Big mistake No. 3: Deregulation did not permit the negotiation of long-term contracts between utilities and power generators.

CNN: The California power quagmire

Kofi Annan's stint as special envoy led to a short-term reduction in violence but no serious efforts at negotiation.

CNN: Syria, Sarajevo and Srebrenica: When outrage isn't enough

One long-time confidant is Yitzhak Molcho, a lawyer who was at his side in his first term and whom American diplomats credit with achieving the modest progress that was then eventually made in negotiation with the Palestinians.

ECONOMIST: America grapples with Israel