Steve Clemons offers an unblinking defense of Richard Holbrooke that amounts to, “The guy ain’t pretty, but he gets the job done.” Comparing him to “global arm-twisters” (talk about a job description) like Brzezinski and Kissinger, Clemons adds:
Barack Obama needs someone in close proximity on his foreign policy team that the world knows is tenaciously committed to outcomes and that it fears just a bit. Obama needs to be about hope, about light — but he needs someone who can pursue and defend American interests against thugs in the dark.
Clemons is making the case for Holbrooke as Secretary of State, but I’d give him the Iran dossier and tell him to get a signature on the line within a year. As for Secretary of State, I’m surprised no one (besides me) has mentioned Bob Gates for the job. He seems to have a soft spot for diplomacy.
More World Politics Review