International News

Obama's only been in office a few months in a steep depression but the ideological right already sees socialism here. For a little reality check, here's a chart from Conor Clarke of government control of the economy (click the link for the details):

Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2, leading pollsters and political experts have scheduled a teleconference to discuss the findings and implications of a series of recent polls and focus groups on immigration reform. Pollsters Pete Brodnitz of Benenson Strategy Group and Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners will join immigration and political experts Simon Rosenberg, President, NDN, and Frank Sharry, Executive Director, America's Voice, on a teleconference call to analyze American voters' attitudes toward tackling comprehesive immigration reform this year.

Tomorrow's teleconference call comes in advance of President Barack Obama's June 8 meeting with congresional leaders to discuss immigration reform. Meanwhile, as the research from Benenson Strategy Group and Lake Research Partners shows, the American people want a solution to the nation's broken immigration system, even during a down economy, and are frustrated with Washington's inaction and want policymakers to tackle this critical issue.

The conference call is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET tomorrow. The dial-in number is 800-862-9098. The passcode is 7REFORM.

Jon Cohn sees an increased Obama emphasis on cost-controls in healthcare reform. Ezra seconds:

by Mark Silva

As President Barack Obama prepares to depart Tuesday for a trip that will carry him from Saudi Arabia to France -- with an address to the Muslim world from Cairo in the middle of the journey -- he is starting to aim his megaphone at a global audience.

In an interview with the BBC on the eve of the trip, the president was asked about delivering his appeal for peace to the Muslim world from a city, Cairo, where many political prisoners are being held, and how he can reconcile the two.

"The message I hope to deliver is that democracy, rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of religion those are not simply principles of the West to be hoisted on these countries, but rather what I believe to be universal principles that they can embrace and affirm as part of their national identity,'' Obama said in an interview airing this evening.

"Now, the danger, I think, is when the United States or any country thinks that we can simply can impose these values on another country with a different history and a different culture .. our job,'' Obama tells BBC interviewer Justin Webb.

"Absolutely we'll be encouraging ......and I think the thing that we can do most importantly is to serve as a role model, and that's why, for example, closing Guantanamo from my perspective -- as difficult as it is -- is important, because part of what we want to affirm to the world is that these are values that are important even when it's hard, maybe especially when it's hard -- and not just when it's easy."

Part of the interivew will be broadcast on BBC World News and BBC World Service radio at 9 pm United Kingdom time, and the full interview will air on Tuesday a 04:30 am UK time. The BBC Obama interview also will be shown online.

The president leaves Tuesday evening for Saudi Arabia, where he will hold private meetings with the king before traveling to Cairo for his public address on Thursday, and then on to Dresden, Germany, for a visit to the Buchenwald concentration camp, and finally to Paris for commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Normandy landing.