More and more conservatives — real conservatives — are abandoning John McCain. They respect his service to the nation. They revere him for his patriotism, his POW past, his willingness to break with party leaders to do what the country really needed at key moments.

This is very cool. Thanks to the blogger who did it.

(photo credit: Steven Clemons) I am participating in an excellent two day forum in Chicago organized by the Global Business Policy Council of A.T. Kearney. On Thursday, A.T.

This morning, long term Colin Powell aide and former State Department Chief of Staff Lawrence Wilkerson sent me a note seeming to downgrade the chance that General Powell might endorse Barack Obama (or John McCain). Wilkerson wrote: Steve: By the way, this is how I see tomorrow’s TV appearance.

Politico‘s Mike Allen and others think that Colin Powell “may” endorse Barack Obama this weekend on Meet the Press. Note the word “may.” I agree with Mike Allen that Powell may take this action — or may endorse John McCain. I queried General Powell on his intentions and on another matter.

I just taped a fun yet serious segment with Rachel Maddow a few moments ago on McCain’s Sarah Palin-like failure to vet “Joe the Plumber”. It should be on her show on the Air America network tonight.

My colleague Nir Rosen, who is also a contributor to The Washington Note, is quickly becoming the preeminent Robert Kaplan-esque chronicler of Islamist insurgencies and conflict. Rosen’s latest piece, “How We Lost the War We Won: A Journey Into Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan” appears in Rolling Stone.

Watch CBS Videos Online Seems to me, Joe the Plumber (aka, Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher) wants to be a Fox News host more than being a plumber anyway. Turns out the guy does not have a license to be a plumber. Well, you know. . .more government regulation. . .

There is one book that explains the Bush presidency just about better than any other I have read — and it hardly deals with Bush. It focuses on Vice President Cheney’s all-but-in-name presidency.

I saw a graphic like this recently — in which it showed all of the world except the U.S. in a “gray color” labeled “Supports Obama.” And then the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii were labeled “undecided.” Here is a new take at IftheWorldCouldVote.