"Responding to an Israeli reporter’s question Wednesday on his commitment to protect the Jewish state, Barack Obama pointed to a bill 'we passed' in the U.S. Senate Banking Committee that tightens sanctions and authorizes divestment from Iran. “My committee,” he called it.

Except that he isn’t a member of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs."

"Less than 24 hours before a scheduled meeting between John McCain and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, the state Republican party released polling revealing Jindal to be immensely popular in the state -- a less-than-subtle attempt to play into chatter surrounding the governor's vice presidential prospects.

The poll, which was conducted July 14-15 by Wes Anderson and his firm OnMessage Inc., showed that 69 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of Jindal as compared to just 18 percent who were unfavorably disposed toward the governor.

In his memo on the data, Anderson, who is also Jindal's pollster, writes: "Governor Jindal has obviously come out of his recent dustups with the legislature in a commanding position where he retains overwhelming support from the voters of Louisiana."

"As he traveled east on K Street, crossing 18th, Bono said a 'black Corvette convertible with top closed plowed into the guy. The guy is sort of splayed onto the windshield'."

"Those who have worked with him before say the McCain campaign should steel itself. 'The nostrils would flare, he would get very red-faced and angry, and you would just want to quit,' Kevin Madden, a Bush war-room colleague, says. He also says he always learned something from Mr. Schmidt: “It was the learning part that would always make you forget the part where you basically wanted to crash a chair over his head.”

Mr. Schmidt’s intense approach matches the man. Two colleagues say that when Mr. Schmidt gets really angry, his nose bleeds, though Mr. Schmidt denies it. Sometimes he stares at a questioner for several moments while forming a response. Then words stream out of his mouth at a steady clip, in a distinct New Jersey accent."

Eintrittskarten warden nicht benotigt means “Entrance tickets not necessary.”

Diese veranstaltung ist kostenlos und fur die offentlichkeit frei zuganglich means “This is free and open to the public”

Also, he asks people to use public transport.

One additional point—Obama requires attendees of all rallies in the US to get tickets, and there have obviously been suggestions that that means that people who are not fervent Obama supporters are excluded.  But he’s OK with letting anyone (literally, any random dude off the street) into his rally in Germany?

So, if you’re a German who might be interested in hearing Obama speak, in person, even if you don’t agree with him, you’re good to go.  If you’re an American, who could next year be represented by him as president, who wants to hear him speak and doesn’t quite agree with him, you’re out of luck.

Does that suggest he’s more concerned with openness and transparency with Germans than he is Americans?  Isn’t that pretty lame for the guy who likes to talk so much about openness and transparency and who, presumably, is running to represent all Americans?

Update:  Erick Erickson has a very thoughtful post on this.

And Reuters' Jon Decker has this:

"According the Rasmussen Reports survey, the belief among voters that reporters are trying to help Barack Obama win the fall campaign has grown over the past month by five percentage points to 49 percent. About 14 percent believe reporters favor John McCain."

Last night, I attended a terrific little book reception for Iain Murray, author of "The Really Inconvenient Truths" -- a book which pokes holes in environmentalist movement dogma.  The event took place on the rooftop garden of Christian Josi, one of the event organizers.  Josi says of the book, "It’s one of my all-time favorite books by one of my all-time favorite people."

Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) -- a champion on this issue -- was kind enough to attend -- and introduce Murray.  Inhofe was unstaffed, and actually drove himself to the event, which took place in Old Town Alexandria, VA. 

Murray's remarks were brief and witty.  His British accent would probably make him sound erudite were he to merely read the phone book -- but his analysis is well reasoned and compelling. 

Last night's talk focused primarily on the harm radical environmentalism has caused.  From wildfires in California, to eliminating d.d.t. -- the best control for Malaria in Africa -- adherence to radical environmentalism has led to dire, if unintended -- consequences.  Anyone interested in this topic would be well-served to read Murray's book.

Over at the WaPost, Jose Antonio Vargas has a good profile of GOP internet guru Cyrus Krohn.  Here's the money quote:

"The use of TV in campaigns is kind of like our dependency on foreign oil. We know we have to get off it. We know we need to find alternative energy sources. But we keep on going back to the pump," Krohn continues. "Fact is, we need to develop a higher degree of comfort with allocating media dollars to the Web."

Prince of Darkness tells Fox News Channel: His report about McCain announcing his running mate this week may have been “a dodge” by the campaign to grab some headlines from Obama.

The conservative columnist goes on to say he’d gotten the tip from a “very senior McCain aide” and that the campaign “suggested I put it out” so he posted something online.

Watch the video.  My favorite line is: "I just put something up on the internet..."

In fairness, it is reprehensible for a campaign to leak false information to this venerable and friendly reporter, knowing he would end up with egg on his face.  Novak did what most reporters would have done.  Reporters looking to break stories are likely to believe a rumor if it comes from a trustworthy source who has time and again proven himself to be reliable.  And under those circumstances, most reporters will run with a story -- especially if it's a "scoop".   Remember, in this new media world, time is of the essense.  If you don't break the story, someone else will!

Of course, sometimes they get it wrong.  For example, it was a highly reliable source that allowed me to correct Novak's prediction that Romney would deliver a "Mormon speech" after Iowa.  My source was right; his source was wrong.  The speech did happen (as he predicted), but it happened before Iowa.

On the other hand, I do get tired of seeing some bloggers, pundits and reporters get publicity by pushing stories that I know are false.  Pundits are rarely -- if ever -- punished for bogus predictions.  In fact, nobody ever bothers to bring up even the most audacious examples.  For example, whatever happened to the guy who was so sure Condi Rice wanted to be VP?  As you may recall, I told you it was bogus from day one ...