Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's weapons are his personality, his willingness to discuss and understand others' wishes and his do- nothing approach. The Fukuda Cabinet reminds me of the Obuchi Cabinet of 1998. The Obuchi Cabinet emerged after the Liberal Democratic Party suffered defeat in an upper house election. Keizo Obuchi ended up adopting the Democratic Party of Japan's ideas on the Financial Reconstruction Law. His Cabinet also swallowed whole the policies of the Liberal Party and began a coalition government with that party. Then it extended the coalition to include Komeito, establishing a three-party government. Obuchi used discussions and dialogue to soften the threats facing the LDP. Prime Minister Fukuda is also wielding his willingness to discuss matters as a weapon, making contact with the DPJ in order to create an escape route for his party. But this time, there are no more partners waiting to join the LDP and New Komeito. The only hope is to talk with the DPJ, but Ichiro Ozawa, the leader of the DPJ, had a bitter experience when the Liberal Party joined forces with the LDP and is not likely to travel down that route again. It's a certainty that the DPJ will request the dissolution of the lower house as a precondition of any discussions. If the LDP intends to just keep delaying the dissolution, a fruitful dialogue with the DPJ will be difficult.

When the Illogical is Accepted, Reason Withdraws
The personnel Fukuda selected to run the party and the government have the strong whiff of temporary leaders. First, consider the party's executive-level appointments. The secretary-general is supposed to have two main responsibilities: managing Diet affairs and elections. The new secretary-general will continue to manage Diet affairs, but responsibility for the elections has been delegated to the post of election committee chairman, which will be given the same full authority as the other three leading party posts. It's as if the party now has two secretaries-general. Until now, the secretary- general wielded tremendous influence because he controlled Diet issues, elections and finances. The post is in danger of drifting in two directions and losing its authority. It reminds me of the Russian proverb: Two bears don't live in one lair.

Chase Two Rabbits and You Won't Catch Any
Prime Minister Fukuda has reappointed most of Shinzo Abe's ministers and declared himself as the former premier's successor. He has said that he will continue the "Koizumi/Abe reforms" while solving the pension and political funding problems and restoring trust in the government. But he can't continue those reforms at the same time that he puts in place measures to reduce the wealth gap and help the economies of Japan's outlying regions. There's a basic contradiction here. The Fukuda government doesn't have any of its own policies or vision. It also has no intention of reforming Koizumi/Abe politics. In the end, this Cabinet is all about election administration.