Fem Dems Called Up in Palin War

And unlike Bill, he's not looking over their shoulders for bimbos

(NEWSER) - Unlike the Clinton White House, which courted Hollywood, Obama hasn't had movie stars in the Lincoln bedroom—he's the star, Maureen Dowd says in a chat with movie columnist Patrick Goldstein. Dowd says Obama reminds her of a gorgeous actress who insists on being taken seriously for her brains, not her body. And unlike the men who run things in Hollywood, he respects women. “Obama loves smart women,” Dowd says, calling out Janet Napolitano, Kathleen Sebelius, Claire McCaskill, and Hillary Clinton specifically. More»

If Barack can do it, anyone can—except Muslims, gays, atheists ...

(NEWSER) - A self-described “black man with a funny name” is now the most powerful person on the planet. So which minority group will next see one of its own in the Oval Office? Mark Oppenheimer considers the contenders in Slate:

• Women: Not technically a minority, which means that if “they choose to unite behind one of their own—as many of them were inclined to do in 2008—they'll be the not-so-little voting bloc that could.” Candidates: Hillary Clinton, Kathleen Sebelius, Claire McCaskill. Not a chance: Sarah Palin.

James Jones, retired NATO honcho, surfaces in Hill talks

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama’s VP selection team had a busy couple of days on Capitol Hill, talking up possible running mates with legislators. A new name in the mix is that of retired Gen. James Jones, MSNBC reports. Joe Biden and Ohio governor Ted Strickland also came under scrutiny; Bill Richardson, Janet Napolitano, Mike Bloomberg, and Chuck Hagel did not.. More»

McCaskill, Napolitano, and Sebelius don't play up gender, aren't divisive

(NEWSER) - Unlike Hillary Clinton, the three leading female contenders for a spot on Barack Obama’s ticket aren’t divisive figures and haven’t played up their gender. Ben Adler, writing for Politico, takes a look at Kansas guv Kathleen Sebelius, Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, and Arizona guv Janet Napolitano. More»

Hillary Clinton still tops woman, followed by Sarah Palin

(NEWSER) - His approval ratings may have cratered over the past two years, but Barack Obama is still the most admired man in America, according to Gallup’s annual poll . Obama took 22% of the vote, cruising past the competition. Who came in second? The Decider himself, George W. Bush, who narrowly edged out Bill Clinton, 5% to 4%. Nelson Mandela and Bill Gates round out the top five. Obama’s dominance isn’t too surprising, Gallup notes—sitting presidents have taken the top spot in 52 of the 64 years it has run the poll. More»