Not surprisingly, O'Connor has made the development of a clear, consistent policy direction a key element of her administration.
The moral ambiguities are embodied in no less than the mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, who has made an antigun crusade a signature element of his administration.
The third element of the administration's package to encourage an agreement with Mr. Putin is a new position on defensive systems.
The major element of Obama administration efforts over the past few months has been a settlement freeze, which Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has successfully resisted.
But she also says that she would happily keep in place one key element of the administration: Bloomberg's police chief.
And it is expected to be a crucial element of the administration's crusade against obesity, which is being led by the first lady, Michelle Obama.
One element of the administration proposal that is not clear to Amtrak or Congressional aides is whether the plan will address the short-term cash crunch the railroad faces.
In the last four years, the mayor's transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, has rolled out 250 miles of bike lanes, and the bike-share program has been seen as another central element of the administration's vision for the city.
As difficult as addressing health care will be, the energy issue may prove even more contentious and from the perspective of many lawmakers is the element of the administration's agenda most likely to be set aside temporarily if a major initiative must be sacrificed to push through other programs.
The meetings have been an important element of the administration's policy to manage America's increasingly complex relations with China through regular discussions on a wide spectrum of issues, though they were not expected to yield any specific results this week.
