The only guy worth listening to on foreign policy.
If Obama had any balls this man and his thinking would be in his administration.

Three years ago Steven Walt (of W&M - The Israel Lobby) published a fine book called "Taming American Power". The editor of Foreign Policy said it was "brilliant." It is a mature discourse on the problems of global dominance, and the need for America to exercise its strength more thoughtfully.

It opens with a line from Burke--"We may say that we shall not abuse this astonishing and hitherto undheard-of power. But every other nation will think we shall abuse it"-- and includes a chapter called the Roots of Resentment that discusses Israel/Palestine and states that if Israel tries to impose an "unjust solution," the U.S. should "end its economic and military support."

Walt ends with a realistic/ethical statement...:

"More than anything else, the United States wants to retain its position of primacy for as long as it can. To do this, it must persuade the rest of the world that U.S. primacy is preferable to the likely alternatives. Achieving that goal will require a level of wisdom and self-restraint that has been lacking in U.S. foreign policy--largely because it wasn't needed. But it is today. Although geography, history, and good fortune have combined to give the United States a remarkable array of advantages, it would still be possible to squander them".

It is tragic that what we mostly have involved in politics today is an array of the usual former and hoping to reinstated foreign policy people who have no concept of America as it is suppose to be, what it's place in the world really is and whose thinking is tainted either by their own ideology or ambitions and based on antiquated models of how they once operated when they were leading us into this mess.

Does McCain's ghostwriter/campaign director Mark Salter the same man who was heading Westcap trades, in their suit vs. Chicago Community Colleges?

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
No. 99-20514
WESTCAP ENTERPRISES; WESTCAP CORPORATION,

Appellants-Cross-Appellees,
vs.
CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO; BOARD OF TRUSTEES,OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT NO. 508 COUNTYOF COOK STATE OF ILLINOIS,

Appellees-Cross-Appellants.

"City Colleges of Chicago got stung badly in the crash of the bond market in the fall of 1993--and, in particular, the crash of the mortgage-backed bond market. It was indeed a risky investment for City Colleges. City Colleges lost about half its entire portfolio. City Colleges ultimately sued the seller of the bonds, Westcap, which had been forced into bankruptcy. After a bench trial, the bankruptcy judge entered judgment in favor of City Colleges against Westcap, and the district court ultimately affirmed a judgment of more than $51 million. On appeal, the question is whether, under Texas securities law, Westcap made material misrepresentations or omissions relating to interest rate movements, the high risk of the investment and the suitability of the investment for City Colleges' portfolio. We conclude that the alleged misrepresentations and omissions were not material to the decision of the investor because the record shows that City Colleges fully understood the nature of the market, the risk of the investment, and its proportion of the investment to its portfolio. We therefore reverse and remand for entry of judgment in favor of Westcap."

Wow, the prior S&L crisis, questionable trading on interest leverage. Chicago area colleges.

"The Westcap Corporation is a Delaware-based holding company with its principal place of business in Houston, Texas. Westcap Enterprises is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Westcap Corporation. Westcap Enterprises, along with several other similar wholly-owned subsidiary entities organized as a single operating entity, was in the business of selling financial securities."

Westcap gamed the Chicago schools, and operated in Delaware.

The Same Mark Salter?

Any relation to the Mark Salter of Artuhr Andersen infamy?

Mr. M -- I'm not sure, but this does not sound like the Mark Salter I know. He has been working with Senator McCain for years - and this doesn't sound like the same person. best, steve

Great job on C-Span, Steve.

Hi Steve, I watched you on C-SPAN today. I thought you made more sense than anyone I have heard for a long time. You seem very fair and so well-informed. Just wanted to praise you, your work, knowledge, and unbiased discussion of the issues! Thanks! Cathy

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Congrats on the C-SPAN interview, Steve. I think that events in Iraq (i.e. the Status of Forces Agreement) had actually made Obama and McCain's foreign policy positions largely the same as far as Iraq was concerned. I think McCain's and Obama's foreign policy positions probably would have been the same, except for Iran. McCain once sang "Bomb Bomb Iran."

civil political forum