The Page

Politics up to the Minute

Headlines from July 21st, 2008

Obama Sits Down With Iraqi President Talabani in Baghdad

Following his meeting with Prime Minister Maliki, the Illinois Senator visits with Talabani at his palace in the Baghdad neighborhood of Jadiriyah. Click above for a clip. The two men shake hands in an entrance hall with a large mirror where a portrait of Saddam Hussein once hung. Obama says "Mr. President, so nice to see you. I hope you're well" before the leaders move to private room. Permalink

Figuring Out Tim Pawlenty

Minnesota Monthly publishes an in-depth profile of their governor -- often mentioned as a potential McCain Veep candidate -- and finds it hard to pin down who he really is. After some two dozen interviews, the magazine finds many contradictions -- on his personality type, ambition, religious practices, punctuality and more. Issue hits newsstands Thursday. Permalink

Obama Calls Maliki Meeting "Constructive"

McClatchy: The Illinois Senator met with the Iraqi Prime Minister at his private residence in Baghdad's Green Zone Monday. Obama characterized it as "very constructive," but provided no further details. Obama and Sens. Hagel and Reed touched down in Baghdad just before 8 am local time, after a two-hour stop in Basra. He's had no traveling press with him so far but will be joined by a plane of staff, press that left Chicago Sunday night. See images of Obama's refurbished campaign plane here. Permalink

"Nightline" Gets Interview With Obama from Iraq

ABC's Terry Moran will sit down with the candidate while traveling in Iraq for an interview to air late Monday night. Excerpts will also air on ABC's "World News" Monday evening and on "Good Morning America" Tuesday morning. Permalink

Crist Traveling in Russia

The Florida Governor met with the vice-governor of the City of St. Petersburg Monday to discuss strengthening Florida-Russia economic and business relations. Crist also presented Vice-Governor Oseevsky with a key to his hometown, St. Petersburg, Florida -- home to an honorary Russian consulate. Permalink

McCain Aide: Obama's Iraq Judgment "Universally Wrong"

Foreign policy adviser Scheunemann blasts Obama on his Iraq stances -- including the surge, his withdrawal plan, troop funding votes -- in a media call while he visits there overseas Monday. Adds he hopes Obama will listen to commanders in the field and not "stubbornly adhere" to his withdrawal plan. Also defends Prime Minister Maliki's clarification of his remarks on Obama's plan. Says "one inartful statement from Prime Minister Maliki certainly does not change Iraqi government policies." Read more here and listen to the full call here. Permalink

Clinton to Court Union Support for Obama

The New York Senator is set to address nearly 9,000 delegates of the National Association of Letter Carriers at the Boston convention center Monday. The 300,000-member union was one of the first to endorse Clinton and is expected to decide on shifting their endorsement to Obama at the meeting. Permalink

McCain Discusses Obama's Iraq Policies on Morning TV

The Republican nominee-to-be speaks with all three broadcast network morning shows from Maine. Insists Obama was wrong to oppose the surge in Iraq, and says he should acknowledge it. Click above to watch him on ABC, and click here for his NBC interview. For more on his morning interviews, click here. Permalink

Obama to Arrive in Israel Tuesday

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports Obama is scheduled to dine with Prime Minister Olmert Tuesday. They are expected to discuss Israel's military intelligence on the Iranian nuclear program. Then, he'll take a tour -- including a helicopter flight over the disputed areas with the Palestinians, stop in Sderot where he'll meet with the mayor and a visit to the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. He'll cap off the day in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where he'll meet with Palestinian President Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad. Plus: Obama is also set to meet with Tony Blair when in London Saturday. Permalink

Maliki to Aides on Bush Administration: "Let's Squeeze Them"

AP: The Iraqi Prime Minister's seeming endorsement of Obama's troop withdrawal plan "is part of Baghdad's strategy to play U.S. politics for the best deal possible over America's military mission." Comes during talks with the Bush administration about negotiating rules to govern American military presence in Iraq once the U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year. “With the talks bogged down, the Iraqis sensed desperation by the Americans to wrap up a deal quickly before the presidential campaign was in full swing." Permalink

Dobson Hints He May Endorse McCain

The Conservative Christian leader softens his stance against the Arizonan in a radio broadcast Monday. He says: "I never thought I would hear myself saying this... While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might." Permalink

Morning Show Summary

On MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Gov. Jindal said "I'm not going to be the nominee, I'm not going to be the vice president." Said he wishes Obama had developed his Iraq strategy after listening to military commanders rather than before, and said a 16-month withdrawal cannot be "etched in stone." Permalink

Rev. Rick Warren will interview the candidates in succession at his Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California August 16. The two will appear together for a moment, but it won't be the kind of face-to-face, town-hall-style debates that McCain has pushed. Permalink

Next | Previous