Obama in Iraq

By Jennifer J. Foster

The major cable news networks are reporting that Barack Obama has landed in Iraq.

The Associated Press reports that while there, Obama is expected to meet with the American military commanders of a war he has long opposed amid the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s apparent endorsement of his 16-month troop withdrawal plan and a shift by the White House away from refusing to discuss that option.

al-Maliki’s aides have since backed away from the PM’s comments, saying he was “misunderstood” and insisting that he was not taking sides in the U.S. election. But, the AP tells us:

Earlier this month, however, al-Maliki said negotiations between his government and the United States on an agreement spelling out a continued role for U.S. forces in Iraq must include some kind of timetable for withdrawing troops from his country.

Berlin and London notwithstanding, this leg of the trip is by far the most important for Obama. Is he ready for the big time? Is he ready to tackle foreign affairs outside his own borders?

The next 48 hours—and how other leaders are perceived to react to him—will go a long way toward either easing people’s minds about his experience in and credibility around the world, or confirming that the worst fears of his doubters—that he’s a textbook, bubble-living creature—were true.

If you’re near a TV or if you have access to the Internet all day, stay close. I bet today’s pool report from the campaign is going to be great!

Dobson’s do-over

By Jennifer J. Foster

Maybe he’s realized that the rest of the evangelical community is boarding John McCain’s train without him, but Focus on the Family guru James Dobson is having second thoughts about rejecting John McCain. From the Associated Press:

Conservative Christian leader James Dobson has softened his stance against Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, saying he could reverse his position and endorse the Arizona senator despite serious misgivings.

“I never thought I would hear myself saying this,“ Dobson said in a radio broadcast to air Monday. “... While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might.“

Oh boy! McCain is destined to win now!

... Dobson said that while neither candidate is consistent with his views, McCain’s positions are closer by a wide margin.

“There’s nothing dishonorable in a person rethinking his or her positions, especially in a constantly changing political context,“ Dobson said in a statement to the AP. “Barack Obama contradicts and threatens everything I believe about the institution of the family and what is best for the nation. His radical positions on life, marriage and national security force me to reevaluate the candidacy of our only other choice, John McCain.“

The AP says Dobson “had earlier said he could not in good conscience vote for McCain.“ That’s quite an understatement. His actual comments in January 2007 were, “I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances,“ Dobson said last month on KCBI, a Dallas Christian radio station. “I pray that we won’t get stuck with him.“

Oh, but times change. And only in Dobson’s world can you can reassess your “situation” as times change—while claiming your principles supposedly haven’t.

Dobson said on the radio program he must consider McCain’s record against abortion rights and support for smaller government, and added McCain “seems to understand the Muslim threat.“ He also indicated McCain’s choice of a running mate will be a factor.

Of his new position, Dobson said in the statement to the AP, “If that is a flip-flop, then so be it.“

(I wrote about flipflopitis this weekend in my print column. See it here.)

You can call the change a flip-flop, just like you can call the VP selection consideration an ultimatum.

Both are true.

Which Dobson are we to believe: The one who once said principle precluded him from supporting McCain? Or the one who says principle now demands he support McCain?

That’s why Dobson’s opinion of McCain isn’t worth much—regardless of whether it translates into an endorsement.

I hope McCain will brush this off like it never happened. McCain needs to focus on politics. Dobson needs to Focus on the Family.

See also:

Dobson attacks Obama

Various Dobson-related posts

Evangelical leaders + politics = Bad religion

Stoning Obama

Direct to you from Death Row

By Jennifer J. Foster

CNN’s Larry King did a show one night last week with Sharon Rocha, the mother of Laci Peterson.

Laci, you will doubtless remember, and her unborn child—a boy she planned to name Connor—were killed in 2002.

Rocha and King discussed Rocha’s outrage at the blog being maintained by Scott Peterson, who was sentenced to death after being convicted of killing his wife and son.

You can read the trancript from the interview here or read a news article about it here.

I took a look at the blog out of curiosity. Rocha’s right; it was disgusting.

So I checked out the organization that hosts Peterson’s blog: The Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty, or CCADP. According to the information at its web site, CCADP is “maintained and updated” by two folks in Toronto. The organization offers free webpages to over 500 Death Row prisoners.

Five hundred Death Row prisoners!

Apparently, Scott Peterson’s in good writing company.

Chances are, CCADP is serving inmates in your state. Check it out for yourself at the CCADP database, where you can search inmates by state, country, request (attorneys? Penpals, anyone?) or upcoming execution date. (Alabama’s inmates are listed here.)

I noticed some absences on the list. What? No prisoner pages for John Couey? No page for Joseph Smith?

Hmm. Maybe they’re still under construction.

It appears that CCADP doesn’t have much going in terms of public policy advocacy. But there are plenty of graphic, post-execution photos (though none of crime victims), soliticitations for speaking engagements and—of course—requests for donations.

CCADP’s slogan is, “The Eyes Of The World Are Watching Now.“

Thanks to Larry King and CNN, they’re now watching CCADP.