MORNING READ

Barack Obama’s latest national security proposal reflects his inexperience, according to his conservative critics online. Obama, however, is making inroads among evangelicals who had been Republicans, a liberal blogger notes. And Netroots Nation, the liberal blogger conference, has begun with hearty ovations for two of the movement’s champions, according to a convention liveblog.

Obama’s call for a ‘civilian national security force’ has Townhall’s Carol Platt Liebau envisioning a group of Peace Corps types armed with brooms and shovels. Obama, who called for the force to be “just as strong, just as well-funded” as the military, regularly makes “off-the-cuff” remarks that show his lack of experience, writes Townhall’s Hugh Hewitt. Obama’s campaign is being a bit “over the top” with its push back against a Washington State Republican Party video of proud Americans who disagree with Michelle Obama’s “for the first time” remark, according to The Corner’s Byron York, who finds the video positive.

But Republicans may need to worry about votes of evangelicals, who aren’t enthralled with John McCain and have noted that Obama is campaigning in evangelical centers, including Zanesville, Ohio, writes The Plank’s Christopher Orr. An evangelical reader e-mails The Corner’s Kathryn Jean Lopez to say that his voting demographic is changing and wouldn’t necessarily support former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) if McCain put him on the Republican ticket.

Netroots Nation kicked off in Austin, Texas on Thursday with a speech by retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who was cheered by the audience for questioning the relevance of McCain’s military record to the White House race, notes Todd Beeton at MyDD. Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean thanked the crowd for fueling his 2004 presidential campaign and saying that the torch had been passed to the online activists, Beeton writes. But the narrative of the convention, in its third year, is one of impatience and even a “hint of desperation,” as the Bush administration has continued to abuse power and Democrats have failed to achieve their goals in Congress, writes Daily Kos’s Hunter.

FROM OTHER BLOGS:
A ‘Civilian National Security Force’? – Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall
Cost and Future Scarcity of Electricity – Hugh Hewitt, Townhall
Ugly, Vicious Proud-of-My-Country Attacks – Byron York, The Corner
A Tale of Two Campaigns – Christopher Orr, The Plank
McCain-Huckabee ’08 – Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
McCain Isn’t Funny, Stop Encouraging Him – B. Cesca, HuffPo
Welcome to Netroots Nation – Hunter, Daily Kos
Netroots Nation Liveblog – Todd Beeton, MyDD
Three Innovative GOP Congress Candidates – P. Ruffini, Next Right
Woman W/ 14% Approval: Bush is Total Failure – Allahpundit, Hot Air
McCain: Obama Extremist and Possibly a Socialist – J. Marshall, TPM
McCain Presents: ‘Obama Iraq Documentary’ – Allahpundit, Hot Air
For Obama, Who’s Being Vetted? – Marc Ambinder

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama’s Fundraising Roars to Life – Los Angeles Times
Talks Signal Mideast Shift – New York Times
Democrats and GOP Battle Over Oil Exploration – Wall Street Journal
Mortgage Giant Freddie Mac Considers Major Stock Sale – WSJ