European Demands Vex Obama Camp

(NEWSER) - President Obama addressed the Turkish parliament today, and used the opportunity to extend an olive branch to the Muslim world, the New York Times reports. “The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam,” said Obama. “America’s relationship with the Muslim world cannot and will not just be based on opposition to al-Qaeda.” More»

Even 'Victory Column' is associated now with a music festival

(NEWSER) - Forget the chatter about whether Barack Obama should be stopping in Brussels or giving Germany pride of place over France and Britain. Berlin is “quite an appropriate setting” for the candidate's big European speech, Cameron Abadi writes for the New Republic. The “existential angst of the Cold War” is completely gone, and the town—like the candidate—has moved on to inspire a new generation. More»

Candidate wraps up Middle East tour with trip to one of Judaism's holiest sites

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama finished his Israel trip with a pre-dawn visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall this morning, Reuters reports. The candidate, wearing a skullcap, placed a prayer he had written in the wall as a rabbi read from a psalm. A heckler shouted "Jerusalem is not for sale"—but was drowned out by chants of "O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma." More»

The media fawns, McCain glowers, but Obama gets raves: Dowd

(NEWSER) - The better Barack Obama’s foreign excursion goes, the more nervous Republicans get, Maureen Dowd writes in the New York Times. Images of John McCain happily sharing a golf cart with Bush 41 don’t contrast well with images of Obama happily sharing a helicopter with David Petraeus. But there is also an element of arrogance in the trip. More»

President announces increased military presence in Australia

(NEWSER) - The US and Australia announced a new security agreement today, seen by many as a response to China’s growing power, but President Obama insisted that “the notion that we fear China is mistaken.” Under the agreement, the US military presence will be expanded, with about 250 Marines heading to Australia next year. Ultimately 2,500 US military personnel will be based there, and the US will have increased equipment and access to Australian bases. But officials are calling it a “sustained” military presence, not a permanent one, the AP notes. More»