Care required: Another potential hot spot gets visit from secretary of state

Secretary of State John Kerry does not have a good record when it comes to the execution of foreign policy.

So far, he has failed dismally in his efforts in the Middle East and, most recently, in specific, in his attempt to create a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel.

And now he is headed to Afghanistan to broker a deal between two candidates in a bitter feud over that nation's elections.

Who knows how that will turn out.

But in all fairness to Kerry, he is not really the source of the problem of the U.S.'s standing when it comes to leadership in the world.

You can thank the Obama administration's disjointed and sometimes unbelievably short-sighted and naive stance on international relations for that.

But there is a concern -- and a legitimate one -- as we watch continuing issues across the Middle East and here at home.

It is critical that something gets done and quickly -- and that an already volatile situation is not made worse.

So Kerry might travel, but the president needs to lead -- and soon.

There is too much at stake to leave these outcomes to chance, or to a secretary of state.

Published in Editorials on August 7, 2014 11:22 AM