Overlooked among the Inaugural hoopla was a Washington Post report that said, according to sources in the Obama administration, former Maine Sen. George Mitchell would become the president’s top envoy to the Middle East.

If so, that is yet another significant responsibility entrusted to Mitchell, further polishing his political and public resume that few from this state – or most others – can match.

Few persons of any stature can tout being called upon to broker peace in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, plus scrub the American pastime of its dirt.

A criticism of past American presidents, namely Clinton and Bush, is they put off Middle East peacemaking for too long, therefore turning the process into feeble legacy building, rather than an honest effort to quiet the world’s most volatile area.

Obama’s tapping of Mitchell – who led a previous Middle East peace commission in 2001 – indicates a seriousness of purpose toward peace diplomacy from the very start of his term, a welcome departure to the delayed nature of recent American efforts in the region.

Gaining peace in Northern Ireland required patience and nuance. Investigating illegal drug use in Major League Baseball needed tact and toughness. To succeed in the Middle East, Mitchell must draw upon these skills and the experiences that honed them.

And despite his record of accomplishment, the Middle East will likely be his greatest test.