NEWSWEEK: Media Lead Sheet/February 11, 2008 Issue (on newsstands Monday, February 4).

COVER: "Becoming McCain" (p. 24). Newsweek reports on GOP frontrunner John McCain and provides an in-depth look at his military career, which includes a 5-year-long detention as prisoner of war in Vietnam. The cover package also looks at how his background, family, struggles and accomplishments have influenced who he is today. In an interview with White House Correspondent Holly Bailey, McCain, whose campaign suffered an apparent meltdown early on, then came back to win the New Hampshire, South Carolina and the Florida primaries, said that "There are always difficulties in campaigns, and the successful campaigns are the ones that fix the problems ... I would hope that one of the lessons from this campaign is that you stick to what you believe in, you tell people the truth, you outcampaign your opponents, and even when you go through some very difficult times, you are steadfast." Cover:

JONATHAN ALTER: "Twilight of the Baby Boom" (p. 33). Senior Editor and Columnist Jonathan Alter looks at the boomer generation and asks how they will vote. Alter writes that the race for the Democratic nomination highlights differences between the Early Boomers and the Late Boomers which have little in common. One of the main differences within the generation, Alter points out is that the frame for boomers is wrong. "It's based on birthrates, not common cultural and political affinities." He adds "it's no surprise that Hillary Clinton (born 1947) would have a different generational identity than Barack Obama (born 1961)."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107583

SHARON BEGLEY: "When It's Head versus Heart, the Heart Wins" (p. 34). Senior Editor Sharon Begley writes that when we are deciding which candidate to support, anxiety, enthusiasm and whom we identify with count more than reason or logic. Begley writes that in general elections, many voters decide based on political party. The next criterion is candidates' positions on issues. But mostly, "when voters consider candidates' positions, they are drawn to the candidate who assuages fear, inspires hope, instills pride or brings some other emotional dividend. People are not dispassionate information-processing machines," she writes.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107601

AFGHANISTAN: "Afghan Prison Blues" (p. 42). South Asia Bureau Chief Ron Moreau reports that corrupt Afghan cops, judges and jailers are sabotaging the war effort in Afghanistan. While no official statistics are publicly available, hundreds of captured militants every year appear to be buying their way out of official custody. The Afghan government's National Directorate of Security spokesman Saeed Ansari denies that his directorate has ever taken payment for releasing prisoners. Nevertheless, sources in the U.S. and Afghan governments and inside the Taliban itself have told Newsweek that in Afghanistan's detention system, freedom is always up for sale.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107576

TERROR: "Enough Blame for All" (p. 45). Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff reports on the new book, "The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation," by New York Times reporter Philip Shenon. Shenon's account uncovers a far greater degree of behind-the-scenes political maneuvering, and bitter personal clashes, than most people associate with the 9/11 panel.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107492

THE MILITARY: "Where's The Respect?" (p. 46). Deputy Washington Bureau Chief Dan Ephron reports on the surprisingly few Medals of Honor that have been awarded to soldiers who have risked their lives in Iraq. Only three Iraq vets have received the Medal of Honor, compared with 245 GIs who fought in Vietnam and 464 in World War II. Pentagon officials say the disparity has to do with the nature of combat in Iraq: less face-to-face fighting and fewer occasions for valor. Iraq veterans, however, dispute this and point to the battles of 2004 and 2005 in Fallujah, Ramadi and elsewhere as examples of fighting that were as fierce as it gets in war. David Bellavia, a retired Army staff sergeant who spent more than a year in Iraq, says, "So many of our own guys are worthy and they've been completely ignored.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107585

BUSINESS: "Yahooligans at the Window" (p. 48). Senior Editor Steven Levy reports on Microsoft's $45 billion bid to buy Yahoo. This deal will potentially join two household names in technology, both with products that hundreds of millions access every day. The company Microsoft proposes to swallow is an online destination boasting more than 400 million registered users who visit its portal. Driving all this is the wild success of Google, which claims the lion's share of the $40 billion spent yearly in online advertising, a market slated to double in the next two years.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107671

THE ARTS: "Diversity Training" (p. 54). Assistant Editor Joshua Alston examines how Hollywood characters beat Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to the White House by a few decades and how these candidacies are forcing us to examine feelings about race, gender and power. Alston also ponders how the depictions of women or black presidents will change "once we've gone from 'what if' to 'what now?'"

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107572

"Lost in Translation" (p. 56). Senior Editor David Ansen writes that the Oscar's snubs to films such as "The Band's Visit" and "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days," "is further confirmation that the Academy's system for selecting foreign films is a longstanding joke." He adds that fixing the selection process will likely be an uphill battle. "Last year, in an attempt to reform the misbegotten system, a smaller, more informed committee was installed to choose the five Oscar nominees out of the nine. But this can work only if the volunteer committee doesn't eliminate the best movies to start with. Made up of roughly 400 Academy members (more than half of whom failed to see enough movies to qualify them to vote), the group tends to be top-heavy with retirees ... But as one committee member suggested, the real problem isn't seniority- these folks had the same bad taste at 30."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107579

"Mess O'Potamian Art" (p. 57). Baghdad Bureau Chief Larry Kaplow and Senior Editor Cathleen McGuigan report that with the terror of the insurgency, sectarian attacks and suicide bombings, the devastation of Iraq's museums and archeological sites has become a footnote in the ongoing violence and political crises. The Iraq Museum was sealed in 2006, out of safety concerns, but now that Baghdad is calmer, workers and scholars are repairing and renovating the interiors and cataloging and restoring artifacts-not only those damaged in the rampage but also those stolen from archeological sites and turned in to the authorities.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/107570

TIP SHEET: "Safaris for the Family" (p. 58). Correspondent Tara Weingarten offers suggestions for planning an African safari vacation. The list includes options for accommodations, travel and areas to visit.

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/tipsheet/default.aspx