Daily Presidential Roundup: 7/14/08

Tragically behind on a number of things, but I have to admit that a lazy weekend is nothing to complain about. Back to normal for now:

» NYT: My Plan for Iraq (Barack Obama)
The GOP has a real catch-22 this campaign season. They can rightfully brag that the level of violence has come down (even while they ignore that the political reconcilation hasn't happened). Yet if they cannot demonstrate a willingness to draw down troops at a time such as this, when might they? A hundred years from now, maybe? Newsweek's Michael Hirsh covers some of the Pentagon's inside baseball that'll determine how much drawdown they can manage.

» Newsweek: Finding His Faith
Newsweek puts this meme on their cover (and a bit more reasonably than New Yorker places Obama on their cover). In true Newsweek fashion, it adds slightly more than a daily newspaper coverage might lend to the story, but not much. Of the insights I think are most valuable from it is the reality of how little church attendance really fits into the life of active, campaigning politicians. The GOP would love to suggest that Obama sat in Jeremiah Wright's pews for 20 years without registering a complaint. From the reading of this article, it doesn't sound as if Obama might have made a fraction of weekends at Trinity United.

» WaPo: The Spirit of '78, Stayin' Alive (Ken Baer)
An interesting read by Baer here. I'm still not quite sure what to make of it. But if you're a fan of historical parallels, this one has it's moments.

» TNR: Salter Ego (Michael Crowley)
» NYT: McCain's Conservative Model? Roosevelt (Theodore, That Is) (Adam Nagourney, Michael Cooper)
Similar enough to register the same comment on. Crowley's is the better read of the two, but the interview in the Times is fairly good as well. Worth another highlight in the Times story is the note of how McCain has recently irked conservatives by his more moderate positions. Funny ... I don't recall seeing countless newspaper headlines and columnist rants about this like I do regarding Obama. Not that the MSM has a "straight talk" mythology to continue upholding!

» Liverpool Daily Post: David Coverdale: You have to move with the times

I'm not one to tout super-celebrity endorsements of politicians, but I do believe this one merits an exception. David Coverdale supports Barack Obama. Insert your own Whitesnake joke here (or, if you prefer ... slide it in)

Having lived in the States for more than two decades, last year he became an American and has been putting his dual citizenship to good use for the forthcoming US Presidential elections.

He reveals: "I'm a Barack man - apparently, once you go Barack, there's no going back.

"I feel he's the best hope by far in restoring the ideals of America, the respect it has lost around the world over the past eight years.

"It's been hopelessly off course with the current useless 'ayporths. I can't wait to see the back of them."

I have no clue what "'ayporths" refers to. [UPDATE: Found it]

» LAT: McCain's broken marriage and fractured Reagan friendship
For all of those who believe that strong moral values is what we need in a president. I'll go with the guy still married to his first wife.