David Corn

I'm not about to endorse Joe Biden for president. But I will say this: the guy does think about foreign policy. He tried to come up with an overarching plan for Iraq that would turn the nation into a federation of three entities (Kurdish, Shia, and Sunni) with a weak central government that would manage the country's oil reserves. There are problems with this idea, but at least it's a notion of what to do in Iraq--which is more than George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have to offer. In late September, the Senate passed a nonbinding measure supporting Biden's proposal on a whopping and bipartisan 75-23 vote. And in the October 30 Democratic debate, Biden had the best moment of the night when he responded to a Tim Russert gotcha-question about Iran with nuance and sophistication, which are usually absent in such settings. (I described the exchange here.)

Now, as the Bush administration looks dumbstruck in the face of the Pakistan crisis, Biden, who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee, has proposed a detailed plan for dealing with the matter. I'm sure experts can quibble with it. But again, I award him points for engagement. From a Biden press release

1. The U.S. must triple non-security aid, to $1.5 billion annually for at least a decade. This aid would be unconditioned. It would be the U.S.'s pledge to the Pakistani people. Instead of funding military hardware, it would build schools, clinics, and roads.

2. The U.S. must condition security aid on performance. We should base our security aid on clear results. The U.S. is now spending well over $1 billion annually, and it's not clear we're getting our money's worth.

3. The U.S. must help Pakistan enjoy a “democracy dividend.” The first year of democratic rule should bring an additional $1 billion -- above the $1.5 billion non-security aid baseline. Sen. Biden supports tying future non-security aid--again, above the guaranteed baseline--to Pakistan's progress in developing democratic institutions and meeting good-governance norms.

4. The U.S. must engage the Pakistani people, not just their rulers. This will involve everything from improved public diplomacy and educational exchanges to high impact projects that actually change people's lives.

Social assistance in addition to security assistance, a democracy dividend, pressure on Pakistan to use U.S. security funds to go after al Qaeda, and nongovernmental engagement. Would this work? There's no guarantee, certainly. But it's a proactive plan, and that sure beats the Bush/Cheney policy of drift, neglect, and hoping for the best.

While we're considering (highly) unsolicited advice for the Bush administration, Amnesty International has an intriguing proposal. On Tuesday, it called for Bush to respond to the house arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto by sending U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson to visit Bhutto (as well as to check in on Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Human Rights Commission Chairman Asma Jahangir, who have both been detained by General Pervez Musharraf's security forces.) "President Bush and the United States need to send a signal to Pakistan's civil society that Musharraf's blatant disregard for freedom of movement and peaceful assembly and the use of martial law will not be tolerated," says AI's Asia Kumar. The group also urged the suspension of all U.S. security assistance to Pakistan until the recent repressive measures are lifted.

So what is the administration doing? On Wednesday, White House press secretary Dana Perino said, "we are urging Pakistan to return to its constitution, allow free and fair elections, and to reestablish the foothold they had on democracy before the emergency order was put in place." Hooray for footholds! Perino noted that "we'd like to see" Musharraf lift the emergency order immediately, adding, "Obviously the situation is evolving, and we continue to be in close contact with his government." Talk about a big stick.

This is a far cry from the lofty pronouncement of Bush's second inaugural speech: "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you. Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country."

Gosh, you'd think that the guy who said that ought to call Bhutto and wish her well. Maybe send her an email. Wolf Blitzer talked to her on the phone the other day. So, too, did Steve Inskeep of NPR. (Thanks to modern telecomunications, house arrest isn't what it used to be.) But Bush's policy seems to be based on this not-so-grand principle: let's weather the storm. In fact, that appears to be the overarching philosophy of governance that will be guiding him until January 20, 2009. Perhaps the day after that, Biden will move into new digs at Foggy Bottom.

ALL BETS OFF? Will the Democratic 2008 contenders get down and dirty at the debate in Las Vegas on Thursday night? I lay down odds in the Mother Jones blog here.