Though the president prefaced things by saying he intended to "lay out ... our battle plan," actually, aside from a few minor details most everyone already knew, the speech was vague and defensive at best, ill-informed at worst.

He was in rare form while addressing the convention-goers in New York...

President Barack Obama visits the cradle of civilization to deliver a new-school public address aimed at changing the tone in relations between the Middle East and the West. Look for him to put something new on the bargaining table: respect.

The GOP chairman is all swagger and no substance these days. It may play well for the Republican powers that be, but not to those he claims to be reaching out to.