 | 2008 JULY July 24, 2008
 McCain-Obama Race Grabs Attention Across Europe Some 200,000 people are estimated to have attended Sen. Barack Obama's speech in Berlin Thursday, a sign of the increased interest abroad in this year's U.S. election. A panel of European journalists offer insight.

   

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 | July 24, 2008
 Obama to Push Building U.S.-Europe Relations in Berlin Address As Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama continues his overseas tour with a stop in Berlin Thursday, tens of thousands in the German city are reportedly anxious to hear his address at the Tiergarten's Victory Column, one of the city's most famous monuments.

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 | July 24, 2008
 Transcript: Obama's Speech in Berlin Following is a transcript of Sen. Barack Obama's speech in Berlin, Germany, as prepared for delivery and distributed by his campaign.

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 | July 23, 2008
 Mideast Conflict Looms for Next U.S. President As the presidential hopefuls define their foreign policy agendas for the Middle East, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will continue to present a unique set of challenges to the next commander-in-chief. Analysts mull the obstacles to ending the decades-long conflict.

     

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 | July 23, 2008
 Obama Stands by Israel, Calls Iranian Nuclear Threat 'Grave' As his Mideast tour continues, Sen. Barack Obama reiterated his support for Israel as an ally of the United States Wednesday and focused on his commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

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 | July 22, 2008
 Speculation Stirs Over Possible Unveiling of McCain VP Pick Republican presidential hopeful John McCain could reveal his choice for a running mate as early as this week, sources close to the Arizona senator have said, according to CNN and Robert Novak's Evans-Novak Political Report.

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 | July 22, 2008
 McCain, Obama Trade More Jabs Over Foreign Policy Sen. Barack Obama, on tour in the Middle East, and Sen. John McCain, on the campaign trail in New England, continue to spar over each other's Iraq policies and understanding of the situation in Afghanistan.

     

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 | July 22, 2008
 Obama Outlines Mideast Policy Views as Overseas Tour Continues After his first visit to Iraq as the likely Democratic nominee for president, Sen. Barack Obama said Tuesday in Amman, Jordan, that security in Iraq has improved and the U.S. should focus attention on aiding its political progress while turning more military attention to the worsening situation in Afghanistan.

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 | July 21, 2008
 Obama's Trip Puts Focus on Candidates' Iraq, Afghan Plans Sen. Barack Obama is working on his foreign policy credentials by meeting with leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan this week. Policy advisers discuss how Obama and GOP Sen. John McCain are approaching the conflicts.

     

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 | July 21, 2008
 Obama Meets with al-Maliki in Baghdad Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Monday on the latest stop of his high-profile overseas tour as the presumptive Democratic nominee.

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 | July 21, 2008
 McCain Hits Morning Shows as Networks Follow Obama Abroad Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain appeared on all three network morning shows Monday arguing that his Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama was wrong on the surge strategy in Iraq.

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 | July 18, 2008
 Obama Trip Attracting Media Circus, Criticism from McCain Camp Sen. Barack Obama's first overseas trip as a presidential candidate is shaping up to be a mob-scene of press coverage. Obama will be traveling with a plane full of journalists, and at least 200 have applied to come on the trip, though only about 40 will be able to go.

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 | July 18, 2008
 Analysts Tackle Economy Woes, Obama's Overseas Trip Analysts David Brooks and Ruth Marcus take up the U.S. economy's shaky health and Sen. Barack Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe, which has drawn vast media coverage and was described by Sen. John McCain's camp as a publicity stunt.

     

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 | July 17, 2008
 Gore Aims High on Renewable Energy Goal for U.S. Former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore outlined a bold climate goal for the nation Thursday, challenging the U.S. to create every kilowatt of electricity through renewable energy sources within 10 years.

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 | July 17, 2008
 Obama Raises $52 Million in June Likely Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama raised $52 million in June, easily trumping Republican rival Sen. John McCain's $22 million last month - although the Democratic Party still lags behind the GOP in the amount of campaign cash it has in the bank.

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 | July 16, 2008
 Reporter's Notebook: Gwen Ifill Discusses Her Interview with Barack Obama In a conversation with the NewsHour's Steve Goldbloom, senior correspondent Gwen Ifill reflects on her exclusive interview this week with Sen. Barack Obama and discusses how his campaign is shaping its Iraq policy ahead of his upcoming trip to the war zone.

 

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 | July 16, 2008
 Candidates Address NAACP, Reach Out to Black Voters Unlike in previous elections, both Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., reached out to black voters at this year's annual NAACP conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. Representatives from both parties weigh the race factor in this year's campaign.

   

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 | July 15, 2008
 McCain Counters Obama's Iraq, Afghan Strategies Addressing a town hall audience in Albuquerque, N.M., Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain slammed Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama's suggestion that the U.S. needs a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq and touted his views on how to triumph in Afghanistan.

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 | July 15, 2008
 Obama Calls for Shift in Military Focus Away from Iraq During a policy speech on Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama said a "single-minded" focus on the Iraq war is distracting the United States from other threats, including the ongoing battle in Afghanistan.

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 | July 15, 2008
 Obama Calls for U.S. Military to Renew Focus on Afghanistan In an interview with the NewsHour's Gwen Ifill, Sen. Barack Obama calls for the U.S. to dramatically scale down in military effort in Iraq and, instead, focus more forces on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

     

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 | July 14, 2008
 New Yorker Cover Satirizing Obama Raises Controversy In the latest issue of the New Yorker, a cover illustration of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama and his wife satirizes some of the rumors that have swirled about the candidate. Writers Michael Eric Dyson and Eric Bates examine the media controversy.

     

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 | July 14, 2008
 In Afghanistan, Troop Deaths Highlight Instability On Sunday, Taliban militants waged the deadliest assault on U.S. and NATO troops in three years, highlighting the challenge of the ongoing armed conflict. A New York Times Magazine reporter and a counter-insurgency expert measure the complexity of the conflict.

     

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 | July 11, 2008
 Shields, Brooks Assess Struggles in the Economy, Campaign News With continued financial troubles in the headlines, the presidential hopefuls have made their plans to improve the economy central to their case to voters. Mark Shields and David Brooks discuss the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac panic and campaign trail developments.

     

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 | July 10, 2008
 Pew Poll Finds McCain Faces Enthusiasm Gap, Obama Sees Unity Challenge Sen. John McCain is facing an enthusiasm gap on the campaign trail, a new Pew poll shows, while his rival, Sen. Barack Obama, faces his own challenges leading a divided party. After a campaign news update, the Pew center's Andy Kohut discusses the poll's findings.

     

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 | July 9, 2008
 Reporter's Notebook: Gwen Ifill on McCain Campaign, Ad Strategy In a conversation with the NewsHour's Steve Goldbloom, NewsHour senior correspondent Gwen Ifill discussed reports about a shakeup in John McCain's staff along with the messages voters are meant to take away from the campaign's ad strategy.

 

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 | July 8, 2008
 McCain, Obama Court Influential Hispanic Voting Bloc Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama addressed Latino leaders Tuesday as both candidates seek the support of Hispanic voters. Campaign advisers discuss the appeals to this key voting bloc and weigh the power of the Hispanic electorate in battleground states.

     

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 | July 8, 2008
 Obama Reaches Out to Hispanic Voters Sen. Barack Obama spoke to the League of United Latino American Citizens in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday as Obama and his rival, Sen. John McCain, seek support from Hispanic voters. Following is Obama's speech, as prepared for delivery.

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 | July 8, 2008
 For Black Bloggers, Convention Latest in an Ongoing Fight to Be Heard The Democrats credentialed 120 bloggers for the party's convention in August, and it was hailed by many in the blogosphere as an unprecedented number. But soon after the first group of credentialed bloggers was announced, a group of black bloggers began charging that the selection process excluded bloggers of color.

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 | July 7, 2008
 Obama To Accept Nomination at 76,000-seat Denver Stadium Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., plans to make his Democratic National Convention speech on Aug. 28 at the 76,000-seat Invesco Stadium in Denver, rather than using the smaller Pepsi Center, where the rest of the party's convention will be held.

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 | July 7, 2008
 Obama, McCain Look West as Political Battlegrounds Shift Sen. Barack Obama hopes to win four Western states -- Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Montana -- in November, but Sen. John McCain is campaigning hard to hold on to the GOP strongholds. Pollsters offer insight.

     

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 | July 7, 2008
 Obama Opts to Accept Nomination at Denver Stadium Sen. Barack Obama will forgo the Democratic convention floor when he accepts the Democratic nomination in August, opting instead to speak at the 75,000-seat stadium of the Denver Broncos. A reporter from the Denver Post discusses the decision.

     

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 | July 4, 2008
 Reporter's Notebook: Judy Woodruff on Barack Obama's Iraq Strategy In a conversation with the NewsHour's Steve Goldbloom on Friday, NewsHour senior correspondent Judy Woodruff discussed likely Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama's most recent statements on Iraq, the Democratic Party's strategy to play in all 50 states and the death of Republican Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina.

 

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 | July 4, 2008
 Historians Weigh Role of Vice-Presidential Candidates As the race between presumptive nominees Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama continues to heat up, historians look to past races to weigh the advantages and disadvantages brought to a national ticket by a vice presidential candidate.

     

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 | July 4, 2008
 Analysts Consider Obama on Iraq, Legacy of Jesse Helms Columnist Mark Shields and Ramesh Ponnuru debate the potential impact of presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama's statements on Iraq and other news, including the death of former senator Jesse Helms.

     

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 | July 3, 2008
 McCain Shakes Up Staffing, Reacts to Colombia Hostage Rescue In a new campaign staffing shake-up, Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain promoted top adviser Steve Schmidt to head the campaign's staff. Schmidt will take over the day-to-day campaign management.

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 | July 3, 2008
 Obama, McCain Work to Highlight Views on Key Trade Policies With the economy a top campaign issue, presidential hopefuls Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama are working to shape their stances on international trade and free-trade policies. Analysts discuss the candidates' statements and the impact of trade policy shifts.

     

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 | July 1, 2008
 Reporter's Notebook: Gwen Ifill on How Campaigns Confront Rumors In a conversation with the NewsHour's Steve Goldbloom on Monday, Senior NewsHour Correspondent Gwen Ifill discussed how campaigns confront Internet rumors and whether patriotism is a legitimate campaign issue.

 

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 | July 1, 2008
 Shaheen Aims to Unseat First-term Senator Sununu Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, the former governor of New Hampshire, is aiming to cut short Republican John Sununu's Senate career after only one term this fall. The race will be a rematch of the state's 2002 Senate matchup, in which Shaheen lost by four points to Sununu, then a congressman.

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 | July 1, 2008
 Washington state May See Another Razor-thin Election Four years ago, 129 voters decided one of the closest elections in U.S. history in Washington State. Democrat Chris Gregoire eventually won the governor's mansion after two recounts extended the race 51 days beyond Election Day.

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 | July 1, 2008
 Profile: Barack Obama At the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, the party's presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry, tasked a little-known state legislator from Illinois named Barack Obama with delivering the party's keynote address.

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 | July 1, 2008
 Profile: John McCain Vietnam War veteran and four-term Arizona Sen. John McCain enters the 2008 presidential race as the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party with more than 40 years of political experience -- replete with both heroic accomplishments and bitter losses -- behind him.

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 | July 1, 2008
 Hurricanes' Impact May Play Role in La. Senate Race With its reputation as a swing state, Louisiana has set the stage for a competitive Senate race between incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu and her Republican competitor, State Treasurer John Kennedy.

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 | July 1, 2008
 Comedian Looks to Unseat Republican Senator in Minnesota In one of this year's more unusual high-profile political matchups, well-known satirist and former Saturday Night Live cast member Al Franken, a Democrat, is challenging incumbent Republican Norm Coleman for one of Minnesota's seats in the United States Senate.

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 | July 1, 2008
 In Appeal to Evangelicals, Obama Backs Expansion of Faith-based Programs Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama campaigns in the battleground state of Ohio Tuesday to announce plans to expand and overhaul President Bush's faith-based programs as part of his bid to appeal to evangelical voters and build his community service platform.

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 | July 1, 2008
 McCain Takes Campaign to Mexico and Colombia Sen. John McCain takes his campaign to Mexico and Colombia this week, where he'll tackle two key issues on many voters' minds: free trade and immigration. McCain was due to start the three-day trip Tuesday in Colombia.

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 | July 1, 2008
 Partisan Divisions Define N.C. Governor Race At first glance, the North Carolina gubernatorial race appears to be a sure bet for the Democrats: the last time the state elected a Republican governor was in 1988. But the 2008 race looks to be a tight one as Democrat Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and the seven-term GOP Charlotte mayor, Pat McCrory, square off for the seat.

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 | JUNE June 30, 2008
 Candidates Fight to Disprove Smears, Set Record Straight to Voters This presidential campaign is different than previous years - it's the first in which campaigns are forced to confront nearly constant Web attacks and rumors from both amateurs and organized partisans. Media experts discuss the trend.

     

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 | June 30, 2008
 Candidates Square Off Over Patriotism Remarks Both presidential candidates, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., addressed the issue of patriotism after Gen. Wesley Clark questioned McCain's qualifications. NewsHour correspondent Kwame Holman reports.

     

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 | June 27, 2008
 Shields, Brooks Take Up Campaign News, Court Rulings Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama campaigned with former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton at a rally Friday in Unity, N.H. and the Supreme Court issues a week of weighty decisions. Analysts Mark Shields and David Brooks examine the week's political news.

     

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 | June 27, 2008
 For Clinton and Obama, the Word of the Day is Unity It was day two of the Democratic Unity Tour, and Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama made their first public appearance together since Sen. Clinton dropped out of the presidential race earlier this month, leaving Sen. Obama as the party's presumptive nominee.

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