Free Republic

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has reported that two advisers to John McCain—Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations and Richard Williamson, the Bush administration’s special envoy to Sudan—told the Washington Institute for Near East Policy during a retreat last weekend that a McCain administration would be reserved and cautious toward either an Israeli-Palestinian or an Israeli-Syrian “peace process.” (That formulation takes into account Max Boot’s subsequent complaint that the JTA report misrepresented what he said.) At the same event Richard Danzig—secretary of the navy under Bill Clinton and an adviser to Barack Obama—said Obama’s approach would be the opposite...

By James A. Barnes, National Journal © National Journal Group Inc. Monday, March 31, 2008 If potential presidents can be judged by how they run their campaigns, then how they staff those efforts may provide important clues to the kinds of talent they would recruit for their administrations. Because Democratic front-runner Barack Obama is a relative newcomer to national politics, an examination of his inner circle of political and policy advisers offers new windows into his thinking, leadership style, and sources of expertise. The Democratic front-runner's team has a relatively shallow bench, but its political achievements thus far are quite...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Barack Obama is considering former top military leaders among his possible running mates, according to a senator who met Tuesday with the Democratic presidential candidate's vice presidential vetting team. North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad told The Associated Press said the team asked him about potential candidates from three broad categories _ current top elected officials, former top elected officials and former top military leaders. Conrad would not disclose which names they discussed, and the Obama campaign has been keeping the process a closely guarded secret. "We talked about many names," Conrad said, including "some that are out...