FRAMESHOP

Obama's Inauguration, The Gift and The Speech

Given that Senator Obama rose to fame on the wings of a great speech--an historic speech delivered at the 2004 Democratic National Convention--the irony of President Obama's inauguration was how small a role his address seemed to play.  What took center stage that icy January 20 in Washington, DC was not the words, but the pilgrims; not the power of a speech, but the passion of the witnessing. 

The House That 'Mission Accomplished' Built

If I had to choose one phrase that sums up the Bush presidency, it would be 'Mission Accomplished'--the symbol of an administration that failed miserably at everything, then insisted that every blunder was a shining achievement.  The result is a nation in tatters, a world on fire, a citizenry demoralized and afraid, and a President surrealistically unfazed by it all.  

Obama Camp 'Prepared To Talk To Hamas' (Guardian)

According to a new report from the Guardian, sources confirm that the incoming Obama administration plans to 'open a channel of communication' with Hamas, thereby rejecting the Bush policy of shunning key Middle East political groups on the premise that the the United States 'does not talk to terrorists.' Needless to say, this report from a very reputable news source comes at a time of unprecedented crisis in U.S. foreign policy--a crisis brought on by the total lack of diplomatic engagement with the Middle East crisis by the outgoing administration.

Given the significance and timing of this news, it is worth pausing for a moment to consider what is meant and what is not meant by 'talk to Hamas' in this situation.