Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) announced the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) as his running mate Friday. As governor and as a small-town mayor before that, Palin has not had the occasion to vote or speak on many foreign policy matters, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Russia-Georgia conflict or U.S. relations with Iran and Pakistan. Her positions on these issues are largely unknown.

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In his speech closing the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) accepted his party’s nomination with a speech that focused on improving the U.S. economy and bolstering the fortunes of the American middle class. Obama called it “one of those defining moments-a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened.”

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Republicans released a draft of their party’s 2008 platform (WashPost) ahead of next week’s Republican National Convention in Minnesota, according to several news reports.  The Washington Post says the draft breaks with Sen. John McCain’s proposed policies in several areas.

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DENVER- The U.S. presidential race has sparked intense interest abroad; so much so, that a recent Pew poll found majorities of citizens in several countries are watching the contest closely. But the nature of that interest differs from place to place. Some nations feel they have something at stake and are therefore watching certain issues, while others are simply intrigued by the spectacle of the drawn out electoral process. In a new interview, CFR.org asks foreign reporters at the DNC to discuss the issues that matter most to their readers back home.

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Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was named the Democratic Party’s official presidential nominee (Reuters) Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention. He will officially accept the nomination tonight.

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DENVER — As Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE), Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) running mate, prepares to take center stage here, questions swirl around his most prominent contribution to the Iraq debate: the plan for a federalized Iraqi state he proposed in May 2006 jointly with CFR President Emeritus Leslie H. Gelb. 

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DENVER — National Security Day kicked off in Denver Wednesday, with delegates looking forward to speeches from former Vice President Al Gore, former President Bill Clinton, and Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) vice presidential selection, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE), among others. Just outside the high-security zone around the Pepsi Center, CFR co-sponsored a roundtable discussion moderated by NBC News Special Correspondent Tom Brokaw on the international issues facing the United States.

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National security will be today’s theme at the Democratic National Convention, a day after former presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) called for party unity around the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). Vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) and former President Bill Clinton will speak to the convention this evening.

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DENVER–There’s no question that speeches by Democratic dignitaries, especially Barack Obama’s address Thursday night, constitute the main event here at the DNC. Yet security has become a formidable side show. The federal government devoted $50 million to bolster the security effort here and will match that in Minnesota next week. So what does $50 million buy? The AP has an itemized list, but as far as those attending the nightly proceedings are concerned, it still adds up to long lines; the queue for the security checkpoint stretched the length of two or three city blocks each of the first two evenings. Considering the airport-style security being imposed, the line moves with surprising efficiency. Police, Secret Service, and TSA officials operate metal detectors, x-rays, and conduct manual bag searches, though no one is asked to remove their shoes.

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“I condemn Russia’s decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states and call upon all countries of the world not to accord any legitimacy to this action.

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