The Foreign Service Journal, February 2007

he last time an American president had to work with a Congress controlled by the other political party was 12 years ago, when Bill Clinton suddenly found himself confronting a Republican leadership ener- gized by its sweep of the 1994 midterm elections. There are obvious differences between the two situations, to be sure. The “Contract with America” primarily addressed domestic policy, not foreign affairs, whereas broad public disapproval of the Iraq War was one of the main factors behind GOP losses this past November. In addition, unlike the T H E N E X T T W O Y E A R S N EW P LAYERS , N EW D IRECTIONS ? E DITOR ’ S I NTRODUCTION W ILL THE B USH ADMINISTRATION CHOOSE TO “ STAY THE COURSE ” ON FOREIGN POLICY UNTIL 2009 OR MAKE SOME CHANGES ? B Y S TEVEN A LAN H ONLEY T Adam McCauley F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 19