Steven Clemons is a Senior Fellow and Director of the American Strategy Program at the New America Foundation, where he previously served as Executive Vice President. He is also publisher of the popular political blog, TheWashingtonNote.com. A specialist in U.S.-Asia policy and U.S. foreign policy matters as well as broad international economic and security affairs, Steve Clemons joined New America in May 1999 after serving as Executive Vice President of the Economic Strategy Institute. Mr. Clemons has also served as Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Jeff Bingaman and was the first Executive Director of the Nixon Center in Washington. In Los Angeles, Clemons served for seven years as the Executive Director of the Japan America Society of Southern California and co-founded the Japan Policy Research Institute.


Steve Clemons writes frequently on foreign policy, defense, and international economic policy. His work has appeared in most of the major leading op-ed pages, journals, and magazines around the world. Clemons serves on the Board of Directors of the Citizens for Global Solutions Education Fund, the Starr Center for the American Experience at Washington College, and on the Clark Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Contemporary Issues at Dickinson College.

Blog Entries by Steve Clemons

Khamenei is the New Shah: There Will Be (More) Blood

45 Comments | Posted December 27, 2009 | 08:53 PM (EST)


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Ayatollah Khamenei's legitimacy as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran is at a very fragile moment and being challenged by Iranian citizens throughout the nation, according to reports streaming in, despite media controls and a Western press blackout....

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When Intolerance Kills Christmas II: Why Should Gay U.S. Soldiers Still Fear Saluting Barack Obama?

261 Comments | Posted December 25, 2009 | 11:29 AM (EST)


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Two years ago on Christmas Eve, I wrote a piece for Huffington Post and the Washington Note titled "When the Intolerant Kill Christmas."

According to my friends at Huffington Post, more than half a million people...

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Missing Ted Kennedy: Health Care Reform Package Would Have Been So Different

182 Comments | Posted December 24, 2009 | 10:19 AM (EST)


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Had Ted Kennedy been alive today, either Ben Nelson would not have been able to undermine women's health care equities and move his anti-abortion beliefs into national consequence or Joe Lieberman would not have been able to get...

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Hillary Clinton Does 185,731 Miles and Asks If I Was a Party Crasher

17 Comments | Posted December 8, 2009 | 09:45 AM (EST)


Hillary Clinton would have probably flown more miles this year had she not badly injured her wrist in a nasty State Department parking lot fall, but she still logged a very impressive 185,731 in flight miles so far this year.

Andrea Mitchell, master of ceremonies at the U.S. Global...

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Joe Biden Swears in David Huebner for New Zealand Ambassadorship -- Kiwi Ambassador to US Says on Prospect of Uptick in Gay Tourism "Bring It On!"

2 Comments | Posted December 4, 2009 | 06:02 PM (EST)


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I just had the privilege of attending the swearing-in ceremony for my old friend David Huebner as the next US Ambassador to New Zealand.

Demonstrating the importance of this appointment to the White House, Vice President Joe Biden gave...

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Does Joe Biden Win or Lose in Obama Afghanistan Review?

43 Comments | Posted December 1, 2009 | 06:21 PM (EST)


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From what we know of Joe Biden's "skunk at the White House picnic" skepticism of increasing troop deployments to Afghanistan during President Obama's three month strategy review process, it would appear -- on the surface -- that Biden didn't...

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Thankful That Obama Has Helped Make Dissent And Debate Patriotic And Safe Again

182 Comments | Posted November 26, 2009 | 01:29 PM (EST)


Arianna Huffington asked me (and a sizable gaggle of her other pals) to write something up for Thanksgiving. What am I thankful for? What moves me on Thanksgiving?

My significant other lets me know regularly how lucky we are to have our health, a couple of nice homes, jobs...

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Who Is Hot And Who Was Blocked (Or Forgotten) At First White House State Dinner

42 Comments | Posted November 24, 2009 | 08:56 PM (EST)


The White House just released the list of those attending the State Dinner honoring India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Cool list actually. But not just because it's India night -- but because there are a lot of folks that could push other agendas in Obama Land.

Domestic Policy Council...

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Howard Berman/Richard Lugar Bipartisan Team Call for End to Cuba Travel Ban

53 Comments | Posted November 17, 2009 | 02:34 AM (EST)


Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) have jointly written a compelling case to end the travel ban for all Americans desiring to go to Cuba.

In fact, their piece, titled "Lift the Ban...

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Not Supposed to Happen in Obama Land: Intrigue Behind Gregory Craig's Resignation

42 Comments | Posted November 16, 2009 | 03:07 PM (EST)


I just published an article at The Daily Beast on White House Counsel Gregory Craig's resignation.

For the record, I am an admirer of Greg Craig's. I think that Craig is one of the few people on the progressive side of things who has a deep grasp of...

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Cuba's Soft Power: Exporting Doctors Rather Than Revolution

4 Comments | Posted November 12, 2009 | 11:39 AM (EST)


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Recently, Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice went at it during a session when 187 Members of the United Nations were about to vote against the United States and two allies...

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Give Joe Biden MVP Award This Week on Obama Foreign Policy Team

10 Comments | Posted November 8, 2009 | 06:37 PM (EST)


Richard Wolffe wrote in his Obama campaign memoir that the president sees most of his challenges in basketball metaphors and that he's turned on by nail-biting contests when he, Barack Obama, can switch things up in the contest and come in to make the key decisions and plays...

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Arturo Valenzuela Confirmed as Asst. Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere

Posted November 6, 2009 | 03:16 PM (EST)


After a long, messy battle between Senator Jim DeMint and the Obama administration, Senator DeMint removed his holds on two key administration appointees whose nominations have been languishing pending the outcome over a battle involving the Honduras ouster of President Manuel Zelaya.

In his statement on...

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Senator LeMieux On Wrong Track with anti-Cuba Political Action Committee and State Department Hold

2 Comments | Posted November 6, 2009 | 11:33 AM (EST)


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Kind of sad when you see a Freshman US Senator get appointed and immediately hijacked by lobbying groups who have deeply parochial interests that run against the nation's and even Senator George LeMieux's own state of Florida.

Last night, the...

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Matthew Hoh: U.S. Has Lost Track of Why It Is in Afghanistan

21 Comments | Posted November 4, 2009 | 08:59 AM (EST)


Matthew Hoh, the first U.S. government official to formally resign his post because of objections to America's course in Afghanistan, makes a compelling case that America has lost its strategic sensibilities in this war which...

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Cuba United Nations Vote Today: US Should Abstain

5 Comments | Posted October 28, 2009 | 01:31 PM (EST)


Increasing numbers of national security leaders of the likes of Brent Scowcroft and George Shultz have said that the US embargo of Cuba makes no sense and harms American interests.

Republican Congressman Jeff Flake -- the hunky Arizona Congressman who recently spent five days alone...

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Chuck Hagel to Co-Chair Obama's Intel Advisory Board

4 Comments | Posted October 28, 2009 | 09:55 AM (EST)


Former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel gave an outstanding speech outlining the imperative of American leadership in the Israel-Palestine dispute at the J Street Annual Conference Gala Dinner last night.

I had the privilege of moderating the discussion and having an exchange about US foreign policy with the Senator...

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Tzipi Livni Shows Prime Ministerial Stuff on J Street Conference

6 Comments | Posted October 22, 2009 | 12:46 AM (EST)


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The more I listen to Congressional Opposition chief John Boehner as of late, the more I wish he could find the dignity and common ground for big objectives that Israel's...

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Khaled Mashal Confirms He Will Send Delegation to Cairo

5 Comments | Posted October 18, 2009 | 04:39 PM (EST)


AMMAN, JORDAN -- On Saturday, 17 October, I interviewed Hamas leader Khaled Mashal on a range of subjects at his offices in Damascus, Syria.

The full interview is currently being edited and will...

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Pakistan Military and ISI Must Purge Ranks

8 Comments | Posted October 11, 2009 | 09:38 PM (EST)


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A few years ago, I was invited to an extraordinary set of meetings in Beijing organized by Marika Vicziany of Monash University. The meeting featured participants like then Labor Party leader (and next Australia Ambassador...

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