In preparation for his Mid East trip that will include a major stop in Israel, Barack Obama has fortified his team with Dennis Ross, former Clinton and George H. W. Bush foreign policy advisor. With a specialization in peace negotiations with the Israeli and Palestinians, he was credited with coming the closest to reaching an agreement between the warring factions than anyone else has before. While his efforts fell short, it is a clear sign that Obama has his eye on renewing serious talks to settle the region down a bit. Since Ross has been criticized by many on the Arab street as being too heavily in favor of the Israelis, this selection should go over well with those in the Jewish communities that have expressed reservations about Obama’s commitment to Israel’s security. With Barack Obama clearly winning the week on the battle of what to do in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan by outlining the challenges and putting forth a plan to meet them, John McCain was reduced to makin
