Archive for July 19th, 2008

  • Iraq PM did not back Obama troop exit plan: government (Reuters)

    Iraq's President Nuri al-Maliki speaks during a visit to Kerbala, 80 km southwest of Baghdad, June 20, 2008. REUTERS/Mushtaq MuhammedReuters - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki did not
    back the plan of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
    to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and his comments to a German
    magazine on the issue were misunderstood, the government’s
    spokesman said on Sunday.

  • Obama makes first trip to Afghanistan

    Sen. Barack Obama arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, met with American forces and, according to a U.S. official, is expected to meet Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

  • Obama meets troops, Afghan officials

    U.S. Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama, second from left, with Gul Agha Shirzai, left, the governor of Nangarhar province, and other unidentified officials during a meeting , in Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, July 19, 2008. U.S. Democratic presidential contender Obama started a campaign-season tour of combat zones and foreign capitals, visiting with U.S. forces in Kuwait and then Afghanistan _ the scene of a war he says deserves more attention and more troops. (AP Photo) ** BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE **Barack Obama visited Saturday with U.S. troops and Afghan officials in this war-weary nation, which is the focal point of his proposed strategy for dealing with threats to the U.S. if elected president.

  • Obama has breakfast with troops in Afghan capital (AP)

    In this photo released Saturday, July 19, 2008, by the the U.S. Army, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., gets help from service members wishing U.S. ARCENT a happy 90th birthday at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Friday, July 18, during a Congressional Delegation visit. (AP Photo/U.S. Army, Jarod Perkioniemi)AP - Barack Obama had breakfast Sunday with U.S. troops in Kabul as part of his visit to Afghanistan.

  • Gore pushes clean energy at Netroots

    Former Vice-President Al Gore and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi embrace before he speaks during a meeting held by Netroots Nation Saturday, July 19, 2008, in Austin, Texas. Netroots Nation is the influential network of liberal online organizers and bloggers holding its annual meeting of about 2,000 people. Last year it was about the candidates. This year, at the Netroots Nation conference of left-leaning bloggers and political organizers, it’s the climate.

  • In Afghanistan, Obama visits troops and officials (AP)

    U.S. Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama, second from left, with Gul Agha Shirzai, left, the governor of Nangarhar province, and other unidentified officials during a meeting , in Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, July 19, 2008. U.S. Democratic presidential contender Obama started a campaign-season tour of combat zones and foreign capitals, visiting with U.S. forces in Kuwait and then Afghanistan — the scene of a war he says deserves more attention and more troops. (AP Photo)AP - Barack Obama visited Saturday with U.S. troops and Afghan officials in this war-weary nation, which is the focal point of his proposed strategy for dealing with threats to the U.S. if elected president.

  • Iraqi PM says US should leave as soon as possible (AP)

    Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki speaks while Parliament Speaker Mahmud Al-Mashahdani (R) listens during a press conference held after the opening ceremony of the national reconciliation conference in Baghdad, March 2008. The Iraqi parliament has voted for the return of six Sunni ministers to the cabinet Maliki, giving a fresh boost to the country's reconciliation programme.(AFP/File/Ahmad al-Rubaye)AP - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says U.S. troops should leave Iraq “as soon as possible,” according to a magazine report, and he called presidential candidate Barack Obama’s suggestion of 16 months “the right timeframe for a withdrawal.”

  • Idea of gas-tax holiday dies quick death

    A gas price sign is shown in McKinney, Texas, Friday, July 18, 2008. Prices at the pump backed away from record highs as oil futures edged up Friday, but crude's gains were modest in comparison to the spectacular three-day drop earlier in the week. The political vision of a summer gas tax holiday died a quick death in Congress, losing to a view that federal excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel will have to go up if they go anywhere.  (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)The political vision of a summer gas tax holiday died a quick death in Congress, losing to a view that federal excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel will have to go up if they go anywhere.

  • Obama meets U.S. commander in Afghanistan (Reuters)

    U.S. Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama (2nd L) and Gul Agha Shirzai, the governor of Nangarhar province (L), attend a meeting in the city of Jalalabad east of Kabul July 19, 2008. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met the commander of U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday to talk about the war he says is not getting enough attention from the Bush administration. REUTERS/Nangarhar Governer's Office/HandoutReuters - Democratic presidential candidate Barack
    Obama met the commander of U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan
    on Saturday to talk about the war he says is not getting enough
    attention from the Bush administration.

  • Meet the seven super surrogates (Politico)

    U.S. Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (L) speaks at a news conference with former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney in Denver, Colorado in this March 27, 2008 file photo. REUTERS/Rick WilkingPolitico - A good surrogate is hard to find. Just recall Bill Clinton’s “fairy tale,” Samantha Power’s “monster” and Phil Gramm’s “nation of whiners.”