Joint Meeting Envy
Washington,
Nov 3 -
A few times a year, Congress sits in a "joint meeting" to hear from a foreign leader. (You can get a list of recent guests here.) Part personal seal of approval, part testament to a country's stature, these addresses are highly coveted by heads of state. Letter campaigns by Members of Congress to the Speaker of the House requesting that fill-in the blank leader get a shot at the podium are not uncommon, and many are denied. Sometimes, though, we do the winners no favor.
This morning it was German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chance to address the members. Ostensibly, this was to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, as well as her recent re-election as chancellor. A Washington Post column this morning labeled Merkel as the "de facto leader of Europe." There wasn't a lot of sparkle. Workman-like. It didn't help that this notoriously low-key leader, though fluent in English, spoke in German, I guess to play better at home.
One who won't be getting a joint meeting anytime soon is Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai. The just "re-elected" president got his shot before Congress in 2004, but was no stranger to Washington, before or after. He often met with President Bush, doing Rose Garden appearances, and seeing members of Congress. Karzai must know Washington far better than regions of Afghanistan. He always put on a good show with the cape and furry hat and played the press well, speaking English. Anyone remember when GQ named Karzai one of the best dressed foreign leaders? Meanwhile Rome burned.
The GQ subscription has run out. According to this morning's Washington Post ("Karzai is wild card for U.S. strategy,") then Vice-President elect Biden warned Karzai on a trip to Afghanistan that he would only speak with the President "a couple times a year." This reflects that "Biden and other Obama advisers believe the relationship that Bush developed with Karzai masked the Afghan leader's flaws and made it difficult to demand accountability." It seems likely that Karzai's royal treatment has fostered the impression among fiercely independent Afghans that we have our man. This is one note that the Obama Administration may be getting right on Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the symphony is still badly out of tune.
