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»

Most believe Iraq war was unsuccessful

(NEWSER) - After a decade of war, America's troops aren't feeling very war-like. President Obama currently leads Mitt Romney among veterans who have served since the Gulf War by seven points—a wider lead than he has among the general populace—according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll , and many say it's because of his stance on defense. One former master sergeant, for instance, says he's a Ron Paul supporter, but in the general election he's voting for whoever he thinks is less likely to start "knee-jerk reaction wars," even if it means voting for "that Democrat." More»