What, Me Worry? Well, Yes.

So, You Worry About Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Newsday, January 30, 2017. "The left has a new boogeyman: Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin. Russian hackers, many liberals say, cost Hillary Clinton the election. Russia is certainly a bad actor. I only wish the left had noticed years ago. And no, I don’t excuse conservatives who fall for the Russian lure: They should know better."

Really, It's Not Just Another Country

How Trump Can Advance the Special Relationship with Britain, with Nile Gardiner, Daily Signal, January 26, 2017. "Just seven days after taking office, President Donald Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington on Jan. 27. It will be the first visit to the White House by a foreign leader since Trump’s inauguration, and the meeting sends a clear signal that the Anglo-American alliance will be at the heart of strategic thinking in the new Trump administration."

SHOT Wonders if Trump Will Hit the Target

With Obama Gone, Firearms Industry Hopes for New Freedom for Gun Owners, Daily Signal, January 26, 2017. "In past years, the SHOT Show—the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show; organized annually by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, held this year in Las Vegas—has been marked by delight at the booming firearms market, clouded by concerns about impending executive actions by now-former President Barack Obama. This year, SHOT was the exact opposite: hopes for regulatory relief from President Donald Trump, tempered with regret at the end of—or at least a pause in—the remarkable sales run of the past eight years."

Not Just Another Country

The Trump-May White House Meeting: Five Key Recommendations for Advancing the Special Relationship, with Nile Gardiner, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4649, January 25, 2017. "On January 27, just seven days after taking office, President Donald Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington. It will be the first visit to the White House by a foreign leader since Trump’s inauguration, and the meeting sends a clear signal that the Anglo–American alliance will be at the heart of strategic thinking in the new Trump Administration."

Bin the ATT

A Simple Plan in 2017 for the Arms Trade Treaty: Return to Sender, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4648, January 24, 2017. "Though then–Secretary of State John Kerry signed the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on behalf of the United States on September 25, 2013, the Obama Administration waited until December 9, 2016, to transmit the treaty to the Senate. The strength of the opposition to the treaty and the fact that the Administration only acted when it had less than six weeks left in office make clear that the ATT has no chance of receiving the advice and consent of the Senate. Therefore, like a number of other treaties, it will await action by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) when the next Administration enters office."

Broadening the River

Brexit and the Arrival of Trump Signal the Beginning of an Exciting New Era of Closer and Deeper US-UK Relations, BrexitCentral, January 19, 2017. "So let’s try something new: focusing on reality. Let’s get a few solid accomplishments under our belt – starting, but not ending, with that trade deal – and then see how we feel about each other, and ourselves. I’d love to go back to the era of Roosevelt and Churchill, or Reagan and Thatcher, because they all combined great rhetoric with great achievements, but that’s not happening. Yet we do have the chance – because you now have the freedom, and we appear to have the desire – to break the mould, to do things that used to be impossible, or merely unthinkable. If politics allow us to make Churchill’s river that little broader for both our benefit, and for the years that will follow our new administrations, it would be folly not to take it."

Grade: Must Improve, But Didn't

Obama Did Not Learn from Foreign Policy Mistakes, Newsday, January 14, 2017. "During their time in office, most presidents learn. And usually their actions reflect what they’ve learned. That’s good: Learning is a vital part of being an effective leader, and it’s essential if you’re president. Regrettably, President Barack Obama doesn’t appear to be a good learner."

What the US Should Do in Europe

Recommitting the United States to European Security and Prosperity: Five Steps for the Incoming Administration, with Luke Coffey and Daniel Kochis, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4646, January 12, 2017. "Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. policy toward Europe has drifted far from its initial premises; Europe itself has changed beyond recognition. The U.S. needs to recognize this fact. President Trump should direct the National Security Council (NSC) to oversee a comprehensive study of U.S. policy toward Europe, a study based on enduring American interests in Europe, the lessons of the post-1945 era, and on the new features of Europe that have emerged since 1991."

Accountability Time

My Questions for the New Year, Newsday, January 1, 2017. "Commenting on current affairs is an ongoing lesson in humility. It’s a big world, and anyone who writes about it should be prepared to be wrong a lot. So at the end of the year, I like to practice some accountability by looking back to my last New Year’s column, and forward to the coming year."