method of sending retired Senator as negotiator

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And the beauty of this method is that you don't over-invest effort or reputation. If it works out, that's a good thing and we've made progress where we didn't think we would. If it doesn't work out, well, we're back where we started from and that's okay, too.

Actually they already did that...

former senator George Mitchell was instrumental in the Good Friday agreement that resulted in the demilitarization of the IRA.

I think this might be where I got the idea!

I think this happened around '96 or '97*, and while not a complete success, was and is a success story. Just if I was president would do it a lot more often. Keep a rolodex of some 20 or so retired Senators, retired senior members of the House, retired governors, retired diplomats, etc. And with a light touch and in response to hot spots and simmering conflicts, use this method on a fairly regular basis. And if you win 2 out of 20, that's a success. The poker analogy is picking up pots no one else wants.

*The Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10, 1998.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=89418366
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/11/opini ... eland.html