A Foreign Policy Pivot In The Obama White House

With guest host Jane Clayson.

Chuck Hagel’s out. Critics say he’s just a sacrificial lamb for a White House adrift on foreign policy.  Time for a reset on national security?

There are two years left in the Obama presidency, but two years just packed with foreign policy and national security challenges.  And so the word in Washington is that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was pushed out to signal – to Republicans, to the public, to the world—that this White House is beefing up its team and getting ready to meet the many challenges – ISIS, Assad, Putin, Iran, China, climate conferences, immigration, trade treaties.  This hour On Point:  President Obama’s foreign policy challenges, successes and failures, then, now and ahead.
-- Jane Clayson

Julie Pace, White House correspondent for the Associated Press. (@jpacedc)

Bret Stephens, Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign affairs columnist for The Wall Street Journal. Author of the new book, "America in Retreat." (@stephenswsj)

Michael Cohen, fellow at the Century Foundation. Author of "Live from the Campaign Trail." Former speech writer for US Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and US Representative to the United Nations Bill Richardson. (@speechboy71)

John Negroponte, Brady-Johnson Distinguished Fellow in Grand Strategy and senior lecturer in global affairs at Yale University's Jackson Institute. Former director of the National Intelligence. Career US ambassador.

 The Wall Street Journal: Iran Cheats, Obama Whitewashes — "Eventually, something will happen. Perhaps Iran will simply walk away from the talks, daring this feckless administration to act. Perhaps we will discover another undeclared Iranian nuclear facility, possibly not in Iran itself. Perhaps the Israelis really will act. Perhaps the Saudis will."

POLITICO Magazine: What Was Chuck Hagel's Biggest Mistake? — "His biggest mistake was taking the job. He was working for a White House stuffed with political hacks and obsessed with message. They should pay less attention to what they say and more to what they do. If they want to know what the problem is, they should look in the mirror. The White House is now saying the things about Hagel that others said at the time of his sloppy performance in confirmation hearings."

Foreign Policy: The Doormat Gets Shown The Door -- "In the end, though, you did the nation a service. If nothing else, your impending departure highlights once and for all the fact that there's just no pleasing this White House. Gates? Too strong. Panetta? Not serious enough. Hagel? Too weak."

https://www.scribd.com/doc/248855479/Excerpt-From-America-In-Retreat-By-Bret-Stephens