Josh Gerstein delineates the views and agenda of presidential hopeful Barack Obama, beyond his stance on the Iraq war.

The presumptive chair of the House International Relations Committee expects no "silver bullets" to emerge from the Baker commission's report on Iraq. But Rep. Tom Lantos hopes the forthcoming report it will be the basis for a bipartisan effort to change the nature of the U.S. involvement in Iraq.

USA Engage and the National Foreign Trade Council issued a report on the role that trade played in the 2006 midterm elections.

James M. Lindsay, an expert on Congress and American foreign policy, says in the aftermath of the Democratic Party victories in the midterm elections, many politicians are hoping that the “knight in shining armor” to rescue Iraq policy may lie in the special commission headed by former Secretary of State James Baker and former chairman of the House International Relations Committee, Lee Hamilton.

Polls continue to show Democrats regaining control of at least one house of Congress in the November 7 elections. If this happens, they could exercise greater oversight of executive bodies and trade policy, but they are not expected to press for sharp changes on Iraq.

Robert Kagan writes in the Washington Post about how a Democratic win in the 2006 midterm elections may not change U.S. foreign policy very much.

A Democratic Congress may decide not to renew President Bush’s fast track authority, which could dampen global free trade efforts and lead to greater U.S. protectionism.

Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) reflects on U.S. foreign and domestic policy in a meeting with CFR members.

Senator Joseph Biden reasserts the importance of his plan for decentralizing Iraq, giving Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis their own regions and a stake in a national government.  

Americans voting in midterm elections appear to be more focused than ever on foreign policy issues, creating a scramble during this waning session of Congress for the correct posture on issues ranging from national security to immigration.

The war in Iraq is a divisive issue not only between Democrats and Republicans but also among Democrats themselves. Their ability to offer a viable alternate strategy on Iraq may decide whether they win control of Congress. 

Doulgas Holtz-Eakin testifies on the possibility of incroproting dynamic estimation into the analysis of legislative proposals in order to measure the macroecomic impacts of spending and tax legislation.