Mr Obama gave Joe Biden the leading role in managing America's withdrawal from Iraq and, sometimes, negotiating with the Republicans' awkward squad on Capitol Hill.

ECONOMIST: Lexington

Like Mr Netanyahu, Mr Barak would have liked to skip the unfinished business left over from the interim agreement, including the withdrawal prescribed at the Wye summit in Maryland last October, and go straight to negotiating a final settlement with Mr Arafat.

ECONOMIST: Barak��s chance

Highlights of his plan for Iraq involve leveraging our planned withdrawal to bring all factions in Iraq and nearby countries--including Syria and Iran--to the negotiating table.

FORBES: Bill Richardson