TPM Election Central

Pentagon Confirms That It Told Obama He Couldn't Visit Army Base With Campaign Staff

2008-07-25T15:13:53Z

I've just gotten clarification from the Pentagon on what really happened with regard to Barack Obama's canceled visit to an Army base in Germany, something the McCain campaign has been using to hit Obama since yesterday.

A Pentagon spokesperson confirms to me that because of longstanding Department of Defense regulations, Pentagon officials told Obama aides that he couldn't visit the base with campaign staff. This left Obama with little choice but to cancel the trip, since the plan to visit with campaign aides had been in the works for weeks.

The Obama campaign yesterday announced that it had decided to cancel the visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, saying that it would be "inappropriate" to make such a visit as part of a campaign trip.

The McCain camp has nonetheless been using Obama's canceled trip to insinuate that he's anti-troops. "Barack Obama is wrong," McCain spokesperson Brian Rogers said in a statement yesterday. "It is never 'inappropriate' to visit our men and women in the military."

But it turns out that the Pentagon did in fact tell Obama that in this case, it was not only "inappropriate," but against DOD rules, for him to conduct the visit with campaign staff.

"We have longstanding Department of Defense policy in regards to political campaigns and elections," Pentagon spokesperson Elizabeth Hibner told me. "We informed the Obama staff that he was more than welcome to visit as Senator Obama, with Senate staff. However, he could not conduct the visit with campaign staff."

After being told this, the Obama campaign announced yesterday that it had decided it was "inappropriate" to make the visit as part of a campaign trip.

It's unclear how Obama could have made the visit at all, given the Pentagon's directives. No Senate staff was on the trip, and the Obama camp says they received the Pentagon's directives on Wednesday, after they were already abroad.

Bottom line: We're not seeing any issue here at all.

Late Update: In fairness, the Obama campaign's first statement should have been clearer about what happened, but the larger point is that the McCain campaign criticism appears unfounded.

RNC's Clock On Obama's Iraq Trip Is Wrong By Over 900 Days

2008-07-25T14:36:25Z

In yet another piece of evidence that the GOP really needs to get its online act together, the RNC's Web site still has their counter of how long it's supposedly been since Barack Obama went to Iraq, going all the way back to January 2006:

Um, the correct answer is more like four days.

Franken Ad: "I'm Not Proud Of Every Joke I've Ever Told"

2008-07-25T13:54:23Z

Check out this new ad from Al Franken, responding to an attack ad from Republican Sen. Norm Coleman that hit him for telling "tasteless, sexist jokes" and writing "juicy porn" as a comedian:

"Look, I'm not proud of every joke I've ever told. But I know there's a difference between what you say as a comedian and what you do as a U.S. Senator," Franken says. "Norm Coleman has supported George Bush's war in Iraq, and he's taken millions from Big Oil and special interests. Unfortunately, that's no joke."

Franken has trailed in most polls, though a recent Rasmussen survey gave him a narrow lead. This race will probably be close in the end, though, as Barack Obama is likely to carry Minnesota by a healthy margin.

Election Central Morning Roundup

2008-07-25T13:00:29Z

Obama In France Today
Barack Obama is headed to Paris today for the next leg of his overseas tour, which has focused on the idea that he can repair America's relationship with allies and forge an international consensus. Obama will be meeting with the country's conservative (and colorful) leader, President Nicolas Sarkozy.

McCain To Speak To GI Convention And The Dalai Lama
John McCain has an interesting day ahead of him, with a speech in the swing state of Colorado before the annual American GI Forum convention. He will then meet with the Dalai Lama, giving him a chance to both talk about the honor of military service and a yearning for peace in one day.

Merkel's Office Praises Obama's Speech
Barack Obama's speech yesterday in Berlin is being praised by the office of Germany's conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel. Spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said the speech "underlined the fact that the challenges of the 21st century can only be tackled together, only in international cooperation -- that corresponds with the German government's position."

WaPo: McCain Could Announce VP Pick Soon
The Washington Post reports that John McCain could make his running-mate selection very soon -- between Obama's return home on Sunday and before the Olympics begin on August 8. Anything outside that window, and he risks being overshadowed by other media events.

Dem Chances In House Get Even Better
CQ has changed their ratings on 14 House races, with only two rating changes in the GOP's direction and the other 12 in favor of the Democrats. Furthermore, the two ratings changes for the Republicans are in seats they already hold, with the magazine declaring them to be safer than before -- so the GOP hasn't really made any true headway.

Report: Clinton Donors Helping Obama, But Not Vice-Versa
The Los Angeles Times reports that big donors for Hillary Clinton have donated a total of over $2.5 million up through June to the Obama campaign and to the campaign's joint victory fund with the DNC. On the other hand, Obama donors have only given about $105,000 to help retire Hillary's campaign debts during that period.

McCain Camp Creates Its Own Social Network Site
The McCain campaign is playing catch-up with the Obama team, launching their own social networking site to help supporters find each other and organize events: McCain Nation. The Obama campaign used this idea from practically the very start of their campaign, allowing their grassroots organizers to better contact each other.

McCain Jokes About Obama's Overseas Trip And Press Coverage

2008-07-25T02:48:35Z

The McCain campaign couldn't help but get in a joke about Barack Obama's overseas trip, with the candidate delivering a joke that encompassed two separate narratives: That Obama is being ridiculous by traveling all over the world, and the press loves him.

"My opponent, of course, is traveling in Europe, and tomorrow his tour takes him to France," McCain said according to the prepared remarks for tonight's LIVESTRONG town hall meeting with Lance Armstrong in Ohio, set up by Armstrong to talk about health care and cancer issues. "In a scene Lance would recognize, a throng of adoring fans awaits Senator Obama in Paris -- and that's just the American press."

GOP Pol: Rep. Jean Schmidt Is A "Lying B----"

2008-07-24T22:13:02Z

Every now and then we like to check in on the latest antics surrounding GOP Rep. Jean Schmidt -- the Ohio Republican who called Jack Murtha a coward on the House floor. And boy oh boy, her latest doesn't disappoint.

Schmidt is now enmeshed in a bitter feud with another Ohio Republican, who's so furious with her that he called her a "lying b----" and a "despicable person" who would "sell her mother" -- and expressly told us we could print that!

The issue? GOP State Rep. Tom Brinkman, who founded an anti-tax government watchdog group, is charging that Schmidt's House staffers frequently work on her campaign for re-election.

"You can quote me anywhere you like. Jean Schmidt is a lying b----," said Brinkman, who lost his primary challenge to her this year by a 58%-40% margin, in an interview with Election Central. "She would sell her mother to promote herself. She is a despicable person. She will go any length possible to win, to get what she wants."

Yikes!

In turn, Schmidt communications director Bruce Pfaff had some very strong words for Brinkman: "Mr. Brinkman is a person that the Congresswoman has beaten twice. He has never conceded or acknowledged her win. He is a bitter, angry man."

Brinkman's group has released a letter charging that Schmidt's House staffers frequently engage in campaign activities directly from her offices, on the taxpayer's dime. Pfaff strongly differs: House rules do allow staffers to volunteer their time for the campaigns when they're away from the office, Pfaff explained, and they can speak to the press on some political matters if it was the reporter who called first.

Brinkman also charged that Schmidt's staffers are paid more than the staffers for Rep. Steve Chabot, another area Republican, which he said was compensation for their untraceable "volunteer" campaign work. Pfaff replied that the staffers' pay is in line with others after it's factored in that Chabot's staffers are on two separate payrolls -- Chabot's office and his committee where he's a ranking member -- while Schmidt's are just on one payroll.

"He makes baseless accusations like the horrible personal one he made to you, and he doesn't understand how the Congress works," Pfaff said.

Poll: Obama Leads In Pennsylvania, Cracks 50%

2008-07-24T21:48:05Z

The latest poll out of Pennsylvania has some good news for Barack Obama: He's now over 50% in this big swing state.

The new numbers from Rasmussen: Obama 51%, McCain 45%, with a ±3% margin of error.

A key number is that 46% of respondents say economic issues are their biggest concern, and they favor Obama 60%-29%. This is compared to only 25% who rate national security as the top issue, a group that gives McCain a 58%-33% lead.

McCain Campaign On Obama Speech: "Premature Victory Lap"

2008-07-24T19:57:02Z

Perhaps not surprisingly, the McCain camp took a whack at Obama's Berlin speech by suggesting it's presumptuous for him to be speaking abroad in presidential tones while still a candidate.

From McCain spokesperson Tucker Bounds:

"While Barack Obama took a premature victory lap today in the heart of Berlin, proclaiming himself a 'citizen of the world,' John McCain continued to make his case to the American citizens who will decide this election. Barack Obama offered eloquent praise for this country, but the contrast is clear. John McCain has dedicated his life to serving, improving and protecting America. Barack Obama spent an afternoon talking about it."

Complete with a swipe at Obama's internationalism and an obligatory (if slightly more subtle than usual) allusion to McCain's war service.

Fox News Poll: Do You Have A Neighbor Who Says Obama "Scares Them"?

2008-07-24T19:34:04Z

Hmmm. It looks like Fox News is asking some rather loaded questions in its latest poll:

Have you heard any of your friends and neighbors say there is something about Barack Obama that scares them?
Yes 49%
No 50%
Have you heard any of your friends and neighbors say there is something about John McCain that scares them?
Yes 36%
No 62%

Some people believe Barack Obama, despite his professed Christianity, is secretly a Muslim. Others say that is just a rumor and Obama really is a Christian as he says, and point out he's attended a Christian church for years. What do you believe -- is Obama a Muslim or a Christian?
Muslim 10%
Christian 57%

John McCain was held captive for five years in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. Do you think that experience would make McCain a better president or a worse president?
Better 49%
Worse 11%
No Difference (voluntary) 33%

Do you think Barack Obama's trip to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East is better described as a fact-finding trip or as a campaign event?
Fact-finding 19%
Campaign event 47%
Both (voluntary) 25%

Obama's Berlin Speech Promises Global Transformation, Internationalist War On Terror

2008-07-24T18:26:40Z

Barack Obama's Berlin speech has just concluded, and to whatever degree it was intended for a domestic audience, as well as an international one, it seemed designed to achieve a number of key goals.

First, he strongly conveyed the idea that liberal internationalism is not only compatible with an aggressive war on terror, it's an enormous boon to it. Indeed, the discussion of terror was more extensive than you might have expected.

This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.
This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO's first mission beyond Europe's borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone.

That last line carries a hint of a plea, and it's as clear a signal as you could want that Obama represents a complete break with the Bush administration's swaggering unilateralism.

Obama also tried to persuade us that we're on the cusp of a global moment as historic and momentous as the end of World War II and the fall of the Berlin Wall -- shoring up Obama's message that only the candidate who truly grasps the nature of our changing world is the one with real commander-in-chief readiness.

Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the German people, tore down that wall -- a wall that divided East and West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope - walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history.

Obama then sketched out a general picture of this moment's defining challenges and the changes required to meet them:

This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons...This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow free from the shadows of yesterday....This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably...
This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East...this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close...this is the moment when we must come together to save this planet...And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world...

Now the world will watch and remember what we do here -- what we do with this moment.

The speech also endeavored to reconcile patriotism with self-criticism of America, which some Republicans are already trying to locate in his anti-war candidacy and indeed in this very trip abroad:

I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.
But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived -- at great cost and great sacrifice -- to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom -- indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us -- what has always driven our people; what drew my father to America's shores -- is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.

"I know my country has not perfected itself." The line, again, has a hint of a plea; he's asking Europe to forgive America the sins of the Bush years, while insisting that there's nothing incompatible whatsoever between patriotic love of America and caring what the rest of the world thinks of us.

And really, this brings us right back to his candidacy. In a sense, the message of his very presence in Berlin is this: If slavery is the ultimate national sin, then the fact that he's running for president, and very well may win, and is promising the rest of the world a better America if he does win -- well, then all of this would achieve some sort of movement in the direction of that perfection that stubbornly continues to elude us.

Full Text Of Obama's Berlin Speech

2008-07-24T17:32:12Z

It's after the jump. Dig in. Video and more soon.

Late Update: Here's the vid...

Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.

I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen - a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.

I know that I don't look like the Americans who've previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father - my grandfather - was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.

At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning - his dream - required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life.

That is why I'm here. And you are here because you too know that yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle, and sacrifice for that better life.

Ours is a partnership that truly began sixty years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Templehof.

On that day, much of this continent still lay in ruin. The rubble of this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow had swept across Eastern Europe, while in the West, America, Britain, and France took stock of their losses, and pondered how the world might be remade.

This is where the two sides met. And on the twenty-fourth of June, 1948, the Communists chose to blockade the western part of the city. They cut off food and supplies to more than two million Germans in an effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin.

The size of our forces was no match for the much larger Soviet Army. And yet retreat would have allowed Communism to march across Europe. Where the last war had ended, another World War could have easily begun. All that stood in the way was Berlin.

And that's when the airlift began - when the largest and most unlikely rescue in history brought food and hope to the people of this city.

The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog filled the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold.

But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and heard the city's mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. "There is only one possibility," he said. "For us to stand together united until this battle is won...The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty, and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world: now do your duty...People of the world, look at Berlin!"

People of the world - look at Berlin!

Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle.

Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security.

Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity.

People of the world - look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.

Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the German people, tore down that wall - a wall that divided East and West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope - walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history.

The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness has given rise to new dangers - dangers that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean.

The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil.

As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya.

Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.

In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we're honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny.

In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europe's role in our security and our future. Both views miss the truth - that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe.

Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more - not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity.

That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another.

The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.

We know they have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity. Here, at the base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but they have come down in Belfast, where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together; in the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice; and in South Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid.

So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other.

That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations - and all nations - must summon that spirit anew.

This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.

This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO's first mission beyond Europe's borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now.

This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.

This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow free from the shadows of yesterday. In this century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the security and prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand abroad. In this century - in this city of all cities - we must reject the Cold War mind-set of the past, and resolve to work with Russia when we can, to stand up for our values when we must, and to seek a partnership that extends across this entire continent.

This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many. Together, we must forge trade that truly rewards the work that creates wealth, with meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all.

This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for democracy, and the Israelis and Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace. And despite past differences, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close.

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations - including my own - will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere. This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one.

And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust - not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.

Now the world will watch and remember what we do here - what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time?

Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words "never again" in Darfur?

Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don't look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?

People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment. This is our time.

I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived - at great cost and great sacrifice - to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom - indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us - what has always driven our people; what drew my father to America's shores - is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.

These are the aspirations that joined the fates of all nations in this city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all free people - everywhere - became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation - our generation - must make our mark on the world.

People of Berlin - and people of the world - the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again.

Thousands Gather In Berlin As Obama Speech Approaches

2008-07-24T17:18:16Z

Obama's Berlin speech is set to begin within moments.

You can see pictures of the crowd gathering at the Victory Tower here and here.

Video of the scene is here.

Fox reports that the crowd may be in the hundreds of thousands. One question: Will the crowd stretch all the way back to the Brandenburg Gate, the venue that Obama had first eyed?

Meanwhile, (via the Page), Obama got ready for the speech with a trip to the gym.

And you can watch the speech live right here.

Full text and more soon.

Late Update: Speech is underway.

Late Late Update: Full text is here.

McCain To Be In German Restaurant While Obama Gives Berlin Speech

2008-07-24T16:08:07Z

Not sure what to make of this. While Obama gives his historic speech in Berlin today, John McCain will be lunching in a German restaurant in Ohio.

Farah Hice, a hostess at Schmidt's Restaurant and Sausage Haus in Columbus, just confirmed to me by phone that McCain just walked into the restaurant and is staying for lunch.

Perhaps the goal is to mock Obama's speech, just as the RNC is trying to do by running ads in three places in the United States called "Berlin." But doesn't it risk making McCain look a bit small in comparison?

Late Update: In fairness, I should add that I really don't know if the goal here is to mock Obama's speech, so perhaps it's premature to suggest that he may look small in comparison. McCain is mingling with small-business owners today.

Polls: McCain Coming On Strong In Battleground States

2008-07-24T15:21:11Z

Uh, oh. Conventional wisdom holds that McCain's campaign is tanking and has been an all-around disorganized mess, but a new round of polling from Quinnipiac suggests John McCain could be making major headway in key swing states. He's also taken the lead in Colorado, where Barack Obama is making a major play for support.

Here are the latest numbers, compared to Quinnipiac's previous poll from a month ago:

Colorado
McCain (R) 46% (+2)
Obama (D) 44% (-5)

Michigan
Obama (D) 46% (-2)
McCain (R) 42% (+0)

Minnesota
Obama (D) 46% (-8)
McCain (R) 44% (+7)

Wisconsin
Obama (D) 50% (-1)
McCain (R) 39% (+0)

From the pollster's analysis: "Sen. Barack Obama's post-primary bubble hasn't burst, but it is leaking a bit. It's been a good month for Sen. John McCain."

European Press Goes Mad With Obamamania

2008-07-24T14:48:56Z

The Obama team is well aware of the complexities of managing domestic perceptions of his foreign trip and Berlin speech today. On the one hand, the risk is that it'll be seen at home as presumptuous for him to be speaking in presidential tones to foreign lands while he's still a candidate.

But the Obama campaign is also trying to accomplish a dual goal: First, and most obviously, Obama advisers hope the optics from abroad will get voters at home to feel more comfortable with him in a commander-in-chief role. And second, they hope to signal strongly that an Obama presidency would take America's relations with the rest of the world in a new and positive direction.

The European press certainly seems to believe this, if these front pages out of Germany, France, and Austria are any indication....