It's interesting because Obama himself admitted that the overseas trip might have negative repercussions here in the US.

“I am not sure that there is going to be some immediate political impact. I wouldn’t even be surprised if that in some polls that you saw a little bit of a dip as a consequence..."

The fact is, he felt the trip was important enough for him that it was worth the risk. Again, Obama doesn't take the "safe" route to get an immediate boost. He does what he feels is best and most beneficial in the long run.

i wish John McCain had to defend his every fucking move to the media, even if they had spent every minute of the previous week discussing how and why he was doing it. i wish the media parroted every single Obama talking point verbatim without comment.

but, sadly, i guess that's more of the famous liberal bias.

Latest Gallup: Obama + 7
Latest Rasmussen: Obama + 6

So the trip was just perfect. He managed to win at every level:

Senator Obama has impressed all the leaders he met with, his foreign policies are well received. He brought a positive image of the US. No gaffes to be reported.

McBushSame has lost the national security debate, he has lost credibility, he has lost the debate on foreign affairs. The McBushsame gaffes are adding by the day...

Pretty good week for Senator Obama..

McCain went to Europe in March when the GOP primary was decided. He gave a speech in Canada, and was "just by chance" in Columbia when the hostages were freed.

McCain doesn't campaign on weekends and didn't nearly have as long or tough a primary as Obama did - both points Obama's Camp should readily point out. Obama virtually had to campaign and visit(save Alaska and Hawaii) every State during the Democratic primary season - how many States did McCain set foot in?

Taking one week off in August is equal to McCain taking weekends off for a month, so Obama has a few more week long vacations to go before McCain should even start talking (of course we all know such facts won't stop McCain).

i bet the gop will say why obama need time off is obama taking the american people for granted however they would never complain when grandpa mcsame take every weekend off............

What! Obama wasn't overheard saying he was going to cut someone's balls off? Or at least saying something vulgar or swearing? Yawn...

What the hell is "McCain's Weekly Radio Address"?

Who broadcasts it? Because if it's just some recording that he releases to the press it's not a radio address, it's a talking press release.

Does the McCain campaign buy time for this "radio address"? Isn't it really a podcast? If so, why do you treat it any differently then the many, many audio files that are released by the Obama campaign on their website? Because it gets released to your...inbox? It seems you are making the McCain camp look more presidential by parroting their "radio address" label. It's an MP3, not a "radio address".

Where did the little man, McHenry get $175,000? Those funds should be investigated.

Remember it is John McCain who is the "elderly, experianced and well known statesmen and neo-con" He should be the one who is ahead. THE SURGE, THE SURGE, THE SURGE, THE SHURGE--WHEN WILL HE SURGE?

Further evidence that the race really is not as close as the Repub trolls and MSM want people to believe:
http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=AIA2008072401

D.

Too close. With that sort of spread, the GOP can diddle one or two states' computerized voting tallies and emerge with a "shocking unexpected squeaker" for McCain!

I expect to see the TV commercials morphing Obama into Satan - his face, with a reddish hue, mustache, and horns - before this campaign is over. Isn't that the whole setup of the "McCain is running for God" poster?

Go here to donate to Daniel Johnson's campaign. I just sent him $10, but if enough people do the same, McHenry's loan to his campaign will have been pointless. That's good enough for me.

To judge from here it sounds like Obama is somehow on the defensive about his trip at this point.

How'd that happen?

Is there nothing McCain will not whine about?

With all the complaining and self-pity, how does the public even begin to see him as a strong candidate?

Rhetorical question. The media tells everybody otherwise, I know.

What's with the deal with the contenders taking their names out of the running? Is it an ego thing? Why not make it look like Obama had an extensive field to choose from? I can understand Warner and the others who are running for office themselves this year and need to worry about getting elected themselves, but other then that I think you should leave your name in and tell the vetters if you really don't want the job.

People need to start bringing cheese to McCain events -- to go with the whine.

The GOP should not dare bring up Obama's taking a week off for vacation in August as some kind of indication he is not serious about being President. Given Bush's unbelievable record of "vacationing" on the job (now well over a year, I believe), especially in month of August, they have NO basis for a complaint. Is McCain suggesting that Bush is a slacker? As they say, people in glass vacations...

Of course, being the GOP, this will likely not stop them. But I can't wait for the Obama people to bring up the Bush vacation record.

I knew John McCain would put up the most despicable ad of the campaign...he learned the wrong lesson from the '00 campaign... http://www.enewsreference.com

What strikes me as typically duplicitous about McCain's insistence that Obama look at the past and acknowledge the success of The Surge, is the fact that he used to make such a point of telling people NOT to look back. I feel like he went on Meet the Press a dozen times, and when asked about the quagmire in Iraq kept repeating some version of this mantra: "What's past is past. We need to look forward." Now that he thinks he's got a winner, he can't take his eyes off the rearview. He keeps insisting that everyone else look at it, too. Careful, McWalkingCane, there's a pedestrian in the crosswalk!