"Reed, Hagel to Join Obama on Iraq Trip"

The Trail (WaPo political blog):

Offering a few more details on his upcoming overseas trips, Sen. Barack Obama said yesterday that he would not insist on speaking at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, as German officials have raised concerns about a potential speech at that location.

"We have been trying to coordinate with the folks on the ground in terms of finding an appropriate site, but we didn't have a particular site in mind," he told reporters on his plane on the way to Chicago, although campaign officials also confirmed the Bradenburg Gate has been a location under consideration.

"I want to make sure that my message is heard, as opposed to creating a controversy, so our goal is jut for me to lay out how I think about the next administration's role in rebuilding our trans-Atlantic alliance, so I don't want the venue to be a distraction," Obama said. "What I want to do is just work with folks on the ground to find some place that is appropriate."

As for his planned to Iraq, Obama noted that not only would GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel join him, but so would another veteran, Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island. All three senators have called for reducing the number of troops in Iraq.

"They're both experts on foreign policy, they reflect I think a traditional bipartisan wisdom when it comes to foreign policy, neither of them are ideologues but they try to get the facts right and make a determination about what's best for U.S. interests and they're good guys," he said.

Howie P.S.: Anybody else wondering if they are vetting Reed, too?
Barack Obama