With attention on the strained relations between U.S. and Israel in recent days, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it clear she views the two countries as allies. The NY Times reports, that she "brush[ed] aside talk of a crisis" by saying, "Oh, I don’t buy that. I’ve been around not that long, but a long time. We have an absolute commitment to Israel’s security. We have a close, unshakable bond between the United States and Israel and between the American and Israeli people." more ›

The Obama administration's unhappiness with Israel has now resulted in the special envoy delaying his trip to the Middle East and a call from House Minority Whip Eric Cantor to White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Politico reports that Cantor (R-VA) told Emanuel to "pull back and lower the volume" last night. Cantor said the recent rhetoric seemed to be an "opportunistic move by an administration that wants to impose its view ... onto our ally." more ›

Hillary Clinton gave her first Sunday talk show interview as Secretary of State to George Stephanopoulos, who asked the inevitable: Did President Obama pass the 3 a.m. test, referring to her infamous campaign ad that asked, "It's 3 a.m., and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?" more ›

Governor Paterson continued his vow of silence regarding who he'll appoint to take Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. In a statement, he said, "I expect to announce Senator Clinton’s replacement when the position becomes officially vacant.” In others, we've got about two more months of speculation (RFK Jr? Cuomo? Reps. Velazquez, Gillibrand, Israel, Higgins, Meeks, Lowey? Brown (Mayor of Buffalo)? ). Paterson also said of Secretary of State-designate Clinton, "She is the leader we need to partner with President-Elect Obama to confront the international challenges we face today. I can think of no one more qualified for the position at this critical moment in our history. New York will lose a powerful voice in the Senate. But the nation will gain a powerful voice in the world." more ›