THE HILLARY EFFECT:

Clinton Bows to Russian Support of Iran: After condemning Israel the previous week. (Gary Schmitt, March 19, 2010, Weekly Standard)

Now, shift to yesterday in Russia: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lands in Moscow and is greeted with news that Russian prime minister Vladmir Putin has announced his government’s intention to complete construction of the Iranian nuclear plant at Bushehr this summer, in spite of the fact that the United Nations has declared Iran to be in non-compliance with the its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. When Secretary Clinton mildly complains about the Russian announcement, does the Russian government apologize for the timing, or the substance? Of course not. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, bluntly tells Clinton and the world that the construction will indeed go forward.

A "senior administration official” told the New York Times that “he did not believe that Mr. Putin intended to embarrass Mrs. Clinton.” That person should lose their job. Of course Putin meant to embarrass Clinton.