IN FOCUS: STATS

• Poll: Nearly 6 in 10 oppose war in Afghanistan: A majority of Americans see no end in sight in Afghanistan, and nearly six in 10 oppose the nine-year-old war as President Barack Obama sends tens of thousands more troops to the fight, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.
  With just over 10 weeks before nationwide elections that could define the remainder of Obama's first term, only 38 percent say they support his expanded war effort in Afghanistan — a drop from 46 percent in March. Just 19 percent expect the situation to improve during the next year, while 29 percent think it will get worse. Some 49 percent think it will remain the same.... - AP, 8-20-10
• Faith and Reason: A conversation about religion, spirituality and ethics The"M-word': Is"Muslim" political code for 'I don't like you!' Evangelist leads 'disinformation campaign' on Obama: Religion professor: Who, exactly, is"Christian"? Or Christian enough? Or the right variation of Christian -- i.e. probably the one you are or you like.
  With all the hoohah over the 18% of folks who told a Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey that President Obama is Muslim and 34% who said Obama is Christian, the 43% who are unsure what he believes have gotten less attention.... - USA Today, 8-20-10

THE HEADLINES....

• Obama, daughters go book shopping in Martha's Vineyard: President Barack Obama and his two daughters went book shopping Friday on the first outing of their 10-day vacation in Massachusetts' upscale Martha's Vineyard, witnesses said. Obama, wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses and sandals, arrived at the"Bunch of Grapes" bookstore in central Vineyard Haven aboard an SUV along with daughters Malia, 12, and Sasha, 9.... - AFP, 8-20-10
• Clinton announces direct talks to resume on Sept. 2: Washington to invite Israel and Palestinians to peace negotiations; Netanyahu welcomes decision saying reaching an agreement is 'difficult challenge but possible.'... - JPost, 8-20-10
• Obama Faces Middle East 'Train Wreck' as Iran Builds Nuclear Program: This is the last article of a three-part series on Iran's entry into the world's"nuclear club" as it begins fueling its nuclear reactor in Bushehr.
  Oil prices spike. Shipping routes come under attack. Mideast peace talks collapse. Progress in Afghanistan is shattered. President Obama finds himself caught in a shouting match between Israel's supporters in America and critics abroad. And so much for restoring ties with the Muslim world.
  That's just a sampling of what could happen if Israel or the United States launches an attack on Iran to halt what some see as its otherwise inexorable march toward developing a nuclear weapon. It sounds bad ... but Israel has vowed to forbid a nuclear-armed Iran, and the consequences of its bold words could be severe.
  Anyone who thinks the president of the United States has it easy needs only to consider his predicament.... - Fox News, 8-20-10 -- Part 1 -- Part 2
• Obama to GOP: Stop blocking small business bill: President Barack Obama is urging Republican congressional leaders to stop blocking a bill aimed at helping small businesses hire more people. Speaking at the White House, Obama said there would be plenty of time for politics but that the bill should not fall victim to partisanship.... - AP, 8-19-10
• Blagojevich is campaign distraction for Ill. Dems: Alexi Giannoulias had planned to talk jobs. The Democrat in a tight race for President Barack Obama's former Senate seat wanted to take the opportunity to say his Republican opponent had helped wreck the nation's economy. Reporters, though, only wanted to talk about the ousted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, a newly convicted felon who prosecutors plan to retry on some counts.
  The unfinished business of the Blagojevich trial poses a major new hurdle for Illinois Democrats, who are already facing a difficult election season. After hoping Blagojevich's trial would wrap up well before the November vote, a retrial could begin as soon as this fall, in the final weeks of campaigning.
  Blagojevich's saga will keep diverting attention away from the pocketbook issues Democrats want to talk about as they try to keep Obama's old seat, hold on to the governor's mansion and maintain their lock on the state Legislature... - AP, 8-19-10
• From shock and awe to a quiet exit – US troops pull out of Iraq: It began with shock and awe and ended with a silent trickle across the border in the dead of night. As the 4th Stryker Brigade, Second Infantry division, arrived at their staging post in the sands of Kuwait, Sergeant Donald Wilms got out of his battle truck and high-fived friends in his platoon. A few hours earlier they had rumbled across the dusty border, becoming the last US combat unit to leave Iraq.
  "We knew we were going to make history," he said."The whole platoon is extremely proud of the difference they were able to make."
  Two trucks in front of him, Staff Sergeant Wiley Baker also had a sense of the moment."Any time in a war, whether it be world war two or Vietnam, the first and the last in are setting the agenda," he said."We were glad to be a part of it."
  For the men and women of the division, seven years and five months of war in Iraq is now over. As soon as they had crossed the border after a three-day drive along the spine of central Iraq, US commanders announced that the overall American combat mission in the country was also complete – 12 days earlier than the official end of operations and with doubts about the continuing US role in Iraq lingering.... - Guardian UK, 8-19-10
• Obama Is Questioned on Economy: President Barack Obama gestures during a backyard gathering to talk about the economy at the home of Rhonda and Joe Weithman in Clintonville, Ohio. President Barack Obama, at a summit of sorts in an Ohio family's backyard, sought to reassure citizens Wednesday that the economy is on track and that his administration's legislative victories will benefit voters.
  "Slowly, but surely, we are moving in the right direction. We're on the right track. The economy is getting stronger," Mr. Obama said at the beginning of a question-and-answer session with Columbus, Ohio, residents at the home of Rhonda and Joe Weithman.
  The summit comes as a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows American citizens have their dimmest view yet of how Obama is handling the economy. It also comes a few months ahead of midterm elections, in which the economy is expected to play a vital role in whether Democrats hold onto their majority in Congress.... - AP, 8-18-10
• Obama on mosque: 'The answer is no regrets': President Obama has made his first public comment on the mosque controversy since Saturday -- a very short comment. It came when a television reporter in Ohio asked Obama if he had any regrets about weighing in."The answer is no regrets," Obama said.... - USA Today, 8-18-10
• Some Muslims question mosque near ground zero: American Muslims who support the proposed mosque and Islamic center near ground zero are facing skeptics within their own faith — those who argue that the project is insensitive to Sept. 11 victims and needlessly provocative at a time when Muslims are pressing for wider acceptance in the U.S."For most Americans, 9/11 remains as an open wound, and anything associated with Islam, even for Americans who want to understand Islam — to have an Islamic center with so much publicity is like rubbing salt in open wounds," said Akbar Ahmed, professor of Islamic studies at American University, a former Pakistani ambassador to Britain and author of"Journey Into America, The Challenge of Islam." He said the space should include a synagogue and a church so it will truly be interfaith.... - AP, 8-18-10
• Blagojevich jurors ask for advice on verdict form: A two-part note on Tuesday from deliberating jurors in the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich suggests they may be in the process of filling out verdict forms in the case — or are thinking about doing so soon. The jurors asked Judge James B. Zagel how they should mark the verdict form if they can't reach a decision on a count. In the first part of the note, they also asked for a copy of the oath they took before deliberating. Zagel said in his response that they shouldn't mark the form if they haven't been able to reach an agreement on a count but should write a statement saying they couldn't agree. He also said he would provide a copy of the oath, in which jurors pledge to do their best to reach a verdict.... - AP, 8-17-10
• California gay marriage case hangs on technicality: The next stage of California's gay marriage court battle rests on a procedural issue that could halt the case, leaving same-sex unions legal in California without a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to guide the country.... - Reuters, 8-17-10
• Mama Grizzlies Beware: Liberal PAC Launches Campaign Against Sarah Palin’s Candidates: ABC News' Huma Khan reports: Sarah Palin is firing up conservative women with her"mama grizzlies" campaign, but liberal women are showing they have a roar in them too. Emily’s List, one of the largest political action committees dedicated to electing pro-choice female Democrats, today unveiled its"Sarah Doesn’t Speak For Me" campaign, designed to counter Sarah Palin’s influence in the mid-term elections. The highlight of the campaign is a video ad mocking Palin's"mama grizzlies.""We call upon women and men to let their voices be heard and to reject Palin’s reactionary candidates and backwards- looking agenda. We created this campaign because Sarah Palin and her endorsed candidates are extreme and bad for America, because women voters are key to this election and our country," Emily’s List president Stephanie Schriock said at a news conference today."We created this campaign because we didn’t want women across the country to think that there’s only one voice for women and we didn’t want Sarah Palin's voice to go unchallenged.".... - ABC News, 8-17-10
• Obama says GOP hindering efforts to help business: President Barack Obama is accusing Republicans of thwarting efforts to help small business owners by blocking legislation containing tax breaks and other incentives. He made the charges, a familiar theme for him, in the midst of a three-day fundraising outing on behalf of besieged Democratic candidates. He was in Seattle to help Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, whose re-election bid is closely watched by Democrats across the nation. Obama spoke on the day of Washington's primary. Murray is on the ballot and was expected to advance. The president met with a group of small business owners and told reporters afterward that Congress needs to act on the small business legislation. He said Republicans"won't even let it go to a vote.".... - AP, 8-17-10
• Obama launches 3 days of fundraising travel: President Barack Obama, embarking on a three-day tour to raise money for Democrats, said Monday that a rising homegrown clean energy industry can help reverse years of manufacturing job losses overseas and help heal a still- ailing economy."We can't turn back, we've got keep going forward," Obama told a group of workers at the ZBB Energy Corp, underscoring what he said was his lasting commitment to a clean energy future. Later, Obama portrayed Republicans as a party of naysayers, opposing nearly all of his domestic initiatives from clean-energy incentives to his landmark health care and financial overhaul legislation. In a play on his 2008 campaign slogan of"Yes we can," Obama told a Democratic fundraiser in Milwaukee,"These guys' slogan is 'no we can't.'"... - AP, 8-16-10
• Obama Asks Hollywood For Campaign Cash At LA Fundraiser: Streisand, Spielberg Listed As Hosts, Pelosi Will Also Attend Party At ER Producer's Mansion... - ABC News, 8-16-10
• Gates plans to retire next year: Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans to leave his job next year. A Republican and holdover from the Bush administration, Gates had agreed to stay on at the request of President Barack Obama. The move was intended to maintain stability at a time of two wars, although Gates has been open about his desire to return to civilian life in his home state of Washington. In an interview published Monday, Gates told Foreign Policy magazine that leaving in 2011 makes sense. It would give him time to oversee the major offensive under way in Afghanistan but bow out before the 2012 presidential elections. Gates has been defense secretary since December 2006. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell confirmed Monday that Gates has set his sights on leaving next year.... - AP, 8-16-10
• Tom DeLay cleared in federal probe, but Texas charges loom: Former House majority leader Tom DeLay was not charged in a federal investigation into ties with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But he faces a Texas indictment for violating campaign-finance laws.... - CS Monitor, 8-16-10
• Analysis: Mosque talk another hurdle for Dems: Add another election-year hurdle for Democrats: President Barack Obama's forceful defense of the right of Muslims to build a mosque near the World Trade Center site. His comments are giving Republicans a campaign-year cudgel and forcing Democrats to address a divisive issue within weeks of midterm contests that will decide the balance of power in Washington. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a competitive re-election fight, was the highest profile Democrat to move away from Obama on the matter."The First Amendment protects freedom of religion," Reid's spokesman Jim Manley said in a statement Monday."Senator Reid respects that but thinks that the mosque should be built some place else."... - AP, 8-16-10

ELECTIONS 2010, 2012....

• Kendrick Meek: The White House Has My Back: On a campaign stop in Florida Wednesday, President Obama said Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Kendrick Meek is the"kind of fighter" that"we need" in the Senate. The" campaigner-in-chief" made the comment on his first trip down to Florida, only a week before the August 24th primary. The president's previous absence in the race, where Meek is the underdog, had left many wondering whether the Democratic candidate was essentially on his own.
  Meek, however, insisted on"Washington Unplugged" Thursday that"The White House has answered the question constantly," arguing to CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer that he has the full backing of the administration.... - CBS News, 8-19-10
• Primaries being decided in 3 states: Democratic Sen. Patty Murray looked to move a step closer toward a fourth term Tuesday in a race that Republicans believe they can win in an election year when antiestablishment sentiment is running high. Murray and Republican challenger Dino Rossi are heavily favored to win Washington's primary and face off in November, in what could be a crucial election in the battle for control of the Senate. They already have been campaigning against each other in anticipation of a fall matchup, and President Barack Obama came to the state Tuesday to raise money for Murray. Washington is one of three states holding primaries Tuesday. Wyoming was deciding a gubernatorial primary in the race to replace popular Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal, and Democrats in a legislative district along the California coast were hoping to lock up a state Senate seat in a closely watched special election that has attracted the interest of the president.... - AP, 8-17-10

POLITICAL QUOTES

• Weekly Address: President Obama Challenges Politicians Benefiting from Citizens United Ruling to Defend Corporate Influence in Our Elections: Remarks of President Barack Obama Weekly Address August 21, 2010: ...You would think that making these reforms would be a matter of common sense. You’d think that reducing corporate and even foreign influence over our elections wouldn’t be a partisan issue.
  But the Republican leaders in Congress said no. In fact, they used their power to block the issue from even coming up for a vote.
  This can only mean that the leaders of the other party want to keep the public in the dark. They don’t want you to know which interests are paying for the ads. The only people who don’t want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide.
  Well, we cannot allow the corporate takeover of our democracy. So we’re going to continue to fight for reform and transparency. And I urge all of you to take up the same fight. Let’s challenge every elected official who benefits from these ads to defend this practice or join us in stopping it.
  At a time of such challenge for America, we can’t afford these political games. Millions of Americans are struggling to get by, and their voices shouldn’t be drowned out by millions of dollars in secret, special interest advertising. Their voices should be heard.... - WH, 8-21-10
• Obama challenges GOP on campaign finance ruling: President Barack Obama says Republicans should join him in opposing a Supreme Court ruling that vastly increased how much corporations and unions can spend on campaign ads. Instead, the GOP wants to"keep the public in the dark" about who's behind the expenditures, Obama charged in his weekly radio and Internet address, released Saturday as he vacationed on Martha's Vineyard.
  "You'd think that reducing corporate and even foreign influence over our elections wouldn't be a partisan issue," said Obama."But the Republican leaders in Congress said no. In fact,they used their power to block the issue from even coming up for a vote.
  "This can only mean that the leaders of the other party want to keep the public in the dark," said the president."They don't want you to know which interests are paying for the ads. The only people who don't want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide."... - AP, 8-21-10
• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., scoffed at the president's message: "Americans want us to focus on jobs, but by focusing on an election bill, Democrats are sending a clear message to the American people that their jobs aren't as important as the jobs of embattled Democrat politicians," McConnell said."The president says this bill is about transparency. It's transparent all right. It's a transparent effort to rig the fall elections."... - AP, 8-21-10
• The Rev. Franklin Graham Says President Obama was 'Born a Muslim' Comments Come As Poll Shows One in Five Americans Wrongly Believes Obama Is Muslim: On the heels of a new poll suggesting that nearly one in five Americans incorrectly believes that President Obama is a Muslim, one of the nation's most prominent evangelical leaders has weighed in with a seemingly lukewarm endorsement of the president's Christian faith. Why do 18 percent of Americans believe the president is a Muslim?
  The Rev. Franklin Graham waded into the discussion with his own controversial explanation of why people wrongly believe the president is a Muslim. Graham, who prayed with Obama in a session with his father, Billy Graham, earlier this year, was asked whether he has any doubts about Obama's self-avowed Christian faith.
  "I think the president's problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name," Graham told CNN's John King in a televised interview that aired Thursday night.... - ABC News, 8-20-10
• Bush comments on end of combat: Seven years after declaring the end of"major combat operations in Iraq," former President George W. Bush Thursday commented on the departure of the last U.S. combat troops from the country by expressing his gratitude to members of the U.S. military.
  "President Bush is always proud of our troops," Bush spokesman David Sherzer said in a statement to POLITICO."Like all Americans, he is deeply grateful for all they do to defend our country and help make the world a freer and more peaceful place."...
  Bush has rarely spoken about the war since leaving office, even as violence in the country has decreased and the United States prepares for a full withdrawal next summer. But in a tweet late Wednesday night as the last U.S. combat troops crossed the Iraqi border into Kuwait, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) noted the former president’s role:"Last American combat troops leave Iraq. I think President George W. Bush deserves some credit for victory." - Politico, 8-19-10
• Ending the War in Iraq:
  Good afternoon,
  Shortly after taking office, I put forward a plan to end the war in Iraq responsibly. Today, I'm pleased to report that -- thanks to the extraordinary service of our troops and civilians in Iraq -- our combat mission will end this month, and we will complete a substantial drawdown of our troops.
  Over the last 18 months, over 90,000 U.S. troops have left Iraq. By the end of this month, 50,000 troops will be serving in Iraq. As Iraqi Security Forces take responsibility for securing their country, our troops will move to an advise-and-assist role. And, consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all of our troops will be out of Iraq by the end of next year. Meanwhile, we will continue to build a strong partnership with the Iraqi people with an increased civilian commitment and diplomatic effort.
  A few weeks ago, men and women from one of the most deployed brigades in the U.S. Army, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, returned home from Iraq. The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden were at Fort Drum to welcome the veterans home and spoke about their personal experiences as a military family:
  Our commitment to our troops doesn't end once they come home -- it's only the beginning. Part of ending a war responsibly is meeting our responsibility to the men and women who have fought it. Our troops and their families have made tremendous sacrifices to keep our nation safe and secure, and as a nation we have a moral obligation to serve our veterans as well as they have served us.
  That's why we're building a 21st century Department of Veterans Affairs. We've made one of the largest percentage increase in the VA’s budget in 30 years, and we're dramatically increasing funding for veterans' health across the board. In particular, we're delivering unprecedented resources to treat signature wounds of today's wars—Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
  Our sacred trust to take care of our veterans goes beyond simply healing the wounds incurred in battle. We must ensure that when our veterans leave the Armed Forces, they have the opportunities they need to further their education and support their families. Through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, some 300,000 veterans and families members have pursued a college degree. Others are taking advantage of job training and placement programs.
  My Administration will continue to do our part to support the brave men and women in uniform that have sacrificed so much. But supporting our troops and their families is not just the job of the Federal Government; it's the responsibility of all Americans.
  As we mark this milestone in the Iraq war and our troops continue to move out of Iraq, I hope you'll join me in thanking them, and all of our troops and military families, for their service.
  Sincerely,
  President Barack Obama
  - WH, 8-19-10

HISTORIANS & ANALYSTS' COMMENTS

• Andrew Bacevich: OBAMA AND THE MISSION: "If we can't have a victory parade, we at least ought to be able to make some definitive conclusions," said Andrew Bacevich, a military specialist at Boston University who lost a son in Iraq and has written a new book,"Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War.""And it just doesn't seem that we are going to do so. We want to just move on, sadly."... - NYT, 8-21-10
• Judy Chu: pposing view on Iraq endgame: U.S. deadline improved Iraq: Last Thursday, the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, crossed the border out of Iraq. With this exit, two weeks ahead of schedule, our military met the timeline to withdraw combat troops that President Obama first proposed 16 months ago. For that, every American should feel reassured.
  The president's withdrawal timeline produced a more orderly transition and reduced violence.
  According to the Iraq Body Count project, civilian deaths caused by coalition troops, paramilitary forces, or criminal attacks averaged 1,390 each month from the beginning of the war in March 2003 through February of last year. But after the president officially announced a timetable, that average fell to 364 monthly casualties.
  During the past year and a half, our troops curbed Iraq's civil war, restrained the insurgency and transitioned into a peacekeeping, advisory force.... - USA Today, 8-23-10
• Why doesn't Obama wear his religion on his sleeve?: What will it take for Obama to convince the world that he’s a Christian, or at least not a Muslim? Teaching Baptist Sunday School like Jimmy Carter? Putting a 'My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter' bumper sticker on Air Force One?... - CS Monitor, 8-21-10