COME HOME ALREADY - AT 8:37 A.M. ET:  The president is about to return to Washington from his tour of Europe, where he was treated like a rock star.  Unlike rock stars, though, he didn't bring home much from the tour.  He did, however, leave a number of apologies for the United States and he demonstrated what groveling, when practiced by a pro, could be like. 

Here's a late gem from the president, currently in Turkey, as reported by The New York Times:

“I am personally committed to a new chapter in American engagement,” Mr. Obama told the students, who sat in a tight circle around him. “We can’t afford to talk past one another and focus only on our differences, or to let the walls of mistrust go up around us.”

Setting out his perspective on America’s relationship with the Islamic world, Mr. Obama told the Turkish Parliament on Monday that: “America’s relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot and will not just be based upon opposition to terrorism,” he said. “We seek broader engagement based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.”

COMMENT:  When precisely was this not the case?  Right after the 9-11 attacks, President Bush went to a mosque to show respect and draw a distinction between Islam and radical Islam.  The press now chooses not to remember. 

April 7, 2009