AND NOW THE PREDICTABLE FAILURE - AT 8:31 A.M. ET:  The new Nobel peace laureate is finding out this morning just how much his prize is worth in the world outside student governments.  From AP:

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that the threat of sanctions against Iran would be counterproductive, resisting U.S. efforts to win agreement for measures if Iran fails to prove its nuclear program is peaceful.

Didn't we just make a major concession to the Russians on East European missile defense?  I remember something about that.

Lavrov spoke following talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is trying to gauge Moscow's willingness to join the U.S. in imposing sanctions if Iran fails to come clean on its nuclear activities.

You've gauged it, Hil.  Now come home and tell the panderer-in-chief.  You went nowhere.

Lavrov said Russia's position is that under current conditions even the threat of sanctions against Iran would be counterproductive.

Clinton said the U.S. agreed it was important to pursue diplomacy with Iran.

''At the same time ... we have always looked at the potential of sanctions in the event we are not successful'' in persuading Iran to comply, she said at a joint news conference.

Another famous victory for the U.S. under Obama.  It's disgraceful.  Can this administration point to one success in its foreign policy?  Is it even looking for success, or just popularity among the international prize givers?

Why do I think I'm seeing a bad sequel to "High School Musical"?

Beyond Iran, Lavrov said the U.S. and Russia have made ''considerable'' progress toward reaching agreement on a new strategic arms treaty.

That's the piece of paper that Obama will wave, Chamberlain-like, in our faces, as he brings us peace in our time...for a few minutes.

October 13, 2009