Plank

[NewHope]

context:
With Kerry making the ability to work with allies a central plank of his foreign policy agenda, the revelations of allied deceit could undercut that argument in the minds of voters. Yesterday on the campaign trail, Bush declared: "I'll never hand over America's security decisions to foreign leaders and international bodies that do not have America's interests at heart."

（1） Plank = One of the articles of a political platform?
(2) With Kerry making the ability to work with allies a central plank of his foreign policy agenda,

(For convenience to understand the "clause"

Kerry made "the ability to work with allies" a thing.
The thing is " a central plank of his foreign policy agenda".
Am I on the right track?

 

[Tdol]

A plank is a core part of a program.;-)

 

[Casiopea]

With Kerry making the ability to work with allies a central plank of his foreign policy agenda,...

In addition, the underlined portion functions as the object of 'making':

With Kerry making the ability to work with allies a central plank (i.e., item) of his foreign policy agenda,...

The ability to work with allies is a central plank of Kerry's foreign policy agenda.

All the best,

 

[NewHope]

Thanks Tdol and Casiopea.

BTW, would you like to tell what do Tdol and Casiopea mean?

 

[Casiopea]

Thanks Tdol and Casiopea.

BTW, would you like to tell what do Tdol and Casiopea mean?

Casiopea is a variation of Cassiopeia, the name of a constellation at the edge of the Milky Way. (I don't use the exact spelling because it's rather unlucky to use a God's real name. )

Click here to read more about Cassiopeia. She was a queen who was banished into the heavens to hang upside down to learn humility.

In Chinese, Cassiopeia is known as tsin or cin.

I think tdol means, totally dedicated on-line :wink: