President George W. Bush is the first American president to call openly for two-states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

Aid can work where there is good governance, and usually fails where governments are unable or unwilling to commit aid to improve the lives of their people.

For decades the American people have had an addiction to oil and gas.

The U.S has acquired reservoirs of goodwill around the globe over many years. But it is clear - from polling data and ample anecdotal evidence - that America is losing its allure in much of the world.

This nation is never finished. It has to be re-created in each generation.

So much of our attention is trained on the Middle East these days, but we cannot ignore East Asia.

Democracy fascinates me.