Build Recurring Income

I am a US Citizens living abroad. I am in the process of filing tax return for 2008 for foreign earned income based on IRS' publication 54. Our earned income has already been taxed once by the country we live in.
I see that there are two ways to avoid double taxation on your income -the foreign earned income exclusion and the foreign tax credit.
Can somebody please explain the difference between the two and point out advantages to use one over another?

I am a US Citizens living abroad. I am in the process of filing tax return for 2008 for foreign earned income based on IRS' publication 54. Our earned income has already been taxed once by the country we live in.
I see that there are two ways to avoid double taxation on your income -the foreign earned income exclusion and the foreign tax credit.
Can somebody please explain the difference between the two and point out advantages to use one over another?

I have been working in a foreign embassy since 2007 and now that its time to file the taxes I am just wondering if my income can be treated as a foreign income(non-taxable) since i'm paid by a foreign government(for whose embassy i work). Also if it cannot be treated as a foreign income, where should i report it? I receive my salary by check, and since its an embassy they don't give me a W-2 or a 1099.