The Absurd Report

When Barack Obama departs this weekend for his much-heralded trip to Europe and the Middle East, he will be joined by the glitterati of US political journalism.

All three anchors of the main nightly news programmes on US television are expected to be on the trip, together with star reporters of leading newspapers and magazines.

The media frenzy contrasts with the subdued coverage of John McCain’s three international trips since securing the Republican presidential nomination.

When Mr McCain visited Mexico and Colombia this month some leading US news organisations did not even send correspondents.

Conservatives have cited the disparity as evidence of a media love affair with Mr Obama that could give the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a crucial advantage in November’s election.

“There has never been a greater imbalance in coverage of two presidential candidates,” says Brent Bozell, head of the Media Research Center, which monitors alleged liberal bias in the US media. “For the media, this is not a campaign. It’s a coronation.”

A search of big US newspapers since the presidential campaign became a two-man race last month shows there have been nearly twice as many headlines about Mr Obama as Mr McCain.

Read more from FT.com

Commentary by Neal Boortz

Just be ready. Toward the end of this week Obama will hit Berlin. Then it’s off to France and Great Britain. Just wait until you see the crowds. You’re going to think that a Beatles reunion has become a reality – including the dead ones.

As you watch the mania being beamed back from Europe, I ask you to remember one important thing. Not too many months ago the Pew Research Center – and these are people with great expertise in European polling – said that 58% of all Europeans want to see the United States weakened. Now think about that for a minute. Do you want the United States to be weakened?

It’s not surprising that Europeans might want that. After all, a weaker United States might well mean a stronger Europe in international affairs and economic influence. That might be great for Europe, and we can understand Europeans wanting to bring this about. But when these Europeans start falling all over themselves during the Obama 2008 tour, try to remember what their goals really are. Are they slobbering all over Obama because they think he will be a wonderful and powerful world leader, or because they think that Barack Obama is the means to their desired end … a weakened America.

Larry, Curly and Moe