6月8日：太平洋切蛋糕？

【Comment】

The New York Post revealed something about Obama lately, which was more prominent, or devastating than the reconnaissance of US P3-C on Chinese Taipei’s navy vessel in the South China Sea.
The New York Post exposed a secret agreement between Obama and Clinton in the 2012 Campaign, yet Obama had a second thought after his re-election.  That was a disturbing betrayal.
Though New York Post is not as important as New York Times or the 60 Minutes, the truffle that is hidden in the reports could be smelled.  
The report implied that Obama has changed.  He comes to enjoy daily politics, not the governance of a state.
What bothers us most is: Is Obama seeking political momentum from Beijing, since he has lost most of the respect from home?  Rarely and rashly, Obama invited Xi Jin-ping to have uninterrupted secret long talks at Sunnylands, a private southern Californian retreat, on June 7^th and 8^th.
Though Obama inherits the protection of African DNA, the US might lose half of the Pacific Ocean to Beijing, once Obama looks to Xi for a career boost.  Here is a tricky situation for history as well as personal life: People take a reckless leap when they find no way out.    Revised at 1430

此事比美軍P-3C偵查中華台北軍艦大且嚴重。

無論是否自知或僅為閱報、收視率，新聞媒體常扮演政治角力的風箏。節目《六十分鐘》如此，《外行人》如此、《紐約郵報》也不例外。令人擔心的是猴子穿西裝──歐巴馬會否因為借用了白宮的權力而不自覺的睥睨世界？或容忍他人鼾睡而怨怒沖天？讓人憂心忡忡的：歐巴馬在內政焦頭爛額之際，會決定向習近平取暖？6月7日、8日的罕見約會便是無來由。此事千萬出不得差錯，但看情勢很令人灰心。在歐巴馬手中，美國大概會輸掉半個太平洋！雖然他有DNA的保護傘──但這就是歷史或生命的弔詭處。

《美媒爆料》柯林頓挺歐巴馬 交換希拉蕊選下屆總統◎自由（2013.06.04）http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2013/new/jun/4/today-int3.htm

〔編譯管淑平／綜合報導〕就在外界不斷猜測美國前國務卿希拉蕊會不會參加二○一六年的總統大選之際，美國八卦報「紐約郵報」二日報導，美國總統歐巴馬在去年的總統選戰期間，與前總統柯林頓達成秘密協議，柯林頓公開力挺歐巴馬連任，以交換歐巴馬在一六年支持希拉蕊選總統。

柯私下批歐無能、外行

報導引述傳記作家克萊恩（Edward Klein）所著歐巴馬傳記「外行人」（The Amateur）的內容，指稱柯林頓一一年曾力促希拉蕊在一二年出馬角逐總統，挑戰歐巴馬，但被希拉蕊拒絕。當時柯林頓在某次私下會議中曾抱怨，前總統布希向他請教的次數都比歐巴馬多，「我和歐巴馬沒交情，一點都沒有」，還痛批歐巴馬「無能」（incompetent）、「外行」（an amateur），不知道怎麼當總統。

至於歐巴馬，本來也對柯林頓為他站台沒興趣，也不讓柯林頓在民主黨全國代表大會上扮演任何角色。但隨著歐巴馬支持度下跌，情況發生變化，歐巴馬的政治策略頭號軍師艾克塞羅德（David Axelrod）說服歐巴馬，他需要柯林頓的魔力，吸引對他仍有疑慮的選民支持。

歐巴馬與柯林頓因此達成一項秘密協議：柯林頓在民主黨全代會上發表主題演說，力挺歐巴馬連任，交換歐巴馬在一六年支持希拉蕊選總統。柯林頓在那場演說上大力吹捧歐巴馬，也對歐巴馬的選情幫了不小的忙。

歐想反悔 柯揚言報復

不過，歐巴馬成功連任後，對於兩人當初秘密約定的想法也有了變化，比較希望在下屆總統選舉中，像歷任即將卸任的總統一樣保持中立。歐巴馬有意反悔，讓柯林頓非常憤怒，揚言報復，歐巴馬因此讓步，找了美國新聞節目「六十分鐘」主持人克夫特（Steve Kroft），在今年一月希拉蕊卸任前，歐巴馬與她連袂接受專訪。歐巴馬在這場難得的訪問中盛讚希拉蕊，希拉蕊也極力稱讚歐巴馬，兩人在鏡頭前上演一場互捧戲碼。

Obama was pushed by Clintons into endorsement of Hillary in 2016: book◎New York Post（2013.06.02）http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/gets_hill_bullied_EjhPAdD8Ati7RRkMlNqHbM

President Obama made a secret deal to support Hillary Clinton when she runs for president in 2016, campaign sources say, payback for the support her husband gave him in 2012.

Bill Clinton’s animosity toward Obama is legendary.  A year before the last election, he was urging Hillary to challenge the sitting president for the nomination — a move she rejected.

According to two people who attended that meeting in Chappaqua, Bill Clinton then went on a rant against Obama.

“I’ve heard more from Bush, asking for my advice, than I’ve heard from Obama,” my sources quoted Clinton as saying.  “I have no relationship with the president — none whatsoever.  Obama doesn’t know how to be president. He doesn’t know how the world works. He’s incompetent. He’s an amateur!”

HUB-BUBBA: “The Amateur” says Bill Clinton ’s animosity toward the president cooled only with a promised endorsement and a fawning January spot on “60 Minutes” with Hillary .

BLOOMBERG'S VISIT ALL 'FORE' NOTHING

For his part, Obama wasn’t interested in Bill Clinton upstaging him during the presidential campaign.  He resisted giving him any role at the convention.

But as last summer wore on, and Democrat enthusiasm waned, chief political strategist David Axelrod convinced the president that he needed Bill Clinton’s mojo.

A deal was struck: Clinton would give the key nominating speech at the convention, and a full-throated endorsement of Obama.  In exchange, Obama would endorse Hillary Clinton as his successor.

Clinton’s speech was as promised; columnists pointed out the surprising enthusiasm in which he described the president.  It also lived up to Obama’s fears, as more people talked about Clinton ’s speech in the weeks following than his own.

But after his re-election, Obama began to have second thoughts.  He would prefer to stay neutral in the next election, as is traditional of outgoing presidents.

Bill Clinton went ballistic and threatened retaliation.  Obama backed down.  He called his favorite journalist, Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes,” and offered an unprecedented “farewell interview” with departing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .

The result was a slobbering televised love-in — and an embarrassment to all concerned.

It is just one of the debacles that have marked Obama’s second term, from Benghazi to the IRS scandal.  While he was effective on the campaign trail, once in the Oval Office, he becomes a different person, one who derives no joy from the cut and thrust of day-to-day politics and who is inept in the arts of management and governance.

Obama has made a lot of promises — and nothing ever happened.

He once boasted that he’d bring the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table and create a permanent peace in the Middle East.  Nothing happened.

He said he’d open a constructive dialogue with America’s enemies in Iran and North Korea and, through his special powers of persuasion, help them see the error of their ways.  And nothing happened.

He said he’d solve the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and put millions of people back to work.  And nothing happened.

He may yet try to back out of his promise to Hillary Clinton .  But as Obama’s presidency sinks deeper into scandal and inaction, the question is — will Clinton even still want his endorsement?

Adapted from the new paperback edition of Edward Klein ’s “The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House” (Regnery Publishing), out this week.

美官員在中國發揚軍事合作關係◎AP（2013.05.28）

原文：In China, U.S. Official Promotes Military Ties

By AP/Christopher Bodeen

(北京報導)美國國家安全雇問Tom Donilon於週二催促和中國建立更密切的軍事關係，這天同時也是他造訪北京行程的最後一天；此行的主要目的是要為下個月總統歐巴馬與中國國家主席習近平見面的高峰會做準備。

Donilon告訴中國中央軍事委員會副主席范長龍將軍：諸如維護和平、災害救濟與反海盜行動等非傳統軍事活動，提供促進雙方互動、「增進更好的相互信任、相互了解」的機會。

在北京中國國防部大樓裡，Donilin於會議時便提到：一個「健康、穩定、可靠的軍方對軍方關係」是整體中美關係裡不可或缺的一部分。

Donilin在兩天間與不少中國官員會面、策劃6月7-8日的高峰會；這也將是歐巴馬連任以來、習近平去年十一月晉升國家主席後，兩人首次的當面會談。

這場非正式高峰會，將在最近公佈的企業大亨Walter Annenberg南加州的私人Sunnylands莊園舉行，比原先兩位排定會面的時程早幾個月，凸顯出對中美關係出現危機的擔心。

習近平於週一告訴Donilon，雙方關係很緊張，必需「建立在過去成功合作基礎上，為將來開拓新的領域」。

要阻止關係惡化，雙方面臨的主要挑戰是建立軍事互信；引發關係危機的議題包含貿易上的爭議到對中國網路監聽的指控等。

儘管十年多來華府與北京一直在談建立軍事合作關係，雙方的不信任與對台灣、北韓及中國宣稱的東南海主權等議題上的異議仍為危機潛在的爆發點。

過去二十年來，美國不斷質疑北京加強軍事建設的目的，而北京也懷疑華府集中發展亞洲地區軍事同盟、在亞太地區佈署更多武力與軍隊的居心。

目前為止提升雙方軍事互動的手段還算適度，包含在亞丁灣的反海盜聯合軍演及一場課堂上自然災害反應的模擬。美國並邀請中國參加一場由美國主導的大型多國海軍演習，但中方尚未表示是否參加。

撇開單純軍事議題不談，隨著美國擔心自己領導世界的地位倍受挑戰、中國國力日增，開始要求對自身利益更多的尊重與全球事務發言權的狀況下，雙方的不信任日漸加劇；中國官方與國內媒體不斷聲明，華府以透過其亞洲盟國包圍北京、用國家安全名義阻止中資進入美國的方式，妨礙中國的崛起。