... Obama’s overtures to Asia have been built on the twin premises that the United States will be a reliable partner and that its democratic values are to be emulated.
But Obama now finds himself preparing to leave for a week-long trip to the region amid the first U.S. government shutdown in 17 years —and facing political pressure to remain in Washington during the crisis.
It marks a potential embarrassment for a president who has expressed a personal interest in strengthening the United States’ position in Asia.
(Excerpt) Read more at m.washingtonpost.com ...
