SUNDAY ROUNDUP

Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) praise for President-elect Barack Obama’s transition draws acclaim from liberals today, while conservative bloggers wonder why McCain refused to endorse Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) for the 2012 race. Also, bloggers on both sides get a laugh after an Iraqi journalist throws his shoes at President Bush.

While McCain’s praise may not hold up over time, his defense of Obama is a positive sign that the president-elect may be able to accomplish an ambitious agenda in Congress, MyDD’s Jonathan Singer asserts. McCain’s bipartisanship talk has long been part of a strategy to cultivate his maverick image, d-day notes, but his self-interest could end up being an asset to Obama.

It would have been easy for McCain to throw Palin a bone without having to be committal, Hot Air’s Allahpundit argues, saying nothing’s changed since the election except for Palin’s usefulness to McCain. The Arizona Senator’s behavior serves as a reminder why many conservatives had to hold their nose to vote for him, Josh Painter blogs at RedState.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at the president was simply living out the dreams of the staffs at MSNBC and the New York Times editorial board, Michelle Malkin jokes. The journalist’s choice of talking of “dogs” and throwing his shoe–two of the most insulting symbols in Iraqi culture–should tell Americans about Bush’s reception, firedoglake’s