YOU CAN'T BE BOTH rEALIST AND CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS:

Obama's Dreadful Sudan Policy (Daniel Allott, 2.15.10, American Spectator)

Senator Obama was one of the upper chamber's most vocal advocates of strong action against the Sudanese regime. As a presidential candidate, he endorsed tougher sanctions on the Sudanese government and implementation of a no fly zone. He promised to end the genocide in Darfur and preserve a fragile North-South peace.

At her confirmation hearing, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton said preserving the North South peace agreement would be a "top priority." Obama's chief Sudan advisor, Susan Rice (now ambassador to the United Nations), hinted at U.S. military action against Khartoum, and vowed to "go down in flames" advocating tough measures.

Joe Biden even said, "I would use American force now [in Darfur]."

But like so many of its promises, the Obama administration's tough talk about Sudan has not translated into tough policy. In fact, after years of blasting George W. Bush's Sudan policy, Obama is now being slammed for offering too much carrot and not enough stick to a government whose president is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.