Is Obama Practicing Realpolitik?

In a series of interviews with The Atlantic magazine published Thursday, Mr. Obama said a number of American allies in the Persian Gulf — as well as in Europe — were “free riders,” eager to drag the United States into grinding sectarian conflicts that sometimes had little to do with American interests.

Then in a State Dinner Guest list, deconstructed:

Mr. Obama’s favorite dinners are small gatherings of intellectuals, often held outside Washington, that last into the small hours over dry martinis and wine. He returns the favor with invitations to the White House.

Guests include: Deepak Chopra, author; Amy Gutmann, University of Pennsylvania; Robert Kagan, Brookings Institution; James Yong Kim, Dartmouth College; Henry Kissinger, Kissinger Associates; Jhumpa Lahiri, author; Bette Bao Lord, author; Joseph Nye, Harvard; Amartya Sen, Harvard; George Shultz, Hoover Institution; and Strobe Talbott, Brookings.