They swerve towards idolatry, especially in Europe. But some still do vary.

Just after Barack Obama’s soaring speech today, UPI put out the headline “Obamania in Berlin.”

The next article I saw was the fawning International Herald Tribune.

Senator Barack Obama stood before a sea of people here
Thursday evening and issued a call for cooperation, imploring America
and Europe to bridge differences and rekindle old alliances in an
effort to restore global stability and better confront existing and
unforeseen threats.

The unprecedented visit has become messianic. Look at the photo on this article.

Then there’s this reminder of the voters in the States.

The significant news coverage Barack Obama is receiving
on his foreign trip has not translated into a bounce in his numbers, a
just-released FOX News poll shows. Obama now holds the slimmest
possible edge over John McCain, leading by just 41 percent - 40 percent
in a head-to-head contest. In fact, Obama’s support is down slightly
from his 45 percent - 41 percent advantage last month.

No. Really? This conquest of Europe didn’t cinch it for him?

There’s this wrinkle, that Europe doesn’t elect the American president.

The significant news coverage Barack Obama is receiving
on his foreign trip has not translated into a bounce in his numbers, a
just-released FOX News poll shows. Obama now holds the slimmest
possible edge over John McCain, leading by just 41 percent - 40 percent
in a head-to-head contest. In fact, Obama’s support is down slightly
from his 45 percent - 41 percent advantage last month.

Seems hard to believe this week.

Here’s another headline, an odd stand-alone one.

Sen. Barack Obama scrapped plans to visit wounded
members of the armed forces in Germany as part of his overseas trip, a
decision his spokesman said was made because the Democratic
presidential candidate thought it would be inappropriate on a
campaign-funded journey.

What?

Obama had been planning to go to Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center in Germany before a flight to Paris. Gibbs said
the stop was canceled because Obama decided “it would be inappropriate
to make a stop to visit troops at a U.S. military facility as part of a
trip funded by the campaign.”

Go figure.