The Washington Post looks at the renewed focus on Iraq in the presidential campaign.

A new poll from Pew shows voters split between Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) in terms of who they believe will do a better job handling the war. The survey shows 46 percent believe McCain would make “wise decisions” on the issue while 43 percent favor Obama.

Energy: Efforts to expand the use of clean coal, which all three presidential candidates say they support, are lagging largely due to high costs, the New York Times reports.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) again addressed his views on diplomacy on Wednesday. The New York Times reported Obama stressed “the difference between avoiding preconditions for talks with nations like Iran and Syria, and granting them automatic discussions at the presidential level.” Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Obama also said it would be “premature” to reopen the U.S. embassy in Tehran.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said Wednesday he continues to support building a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. But, he said, the United States should reprocess spent fuel and create an international repository (AP).

Democratic candidates have been focusing on the Native American vote in recent days, Politico reports. In a press release on Wednesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) called for better recognition of Native American veterans.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) delivered a speech that called for a binding accord with Russia on nuclear disarmament. He also said he would reconsider his past opposition to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

The campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) released a statement emphasizing what it says is his leadership on nuclear nonproliferation issues.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), in her response to the McCain speech, said in a statement she would implement a policy of “vigorous diplomacy with Iran to stop its nuclear program.” She also said she would support the ratification of the CTBT, and negotiate “deep and verifiable reductions in nuclear weapons” with Russia.

All three presidential candidates will issue a joint statement on the crisis in Darfur on Wednesday. “Today, we wish to make clear to the Sudanese government that on this moral issue of tremendous importance, there is no divide between us,” the statement will say. The statement does not call for any specific legislative action, according to the New York Times.

In a column published Monday, former Cuban President Fidel Castro criticized Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) May 23 speech in which he called for “justice for Cuba’s political prisoners, the rights of free speech, a free press and freedom of assembly” and “elections that are free and fair.” Obama said he would maintain the U.S. embargo on Cuba but open up contacts in other areas.

Speaking at a Cuban community center in Puerto Rico on Sunday, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) said she would “redouble our efforts to support civil society” in Cuba if elected.

The Libertarian Party nominated former Republican representative Bob Barr (AP) to be its presidential candidate on Sunday. Barr has spoken against possible war with Iran, and has been an adamant critic of the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping efforts.

In a town hall meeting in Boca Raton, Florida, on Thursday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said he would not negotiate with Hamas or Hezbollah unless they “renounce terror, recognize Israel’s right to exist, and abide by past agreements.”

Both Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) returned to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to vote in favor of a war-funding bill (WashPost) that expands education benefits for veterans. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) did not attend the vote, and opposes the bill because, he says, it could reduce military retention rates. The bill passed.

Clinton on Thursday voted to override President Bush’s veto of the Farm Bill. Obama did not vote. McCain was not present (Reuters) for the vote, but has expressed support for Bush’s veto.