John Kerry Excuses Obama’s Canceled Asia Trip

Well, this is awkward. President Obama was forced to cancel a diplomatic trip to Asia in order to deal with the shutdown battle at home, leaving Secretary of State Kerry to deal with the fallout. Secretary Kerry assured reporters outside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on Saturday that the canceled trip is not a sign of reduced interest in the region by the United States, but merely a “moment of political silliness.” Still, commentators in the region are worried that the decision is the first step in a journey away from a commitment to the region that would counterbalance China’s rising power.