"We'll extend a hand if you'll unclench your fist...." was President Obama's famous first inaugural pitch to our adversaries. Such a kumbaya-type statement sounds nice in a speech but in reality foreign policy and diplomacy is a lot more complicated, requiring real study and focus. The president's repeated verbal missteps during his Asia trip demonstrates once again that the razzle dazzle only goes so far. Money don't buy you love and reelection don't buy you competence. Long after the confetti is cleaned up at Pres. Obama's second inaugural celebration, the national security challenges facing an economically weakened America will persist and, I would argue, multiply.