2011’s Courageous Political Leaders

What’s the Latest Development?

Washington political analyst and author of Primary Colors, Joe Klein is back with his yearly list of courageous politicians. Let’s begin with someone you may not have heard of: America’s ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford. “During the massacres perpetrated by Bashar Assad against his people, Ford refused to remain in the embassy. He went out into the streets, around the country, witnessing the carnage and expressing U.S. support for the demonstrators.”

What’s the Big Idea?

Klein’s other selections come from both sides of the political divide. He praises Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, a mainstay conservative, for speaking out early in favor of revenue increases as a necessary, but not sufficient, means of solving the budget crisis. President Obama deserves mention, says Klein, for his willingness to oppose military brass in his role as Commander in Chief. He opposed top military officials in announcing a drawdown from Afghanistan, sending a SEAL team to kill Osama bin Laden and involving the U.S. in Libya.