Battle Of The Joes

Breaking from my no-writing-from-press-releases rule, I do think that the Center for U.S. Global Engagement is a Bill and Melinda Foundation project that's worth keeping an eye on. Their election play is called Impact '08, chaired by Reagan Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci and Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Next Tuesday in Washington,the group plans to release a national poll of military officers' attitudes toward global engagement. Given the Weltanschauung of the group, I'd expect that their polling (conducted by Bill McInturff, who also polls for John McCain, and Geoff Garin, who was a strategist to Sen. Hillary Clinton), shows a hightened desire among military officers to use non-military tools. Sen. Joe Lieberman will speak at the event as McCain's surrogate; Sen. Joe Biden will speak as Obama's surrogate... so expect a battle of the Joes.

Ex-Sen. John Edwards, he of newly rediscovered vice presidential fire in the belly, will give the keynote on America and global poverty.