Morning Road Map
From CBS News' Michelle Levi and Steve Chaggaris:
Obama arrived in Berlin this morning and will hold meetings with meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. He will deliver his highly-anticipated speech at Berlin’s Victory Column at 7pm local time (1pm ET). "It's not a wonkish policy speech," he told reporters en route to Germany. “The people in the crowd aren't voters." Asked if he was influenced by the notable speeches of Presidents Kennedy and Reagan in Berlin, Obama replied, “They were presidents and I am a citizen." Obama was still tweaking his speech this morning after telling reporters, "I doubt we are going to have a million screaming Germans. Let's tamp down expectations here."
McCain will hold various campaign events in and around Columbus, Ohio today. Later, he will join cyclist Lance Armstrong at a town hall meeting on cancer at Armstrong's LIVESTRONG Summit in Columbus at 7:10 pm ET.
OBAMA'S FOREIGN TRIP
Obama met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today in Berlin where the two posed for cameras before holding their private morning meeting. Merkel told reporters Wednesday that Obama is “well-equipped” to be President but that she will not be attending tonight’s speech. “Maybe I’ll turn on the television,” she admitted.
LA Times, "Obama lavished with airtime – and criticism"
Deutsche Welle, "Anticipation, Griping Increases Before Obama Speech in Berlin"
Washington Times, "Europeans to celebrate arrival of candidate"
Reuters, "Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech"
Washington Post's Broder, "Obama's Tour de Force"
Time Magazine, "Berlin Awaits the 'Next JFK'"
OBAMA IN ISRAEL
Obama visited Jerusalem’s Western Wall before dawn local time Thursday and placed a note inside the wall’s crevices as is traditionally done. Wearing a while yarmulke, he read Psalm 122.
His visit was slightly interrupted by a protester who yelled, "Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale! Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale!"
USA Today, "Obama's itinerary in Israel notably similar to McCain's"
Washington Post, "Obama Working to Ensure Jewish Vote"
LA Times, "Obama works to rally Jewish support"
Newsweek, "Reassuring Israel"
Washington Post, "Obama Ends Mideast Swing With Vow to Back Israel, Peace Talks"
LA Times, "Obama assures Israel of support"
NY Times, "Obama Meets With Israeli and Palestinian Leaders"
FOREIGN POLICY
CBS News' Bentley, "McCain Tries to Clarify Surge Comments"
NY Times, "Candidates Spar Over Troop Surge and Iraq Chronology"
Time Magazine's Joe Klein, "McCain's Foreign Policy Frustration": " He has appeared brittle and inflexible, slow to adapt to changes on the ground, slow to grasp the full implications not only of the improving situation in Iraq but also of the worsening situation in Afghanistan and especially Pakistan. Some will say this behavior raises questions about his age. I'll leave those to gerontologists. A more obvious explanation is that McCain has straitjacketed himself in an ideology focused more on enemies (real and imagined) than on opportunities."
VEEPSTAKES
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Political buzz on Pawlenty at fever pitch in veepstakes"
Boston Globe, "Can Romney buy the VP nomination?"
U.S. News and World Report, "Republicans Worry McCain May Pick His Running Mate Too Soon"
BATTLEGROUND STATES
“The price of the gallon of milk just went over $4 a gallon,” McCain said at a grocery store in Bethlehem, Pa., Wednesday afternoon. He accompanied Renee Gould, a young mother, and her two daughters as they shopped where Gould mentioned the price of milk was higher than she has ever seen it.
Philadelphia Inquirer, "McCain, in visit to Pa., raps Obama on energy policy, war"
NY Times, "With Arizona Changing, McCain Focuses on Home"
USA Today, "McCain's notable bio strikes a chord in Pa." NY Times, "With Arizona Changing, McCain Focuses on Home"
ALSO:
NY Daily News, "GOP gripes: So we're running against President Obama?"
Wall Street Journal's Rove, "A Tale of Two Flip-Floppers": "John McCain and Barack Obama have both changed positions in this campaign. That's OK. Voters understand that politicians can and, sometimes, should change their views. After all, voters do. Witness the wide swings in their answers to opinion polls. But before accepting the changes, voters typically ask themselves three questions: Does the candidate admit he's shifting? What's the new information that altered his thinking? Does the change seem reasonable and not calculating?"
NY Times, "McCain Event Is Thwarted By Hurricane"
Advertising Age, "Olympic Deal Sealed: Obama Makes $5 Million Buy"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Beer deal raises questions for McCain"
Washington Post "McCain Still Waiting for His Turn at Good Luck",: " In this campaign, it seems, McCain just can't catch a break. Through a series of missteps, gaffes and bad luck, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has endured a difficult week in what has been a choppy campaign."
LA Times, "McCain and Obama tax plans are criticized"
Wall Street Journal, "Voter Unease With Obama Lingers Despite His Lead": "With the nominations of both parties effectively settled for more than a month, the key question in the contest isn't over any single issue being debated between the Democrats' Sen. Obama or the Republicans' Sen. John McCain. The focus has turned to the Democratic candidate himself: Can Americans get comfortable with the background and experience level of Sen. Obama?"
LA Times, "Villaraigosa seeks to build Latino support for Obama"
Wall Street Journal, "'Generation Gap' Widens in the 2008 Electorate"
The Hill, "Campaign is coordinating a blitz by the 'Obamacans'"
Washington Post, "Another Peek Inside the Brain of the Electorate"
Obama arrived in Berlin this morning and will hold meetings with meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. He will deliver his highly-anticipated speech at Berlin’s Victory Column at 7pm local time (1pm ET). "It's not a wonkish policy speech," he told reporters en route to Germany. “The people in the crowd aren't voters." Asked if he was influenced by the notable speeches of Presidents Kennedy and Reagan in Berlin, Obama replied, “They were presidents and I am a citizen." Obama was still tweaking his speech this morning after telling reporters, "I doubt we are going to have a million screaming Germans. Let's tamp down expectations here."
McCain will hold various campaign events in and around Columbus, Ohio today. Later, he will join cyclist Lance Armstrong at a town hall meeting on cancer at Armstrong's LIVESTRONG Summit in Columbus at 7:10 pm ET.
OBAMA'S FOREIGN TRIP
Obama met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today in Berlin where the two posed for cameras before holding their private morning meeting. Merkel told reporters Wednesday that Obama is “well-equipped” to be President but that she will not be attending tonight’s speech. “Maybe I’ll turn on the television,” she admitted.
LA Times, "Obama lavished with airtime – and criticism"
Deutsche Welle, "Anticipation, Griping Increases Before Obama Speech in Berlin"
Washington Times, "Europeans to celebrate arrival of candidate"
Reuters, "Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech"
Washington Post's Broder, "Obama's Tour de Force"
Time Magazine, "Berlin Awaits the 'Next JFK'"
OBAMA IN ISRAEL
Obama visited Jerusalem’s Western Wall before dawn local time Thursday and placed a note inside the wall’s crevices as is traditionally done. Wearing a while yarmulke, he read Psalm 122.
His visit was slightly interrupted by a protester who yelled, "Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale! Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale!"
USA Today, "Obama's itinerary in Israel notably similar to McCain's"
Washington Post, "Obama Working to Ensure Jewish Vote"
LA Times, "Obama works to rally Jewish support"
Newsweek, "Reassuring Israel"
Washington Post, "Obama Ends Mideast Swing With Vow to Back Israel, Peace Talks"
LA Times, "Obama assures Israel of support"
NY Times, "Obama Meets With Israeli and Palestinian Leaders"
FOREIGN POLICY
CBS News' Bentley, "McCain Tries to Clarify Surge Comments"
NY Times, "Candidates Spar Over Troop Surge and Iraq Chronology"
Time Magazine's Joe Klein, "McCain's Foreign Policy Frustration": " He has appeared brittle and inflexible, slow to adapt to changes on the ground, slow to grasp the full implications not only of the improving situation in Iraq but also of the worsening situation in Afghanistan and especially Pakistan. Some will say this behavior raises questions about his age. I'll leave those to gerontologists. A more obvious explanation is that McCain has straitjacketed himself in an ideology focused more on enemies (real and imagined) than on opportunities."
VEEPSTAKES
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Political buzz on Pawlenty at fever pitch in veepstakes"
Boston Globe, "Can Romney buy the VP nomination?"
U.S. News and World Report, "Republicans Worry McCain May Pick His Running Mate Too Soon"
BATTLEGROUND STATES
“The price of the gallon of milk just went over $4 a gallon,” McCain said at a grocery store in Bethlehem, Pa., Wednesday afternoon. He accompanied Renee Gould, a young mother, and her two daughters as they shopped where Gould mentioned the price of milk was higher than she has ever seen it.
Philadelphia Inquirer, "McCain, in visit to Pa., raps Obama on energy policy, war"
NY Times, "With Arizona Changing, McCain Focuses on Home"
USA Today, "McCain's notable bio strikes a chord in Pa." NY Times, "With Arizona Changing, McCain Focuses on Home"
ALSO:
NY Daily News, "GOP gripes: So we're running against President Obama?"
Wall Street Journal's Rove, "A Tale of Two Flip-Floppers": "John McCain and Barack Obama have both changed positions in this campaign. That's OK. Voters understand that politicians can and, sometimes, should change their views. After all, voters do. Witness the wide swings in their answers to opinion polls. But before accepting the changes, voters typically ask themselves three questions: Does the candidate admit he's shifting? What's the new information that altered his thinking? Does the change seem reasonable and not calculating?"
NY Times, "McCain Event Is Thwarted By Hurricane"
Advertising Age, "Olympic Deal Sealed: Obama Makes $5 Million Buy"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Beer deal raises questions for McCain"
Washington Post "McCain Still Waiting for His Turn at Good Luck",: " In this campaign, it seems, McCain just can't catch a break. Through a series of missteps, gaffes and bad luck, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has endured a difficult week in what has been a choppy campaign."
LA Times, "McCain and Obama tax plans are criticized"
Wall Street Journal, "Voter Unease With Obama Lingers Despite His Lead": "With the nominations of both parties effectively settled for more than a month, the key question in the contest isn't over any single issue being debated between the Democrats' Sen. Obama or the Republicans' Sen. John McCain. The focus has turned to the Democratic candidate himself: Can Americans get comfortable with the background and experience level of Sen. Obama?"
LA Times, "Villaraigosa seeks to build Latino support for Obama"
Wall Street Journal, "'Generation Gap' Widens in the 2008 Electorate"
The Hill, "Campaign is coordinating a blitz by the 'Obamacans'"
Washington Post, "Another Peek Inside the Brain of the Electorate"
