Playing Innocent Abroad  —  Radical optimism is America's contribution to the world.  The early settlers thought America's founding would bring God's kingdom to earth.  John Adams thought America would emancipate “the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.”

He ventured forth to bring light to the world  —  The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers  —  And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land …

McCain May Act Soon on VP Pick  —  Aides Predict Announcement Before Olympics  —  Anxious to counter the blanket media coverage that has followed Sen. Barack Obama on his overseas journey, Sen. John McCain is weighing whether to announce his running mate in the coming weeks before the spotlight shifts …

Obama camp says Pentagon nixed troop visit  —  Barack Obama's campaign issued a statement last night explaining that it canceled its planned visit to wounded American troops in Germany because the Department of Defense expressed concerns that it might appear overly political.

Thesis Follies  —  Steve Sailer darkly hints: … Meanwhile, Noam Scheiber writes about reporters' efforts to get their hands on a copy of Barack Obama's senior thesis, all copies of which have apparently gone missing from Columbia.  The thesis was about nuclear negotiating strategies …

Obama's path to presidency is far from clear  —  The Democrat is winning fans on his trip abroad, but is struggling to gain real ground against McCain at home.  Some key Clinton backers remain alienated.  —  WASHINGTON — Even as his turn on the global stage hit an emotional peak Thursday …

What Bush and Batman Have in Common  —  A cry for help goes out from a city beleaguered by violence and fear: A beam of light flashed into the night sky, the dark symbol of a bat projected onto the surface of the racing clouds . . .  Oh, wait a minute.  That's not a bat, actually.

Rove Threatened GOP IT Guru If He Does Not ‘Take the Fall’ for Election Fraud in Ohio, Says Attorney  —  Karl Rove has threatened a GOP high-tech guru and his wife, if he does not “'take the fall' for election fraud in Ohio,” according to a letter sent this morning to Attorney General Michael Mukasey …

Sarkozy: Obama's my ‘pal’  —  French President Nicolas Sarkozy is offering Obama a warm welcome on the day of their meeting, in an interview with the conservative daily Le Figaro.  —  “Obama?  He's my pal,” the president told Le Figaro.  “Unlike my diplomatic advisors, I never believed in Hillary Clinton's chances.

Maliki Votes for Obama  —  In a stunning upset, Barack Obama this week won the Iraq primary.  When Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki not once but several times expressed support for a U.S. troop withdrawal on a timetable that accorded roughly with Obama's 16-month proposal, he did more than legitimize the plan.

Obama Abroad: We Get the Picture  —  The Candidate Looked Good This Week.  Did the Press?  —  After saying little in public during a weekend in Iraq and Afghanistan, Barack Obama met with traveling reporters near Jordan's Temple of Hercules, a gladiator standing his ground against the media hordes.

AP: Food industry bitten by its lobbying success  —  WASHINGTON - One of the worst outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. is teaching the food industry the truth of the adage, “Be careful what you wish for because you might get it.”  —  The industry pressured the Bush administration years ago …