Mitchell Considered for Mideast Post

Former Sen. George Mitchell, who led a 2000 commission examining Middle Eastern violence, is being considered as special envoy to the region by the Obama administration, the New York Times reports. The appointment of such a high-profile negotiator would signal Obama’s seriousness about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but could deprive Hillary Clinton of a significant opportunity.

“Picking Mitchell would seem to sideline the secretary of state on one of the sexiest and most politically resonant issues in her brief,” one analyst said. But the advantages of Mitchell are clear. He is of Lebanese descent, and is seen as a popular, even-handed consensus-builder. “This is the clearest indication to me that they’re trying to inject more balance into the Israeli-US relationship,” the analyst said. (More George Mitchell stories.)