Today on the presidential campaign trail

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - IN THE HEADLINES

Obama says there has been security progress in Iraq but now a political solution is needed ... While Obama basks in overseas attention, speculation rises about a McCain running mate ... Obama vows to work for breakthrough in Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations ... Larger venue secured by supporters of Rep. Ron Paul for event to rival GOP convention ... Obama to bask in Europe's adulation amid hopes for new era in America politics

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Obama: Iraq now needs a political solution

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday that security in Iraq has improved and that the United States urgently needs to turn its attention to Afghanistan.

"There is security progress, but now we need a political solution" in Iraq, Obama said in the first news conference of his highly publicized trip abroad. Afghanistan is now the "central front in the war against terrorism," he added.

"The situation in Afghanistan is perilous and urgent," he said. "We must act now to reverse a deteriorating situation."

He reiterated his goal of withdrawing combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of becoming president. But he said he would consult with military commanders to determine how many troops to keep in the country to protect diplomatic and humanitarian operations, to train Iraqis and to conduct counterterrorism operations against al-Qaida in Iraq.

Obama acknowledged that the U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, does not want a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. combat forces.

"He wants to retain as much flexibility as possible," Obama said. "What I emphasized to him was ... if I were in his shoes, I'd probably feel the same way. But my job as a candidate for president and a potential commander in chief extends beyond Iraq." Obama said he also needs to take into account the security needs in Afghanistan, the views of the Iraqi government and the potential domestic uses for the money now being spent in Iraq.

Tucker Bounds, spokesman for Republican candidate John McCain, responded, "By admitting that his plan for withdrawal places him at odds with Gen. David Petraeus, Barack Obama has made clear that his goal remains unconditional withdrawal rather than securing the victory our troops have earned."

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McCain may be zeroing in on a running mate

ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Speculation swirled Tuesday that Republican John McCain might name his vice presidential partner within the next few days — right in the middle of the overseas tour of his Democratic rival, Barack Obama.

McCain aides were not helping tamp down the speculation with their comments, often made late in the afternoon, of "no announcement today."

But what about tomorrow? Or where? On Tuesday, McCain campaigned in New Hampshire, not all that far from a lakeside summer home of vanquished GOP rival Mitt Romney. Romney was nowhere to be seen. Well, it wasn't really that close to his lakeside home.

Last Sunday, McCain was in the Bronx at a Yankees game with another former rival, one-time New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The campaign is also not very open about where McCain is going next, which adds to the frenzy. All questions about the process of selecting a running mate are quickly shot down.

McCain on Tuesday participated in a town-hall meeting in a theater and "opera house" this central New Hampshire village. Half a world away, reporters were trailing Obama as he visited Jordan in route to Israel.

McCain has told reporters he doesn't care if Obama's trip was stealing attention and thinks it "doesn't in the slightest" undercut his own message. But on Tuesday the campaign released two videos set to love songs and encouraged viewers to choose which one best conveyed this message: "The media is in love with Barack."

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Obama vows to work for Mideast breakthrough

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama vowed on Tuesday to work for a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations "starting from the minute I'm sworn into office."

In a news conference here before departing for Israel, he said any U.S. involvement in peace talks must recognize not only Israel's security concerns but also the economic hardships facing Palestinians.

He said he would continue to regard Israel as a valued ally. "That policy is not going to change," he said.

"What I think can change is the ability of the United States government and a United States president to be actively engaged with the peace process and to be concerned and recognize the legitimate difficulties that the Palestinian people are experiencing right now."

Obama, in the midst of a weeklong high visibility foreign trek, also acknowledged the long history of Middle East tensions that would confront him if he were to become president.

"It's unrealistic to expect that a U.S. president alone can suddenly snap his fingers and bring about peace in this region," he said.

Obama was in Afghanistan and Iraq before arriving in Jordan on Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah II. He planned to leave for Israel later in the day. He then is scheduled to travel to Europe.

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Ron Paul's political event moves to larger venue

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Supporters of maverick Rep. Ron Paul who are organizing a rally as an alternative to the Republican National Convention are moving their crosstown event to a larger venue.

The Rally for the Republic featuring Paul — the Texas conservative failed in his bid to win the GOP nomination for president — is scheduled for Minneapolis' Target Center, home of basketball's Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Target Center can accommodate at least 15,000 people for such an event. Planners for the Paul event had originally considered a college basketball arena that seats about 11,000 people.

Paul is scheduled to speak during the 10-hour rally on Sept. 2, local coordinator Marianne Stebbins said. That's the second day of the four-day GOP convention, which takes place Sept. 1-4 at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

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Obamamania in full flight ahead of tour of Europe

BERLIN (AP) — Europe is about to give Barack Obama one of the grandest of stages for statesmanship.

In this city where John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton all made famous speeches, Obama will find himself stepping into perhaps another iconic moment Thursday as his superstar charisma meets German adoration live in shadows of the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate. He then travels to Paris and London where he can expect to be greeted with similar adulation.

It's not only Obama's youth, eloquence and energy that have stolen hearts across the Atlantic. For Europeans, there have always been two Americas: one of cynicism, big business and bullying aggression, another of freedom, fairness and nothing-is-impossible dynamism.

If President Bush has been seen as the embodiment of that first America, Obama has raised expectations of a chance for the nation to redeem itself in the role that — at various times through history — Europe has loved, respected and relied upon.

Beyond his electric personality, Obama is popular among Europeans because he hits all the right notes on the issues that are important to them. In a speech last week, he vowed to fight climate change, stress diplomacy in dealing with Iran and produce a clear exit strategy for Iraq — all issues where Bush angered Europe by taking an opposite tack.

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DAILY TRACK

Democrat Barack Obama holds a slight edge nationally over Republican John McCain — 45 percent to 42 percent — among registered voters in the presidential race, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update.

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THE DEMOCRATS

Barack Obama stops in Jordan and Israel.

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THE REPUBLICANS

John McCain meets with voters in Rochester, N.H.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"Mitt has been of tremendous help to my campaign. ... He does a better job for me than he did for himself." — Republican John McCain, amid laughter, when asked if he had forgiven Mitt Romney, his former rival in the presidential primaries.

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STAT OF THE DAY:

Whites who say they are not excited by the presidential campaign back Republican John McCain by a 2-to-1 margin, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll conducted in June. Whites who say the election is exciting lean toward Democrat Barack Obama, by 2-to-1.

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Compiled by Douglass K. Daniel and Ann Sanner.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_el_pr/2008_race_rundown [link]