It was hard to resist the title of “Dude, Where’s my State Department?”

I know I’m going out on a limb here by asking this question but…. What the hell qualifies Ashton Kutcher for work in United States diplomacy?

Perhaps you, like me, were forcefully encouraged to see the new movie “Valentines Day” last weekend. In the course of diplomacy, perhaps you, too, said that it was a wonderful movie.

You will be fascinated, then, to discover that the movie’s star, Ashton Kutcher, has become a U.S. government diplomat.

No, not one of those who takes an overseas posting, sleeps with women who are not his wife, and, having embarrassed himself by dropping his trousers at an official function, is forced to function at a slightly lower level for the remainder of his career.

According to the LA Times, Kutcher is being sent by the State Department to Russia as part of a tech delegation that aims to use its bits to foster diplomacy with that particularly bearish, bullish part of the world.

I feel so much better about American foreign policy now that I know this! Hey, I have a few other suggestions as long as we’re setting this new standard for diplomacy.

Let’s send Pauly Shore to the middle east as a special envoy to the Taliban.

How about sending Michael Moore to Ethiopia to assess the famine situation?

Perhaps Janeane Garofalo would like to visit Saudi Arabia to talk about equal rights for women? I’m sure that would go over well.

Do you have any suggestions? Leave them in the comments section.

Temperament: A+

Foreign Policy: Incomplete

Domestic Policy: D

This can’t be good news for anyone…

“TEHRAN, Iran  —  Iran approved plans Sunday to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities, a dramatic expansion in defiance of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, days after it demanded Tehran stop construction on one plant and halt all enrichment activities.”

“Iran’s defiance will likely heighten tensions with the West, which has signaled it is running out of patience with Iran’s continuing enrichment and its balking at a U.N. deal aimed at ensuring Tehran cannot build a nuclear weapon in the near-term future. The U.S. and its allies have hinted at new U.N. sanctions if Iran does not respond.”

Iran claims it had to make this decision… because the UN told it not to…..

“Iran’s nuclear chief on Monday accused the U.N. atomic watchdog’s critical report of pushing Tehran to develop new nuclear facilities, even as France said diplomacy was not working and new international sanctions were needed.”

“Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi told state radio that Iran’s decision to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities was necessary after the International Atomic Energy Agency’s resolution Friday demanded that Iran halt all enrichment activities.”

So far, the only reaction from the White House is this:

“The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) said it would not comment on Sunday’s announcement. But in Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs called the announcement “another example of Iran choosing to isolate itself.”

“The international community has made clear that Iran has rights, but with those rights come responsibilities,” Gibbs said in a written statement. “As the overwhelming IAEA board of governors vote made clear, time is running out for Iran to address the international community’s growing concerns about its nuclear program.”

And frankly, she sounds like she has a better command of the subjects than President Obama.

In case you’re wondering why she’s not dressed up for the interview, it’s because she’s wearing an ARMY t-shirt. You see, she was on her way to meet with over 4,000 people at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

The German paper Der Spiegel took the opportunity to smack Obama around a little bit today noting that “His Nice Guy Act is Getting Him Nowhere.”

“When he entered office, US President Barack Obama promised to inject US foreign policy with a new tone of respect and diplomacy. His recent trip to Asia, however, showed that it’s not working. A shift to Bush-style bluntness may be coming.”

“Barack Obama looked tired on Thursday, as he stood in the Blue House in Seoul, the official residence of the South Korean president. He also seemed irritable and even slightly forlorn. The CNN cameras had already been set up. But then Obama decided not to play along, and not to answer the question he had already been asked several times on his trip: what did he plan to take home with him? Instead, he simply said “thank you, guys,” and disappeared. David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, fielded the journalists’ questions in the hallway of the Blue House instead, telling them that the public’s expectations had been “too high.”

“Upon taking office, Obama said that he wanted to listen to the world, promising respect instead of arrogance. But Obama’s currency isn’t as strong as he had believed. Everyone wants respect, but hardly anyone is willing to pay for it. Interests, not emotions, dominate the world of realpolitik. The Asia trip revealed the limits of Washington’s new foreign policy: Although Obama did not lose face in China and Japan, he did appear to have lost some of his initial stature.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Malcolm at the Los Angeles Times notes that the approval gap between Obama and Palin continues to shrink…

“Not that it matters politically because obviously she’s a female Republican dunce and he’s obviously a male Democrat genius.”

“But Sarah Palin’s poll numbers are strengthening.”

“And President Obama’s are sliding.”

“Guess what? They’re about to meet in the 40s.”

“Depending, of course, on which recent set of numbers you peruse and how the questions are phrased, 307 days into his allotted 1,461 the 44th president’s approval rating among Americans has slid to 49% or 48%, showing no popularity bounce from his many happy trips, foreign and domestic.”

“Riding the wave of immense publicity and symbiotic media interest over her new book, “Going Rogue,” and the accompanying promotional tour, Palin’s favorable ratings are now at 43%, according to ABC. That’s up from 40% in July.”

“One poll even gives her a 47% favorable.”

Tonight was the second segment of Bill O’Reilly’s interview with Sarah Palin.

Part 1

Part 2

The following clip is an interview of syndicated columnist, Dr. Charles Krauthammer by Frank Gaffney of Secure Freedom Radio.

Krauthammer speaks at length about Reagan, the Cold War, President Obama’s absence from the celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall and much more.

At 7:20, Frank Gaffney announces his summary of the “Obama Doctrine.”

“Undermine our allies, embolden our enemies and diminish our country.”

This is why I love Charles Krauthammer…

Are you wondering why President Obama decided to trash a plan for a missile defense program in Poland?

Politico is wondering but they’re asking the wrong question. They’re asking:

What Does US Get For Missile Move?

“Republicans talked of President Obama “appeasing” Russia,” “betraying” Poland, and bringing back the Carter administration. They didn’t like his decision Thursday to scrap plans for a missle defense system in Poland and in the Czech Republic, and they dusted off some vintage Cold War anti-communist rhetoric and endorsements of missile defense to express it.”

The real question is:

What Do GE and MSNBC Get for Missile Move?

“Reuters reports an interesting nugget in the wake of President Barack Obama’s decision to grant Vladimir Putin his wish and kill the Eastern European missile shield:”

“Shortly after the pullback on the shield programme was announced, Russia’s government said Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would meet several U.S. executives on Friday from firms including General Electric, Morgan Stanley  as well as TPG, one of the world’s largest private equity firms.”

“General Electric may be the company with the closest ties to the Obama administration (if not, GE is second only to Goldman Sachs), and here we see the company benefiting from an abrupt foreign policy change made by President Obama. But GE isn’t the only company benefiting. Reuters paints the broader picture:”

“U.S. companies have arguably lost out to some European companies in joint ventures, and better diplomacy will likely improve the chances for investors in the strategic sectors of the Russian economy,” said Carlo Gallo, senior Russia analyst at London-based consultancy Control Risks.”

“GE CEO Jeff Immelt sits on Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, and GE owns MSNBC, the network famously friendly to Obama.”

To his credit, Bill O’Reilly was on the scent of this trail months ago. Watch this clip of the O’Reilly Factor from April of 2009. Be sure to watch the whole thing with the above news in mind.

Hopefully, O’Reilly will pick up this ball again and run with it.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark America.

UPDATE: Should we be nervous when the Prime Minister of Poland starts refusing to take phone calls from the White House?

UPDATE II: Where are all the Obama cheering Berliners now? Thanks alot. How do you say “moron” in German?

Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com is suddenly shocked, just SHOCKED that an American politician would travel to a foreign country and badmouth the United States of America.

Is he shocked that Obama has repeatedly badmouthed the United States of America all over the world?

Of course not!

He’s mad as hell that Mike Huckabee visited Israel and voiced his support of the Jewish people. HOW DARE HE???

The report Greenwald cites is from the Jerusalem Post which has this SHOCKING quote from Governor Huckabee:

“It concerns me when there are some in the United States who would want to tell Israel that it cannot allow people to live in their own country, wherever they want.”

How dare Mike Huckabee criticize Obama for his total lack of support for Israel, a sentiment shared by many Israelis and American Jews themselves?

“Many American supporters of Israel who voted for Barack Obama now suspect they may have been victims of a bait and switch. Jewish Americans voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Obama over John McCain in part because the Obama campaign went to great lengths to assure these voters that a President Obama would be supportive of Israel. This despite his friendships with rabidly anti-Israel characters like Rev. Jeremiah Wright and historian Rashid Khalidi.”

“Now, some of them apparently have voters’ remorse. According to Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, “President Obama’s strongest supporters among Jewish leaders are deeply troubled by his recent Middle East initiatives, and some are questioning what he really believes.” I hear the same thing from rank-and-file supporters of Israel who voted for Mr. Obama.”

Perhaps it’s because Obama likes to give medals to anti-Semites and pal around with a “reverend” who uses expressions like “them Jews.”

Note to Glenn Greenwald: Before you attack pro-Israel Conservatives, perhaps you should hover a magnifying glass over the president for whom you’re so desperate to provide cover.

There’s only one American politician currently traveling the world, repeating a mantra of “America sucks” and it certainly isn’t Mike Huckabee.