If we are to learn a lesson from the FISA struggle, it is that the louder we yell, the less Obama will listen to us. Paradoxically, the calmer we are, the more likely Obama will listen to us. Roger Cohen wonders why Barack Obama left Richard Holbrooke off of his foreign policy team. But he winds up answering his own question in his column. The lessons from that are important to take home.

According to an article by Scott Shane in the New York Times:

A bipartisan group of 200 former government officials, retired generals and religious leaders plans to issue a statement on Wednesday calling for a presidential order to outlaw some interrogation and detention practices used by the Bush administration over the last six years.

http://www.nytimes.com/...

Everyone's talking about Obama's running mate. But who would you like to see in an Obama cabinet?

Today you can vote on the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Also, the previous rounds are still open for voting. More below the fold.

With the Obama Veepstakes poll now concluded and Gov. Bill Richardson as your chosen running mate (which was covered by the Santa Fe Reporter) it's time to take this a step further:

Who would you like to see in an Obama cabinet?

Today you can vote on the next Secretary of State:

After the initial 15 matchups, the first round of the Obama Veepstakes poll concludes with a wilcard round of less likely choices (in my very subjective opinion). They include people seldomly talked about yet associated with the Obama campaign, they also include members of the House of Representatives, and also Republicans and Independents and a few others. While putting the wildcard round together I tried to include your suggestions from previous comment threads.

Unless one of the 15 candidates manages to get more than 50%, I will conduct a first run-off tomorrow between those in the double digits or the top five, and if necessary hold a second run-off on Tuesday.

I just received this invitation for an Obama fundraiser and it reads (in part):

Mark Califano
Cheryl and Cleve Christophe
Annie and Ned Lamont

&
Gail Worthington

Cordially invite you to join them in welcoming
Tony Lake

Obama for America
SENIOR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR  

Exit polls show Senator Barack Obama having substantial support from American Jewish voters. But questions continue to be asked about how he relates to issues of concern to the Jewish community, especially the security of Israel. Some questioning no doubt stems from his limited national record. But it also surely reflects a campaign to define him as "anti-Israel" by some political adversaries and opponents of a "two states for two peoples" peace settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.

This diary attempts to show, based on Senator Obama's own words and polling data about American Jewish opinion, that,

a President Obama would be a true friend of Israel because he recognizes its need for lasting security and that, a necessary component of Israeli security is a peace settlement with the Palestinians based on two states for two peoples; and

Barack Obama's views coincide with the mainstream of American Jewish public opinion.

'...for when he's commander in chief." -- Tracy Jopek, speaking about her son Ryan David Jopek.

I'll explain the quote in the diary below.  It has to do with one big reason why this election is about a lot more than cable bloviators' snide comments, campaign consultants' spin, ads about who will and won't debate, or diary flame wars.  

One big reason why we need to move forward.  And how we might.

By L.C. Johnson (blog/bio)

Bill Clinton may have run a dandy domestic policy during his first term, but his foreign policy was a bust.  Somalia and Rwanda were two of his worst moments.  The appointments of Les Aspin as Secretary of Defense and James Woolsey as Director of CIA, in retrospect,  were busts.  And then there was the debacle of National Security Adviser Tony Lake (who so happens to be Obama's foreign policy guru) who reprised the role of Nero and fiddled while Rwanda was consumed in an inferno of ethnic cleansing.  

Barack Obama may be scoring some debating points when he quotes Bill Clinton defending himself against charges that he lacked experience to run for President (e.g., "The same old experience is not relevant: You can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience,")  But the question of experience in organizing and managing a foreign policy team is relevant.

His mission, he said, came down largely to trying to keep his platoon alive. And it was one of the few in his area that suffered no fatalities.

But the personal costs were still high. Almost one third were wounded, some severely. And of 14 who were married, 10 are divorced or separated.

I asked what we should we do in Iraq. "Get out," he said. Not all at once. But soon.

The words above are from  the Boston Globe op ed entitled The costs to those who soldier on.  It is written by Anthony Lake, who served as National Security Advisor to Bill Clinton.  It was provoked when Lake was visited by a former student who is now a career military officer who just returned from a tour of Iraq, and who spoke the words above.