It's official: Republican Senator Chuck Hagel's office has put out an announcement that he will be joining Barack Obama on a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, along with Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

In many ways, Hagel has become the mirror image of Joe Lieberman -- he is a conservative who has infuriated his party through his opposition to the Iraq War. However, Hagel has not crossed party lines to endorse Barack Obama as of yet, opting only to refuse to endorse John McCain.

However, going on a overseas visit in the middle of the campaign season will be about as much of a vote of confidence in Obama's foreign policy vision as you could get without it turning into an outright endorsement.

Thus, expect a lot of reporters to ask Hagel repeatedly whether he is supporting Obama. As it is, expect him to do a lot for Obama in terms of running interference against Republican attacks that Obama doesn't have the experience or judgment for foreign policy.

Obama To Tour Foreign Countries
The Obama campaign has announced that the candidate will be embarking on an overseas tour and meet with foreign leaders -- an important step in establishing a credible image on foreign policy. The candidate will visit Britain, France, Germany, Israel and Jordan, and the trip is expected to take place some time in July.

Obama And McCain Courting Latinos Today
Barack Obama and John McCain are both speaking today before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference in Washington. For John McCain, this is an opportunity to overcome the Latino community's overall antipathy towards the Republican Party and its anti-immigrant bent. For Obama, his job is to secure the lead he currently has in the polls among a demographic where he lagged way behind during the primaries.

McCain: Obama "Didn't Seem To Be Serious" About Town Halls
During a campaign appearance yesterday in Cleveland, John McCain expressed pessimism about Barack Obama taking up his challenge of holding 10 town-hall meetings in the course of the campaign. The Obama campaign had previously answered with an offer of five appearance, being three traditional debates and two town halls. "The response, in all due respect, didn't seem to be serious," McCain said.

Hagel: I'm Closer To Obama Than McCain
Sen. Chuck Hagel, the conservative Nebraska Republican who has turned vocally against the Iraq War, has indicated in an interview with Bloomberg TV that he does not plan to publicly endorse any candidate for president. Hagel added, however, that his differences with Barack Obama were probably "not as big" as his differences with John McCain.

Poll: McConnell Under 50 In Kentucky
A new Rasmussen poll of Kentucky finds Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell leading Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford by a 48%-41%, margin, with a ±4.5% margin. This is an improvement from their poll from a month ago, which had Lunsford ahead after his primary victory, but still a mark of concern for a four-term Senator who has become the leader of his party. Keep an eye on this race in the months ahead.

Elizabeth Dole Reverses Herself On Offshore Drilling
The Charlotte Observer reports that Sen. Elizabeth Dole opposed offshore drilling near North Carolina as recently as last week, but has now introduced a bill to give states the option of allowing it -- in line with President Bush and John McCain's embrace of the issue. "Now, more than ever, responsible and practical steps are needed to increase our energy independence and strengthen economic and national security," Dole said in a statement.

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), often a critic of the Bush administration, called the decision to commute Scooter Libby's sentence yesterday "unfortunate."

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon), who recently came out strongly against the Iraq War, was less assured:

It is a very serious thing to not tell the truth to a federal officer and why he would have gotten in that situation I don't know, because he was not guilty of the charge of the case. But the constitution gives the president the lawful right to commute or pardon, he's exercised that, every president before has done that. I would have preferred to see this run the full legal course but I know Scooter Libby and he's a very smart and as far as I know a decent guy and I just don't know what happened here. It's just sad...I feel bad for everyone, even the Plames who were affected by this case."

Is Chuck Hagel, the most outspoken GOP Iraq War critic, on the verge of announcing a candidacy for President? ABC News reports that Hagel has told two unions, the International Association of Fire Fighters and the Building and Construction Trades Department, that he wants to participate in their upcoming GOP cattle call scheduled for March 14.

Although a Hagel aide said the Senator has not made a decision about a campaign, a spokesperson for one of the unions told ABC, "I think it's fair to say that if Sen. Hagel is accepting the invitation to be a participant in a presidential candidates' forum that he is, in fact, a candidate for president."

GOPers are skeptical, however. Former Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein, for instance, told ABC that Hagel's dissent from Bush Administration policy on Iraq "flies in the face of ... having any viable way of getting the nomination."

Here are a few quick updates on the Presidential candidates and their movements:

* Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney traded barbs yesterday over Hillary's slam of the President over the weekend. Hillary demanded that the President extricate the troops from Iraq rather than passing the war on to his successor. Romney hammered her yesterday while speaking in South Carolina, and Hillary's rapid response team yesterday struck back. Expect much more of this.

* Hillary, meanwhile, has enlisted a new senior spokesperson, Mo Elleithee, who is a veteran of many national campaigns including Bill Bradley's in '00 and Wesley Clark's in '04.

* Draft Newt! A former aide to Newt Gingrich has launched a new effort to draft him for a Presidential run. Gingrich has said that he won't make an '08 decision until Labor Day.

* The Romney campaign is trumpeting the news that it's hired former Iowa House Speaker Brent Siegrist and former First Congressional District candidate Brian Kennedy as advisers to his exploratory committee.

* Sen. John McCain's campaign announced that Dax Swatek is joining the team as a senior advisor to the exploratory committee in Alabama. Swatek recently served as general consultant and campaign manager for Gov. Bob Riley's reelection campaign.

* Speaking at Wake Forest University yesterday, former Sen. John Edwards acknowledged that he may have been too inexperienced when he ran for President in 2004.

* Tom Vilsack's aides announced that he met his 2006 fundraising goal by raising $1.1 million between Nov. 6 and Dec. 31.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel,a rumored '08 candidate, has the least cash-on-hand of the 33 Senators up for reelection in 2008, according to his most recent campaign finance filings.

* Rep. Duncan Hunter spoke in New Hampshire yesterday, focusing on national security, border control, and trade.

From Ned Lamont to Macaca, the internet is clearly gaining in importance with every new campaign season, so we here at Election Central thought it might be helpful to compile a list of blogs covering the 2008 presidential election on the local level. We've pulled together blogs ranging from professional newspapers covering the primaries in their state to lone individuals supporting their candidate of choice. Each offers a unique perspective on the dynamics of the already burgeoning race for the White House in 2008. Take a look.

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