January 14, 2009

Washington is a busy place thanks to the first trickle of visitors for the inauguration and all of the confirmation hearings for top posts in the Obama administration.

Listening to the testimony of Hillary Clinton yesterday sounded like a wish list and belief in a lot of myths, especially the myth of climate change as a “national security threat.”

On the Middle East, Clinton made the expected defense of Israel’s right to end missile attacks, but she also noted the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza. She omitted the fact that Hamas deliberately hides among civilians, hoping they will be killed or wounded to advance their radical cause. She also ignored the role of radical Islam, which is not about to be deterred by the nice words of Western diplomats.

Clinton said the Obama administration would reach out and renew old friendships and make new friends. That sounds nice until you realize that most of the world has allowed America to fight its battles. Will Obama and Clinton be able to change that? I am skeptical, but I’m willing to give them a chance.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.