Smart Power is Go!

Was this supposed to work? 

 President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia’s president last month suggesting that he would back off deploying a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe if Moscow would help stop Iran from developing long-range weapons, American officials said Monday.

The letter to President Dmitri A. Medvedev was hand-delivered in Moscow by top administration officials three weeks ago. It said the United States would not need to proceed with the interceptor system, which has been vehemently opposed by Russia since it was proposed by the Bush administration, if Iran halted any efforts to build nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles.

A "secret letter!" Why didn't George Bush think of that? And, why didn't W think of using the Russians to "help" contain the Iranians? Oh wait, he did. But then it turned out the Russians were selling nuclear technology on the side. 

Sadly, this is how too many of our best and brightest in the Smart Power/Peace Party think is the way to deal with the more sinister elements in the world. At least when JFK, McGovern, or Carter did stuff like this, you could comfort yourself with the thought that they were WW2 vets and were at least familiar with the evil that man is capable of.