that the media and the public would laugh at St. John McCain, and that would never happen.

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September 23, 2009 11:15 AM   

The multilateral responsibility point is a good start, however, who should lead? Among great powers that question will continue to come up. For example, it is expected China will take more responsibility abroad. However, China has expressed interest in international economic dominance, hasn't renounced communist authoritarianism at home, and is continuing a military build-up that goes beyond regional stature. How does the US call for and cooperate with restraint while yet remaining prepared to deal with its disregard? The answer to that is important for the Obama Admin. It requires an open and public statement of the case for a status quo while also discussing contingencies for exceptions that great powers would claim to upset the status quo. Reducing the need for the exceptions and making that part of the status quo international working relationship among great powers seems key.

Is there a regional assumption of responsibility? And with that, does there come an assumption of power / control? Are Manifest Destiny and China's Five-Fingers on the Hand of Tibet doctrine acceptable doctrines? Should shared control be tied to shared aid to regions? If so, to what extent? And where some regions have more natural resources than others? Clean lines of responsibility / power complicate where participating powers wish to start making exceptions that affect the balance of power. There has to be a foreign policy status quo to shoot for with contingencies for exceptions considered in advance by great powers.

Already the G20 is talking about how to help African nation states get and keep tax revenues so they can have a tax base on which to develop. Whose region of responsibility is that? Or is it a multilateral approach in every region without assigning regions to greater powers claiming greater influence in specific regions? It kind of depends whether all or some or one of the powers wants responsibility in the region. Yet that usually means there is something in it for them i.e. natural resources.

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September 23, 2009 11:25 AM   

For God's sake, get on with it! Forget Snowe! We don't need her but we do need Rockerfellor! Bunning??? His career is over!!!

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September 23, 2009 11:33 AM   

Some interesting content on international issues:

http://www.analystbluepapers.squarespace.com

http://www.jamestown.org/

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September 23, 2009 2:56 PM   

It's a good thing McCain won the election last year. He's all over the Sunday talk shows, being interviewed every 5 minutes... You think he's being over-exposed as president? Wait a minute, he LOST last November, didn't he? Sheesh who'd have guessed?

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