Right now, it looks Democratic establishment all the way.

Antony Blinken, a longtime foreign policy aide, is Biden's choice for secretary of state. Jake Sullivan, one of Hillary Clinton's closest aides, is said to be his choice for national security adviser.

Biden's urgency in naming his foreign policy team is understandable.

For if his election is confirmed by the Electoral College, then he will find himself on Jan. 20 with a lineup of foreign policy crises.

First is Afghanistan. While a Beltway battle has erupted over the wisdom of Trump's decision to cut in half, to 2,500, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by Jan. 15, no one denies the risk this entails for the besieged pro-American government in Kabul.