Obama’s Inner Foreign Policy Circle
The nine distinguished foreign policy experts who serve as the appropriators of Barack Obama’s foreign policy positions have come under various degrees of criticism, according to an article published today in the New York Sun.
Much of the piece, “Obama’s Brain Trust Taking Shape,” focuses on what it calls “intense speculation on the Internet and through often anonymous e-mails warning Jewish voters that Mr. Obama’s team may be neutral or indeed hostile to Israel.” Regardless of the controversy over Israel, the story gives a view into the campaign’s decision-making processes on foreign affairs.
The group of chief advisers includes Gregory Craig, Richard Danzig, Scott Gration, Anthony Lake, Samantha Power, Denis McDonough, Ben Rhodes, Susan Rice, and Daniel Shapiro.
As Obama gains momentum and Hillary Clinton finds herself in need of new ways to distinguish herself from Obama’s policies–especially if the Democratic nomination remains up in the air until the convention this summer–these advisers and their recommendations are likely to experience increasingly intense criticism.