Stay-at-home' Barack Obama comes under fire for a lack of foreign experience

[ccpup]

Mr Obama’s visit to London in August 2005 was a one-day stopover when he returned from a trip to Russia with other senators on the Foreign Relations Committee and met Mr Blair in Downing Street.

Denis MacShane, a Minister for Europe in Mr Blair’s Government, said he had been troubled by comments Mr Obama had made on the Middle East peace process and the prospect of military action in Pakistan. He added: “A lot of people are concerned that international policy is not his strongest suit, just as it was not with George Bush in 2000.

Mr Obama also met Mr Blair twice in Washington, and Nicolas Sarkozy, then the French Interior Minister. But anecdotes are circulating in Washington about how he has turned down requests from other visiting foreign dignitaries, such as an Italian opposition leader who was told that the senator was in “presidential mode” and only seeing leaders of countries.

more at link:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3080794.ece

[Avalux]

1. LOL - Bush never traveled outside the country before seizing the presidency.

No one seemed to care too much about that. What a bullshit article.

[NewHampster]

2. We cared about Shrub's lack of foriegn experience

But I guess that only matters for rethugs.

[Avalux]

9. Yes we did, but I don't remember the media drawing attention to it.

:hi:

[ccpup]

4. actually, I think he traveled with his father occasionally

when he was head of the CIA. And hadn't he been to Mexico or something?

[zulchzulu]

3. Oh..except Obama has been to Africa, Mideast, Europe, Asia and lived in foreign lands

Yeah...that...

Quoting Blair's lackey on the Mideast Peace process and Musharaff's inept leadership to bash Obama was funny though...thanks for the laugh.

:rofl:

[ccpup]

5. but, according to Those Who Hate Hillary,

traveling to a foreign land and meeting the people who live and work there DOES NOT count as Foreign Policy experience.

What else ya got?

[zulchzulu]

21. Oh... well there's this...

"U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) will begin a trip to visit nuclear and biological weapons destruction sites in Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-IN)."

http://obama.senate.gov/press/050823-obama_to_visit/

"Obama's trip to South Africa, Kenya, Djibouti and Chad..."
http://www.suntimes.com/special_sections/africa_obama_sweet/news/cst-nws-sweetside28.html


More on his travels while on the SFRC :
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/strengtheningamerica/

Obama has been all over the World on his own as well as while on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...

[William769]

6. When he was 12?

:rofl:

[ccpup]

7. hey, when you got nothing

you gotta try and convince people you got "something", you know?

[desi]

24. I Need to do some research.

"Oh..except Obama has been to Africa, Mideast, Europe, Asia and lived in foreign lands."

When he was 12 was Hawaii a "foreign land" then :shrug: :rofl:

[napi21]

8. It's a mistake to even state that Shrub had no exp. in foreign relations. NOBODY wants

someone like HIM again in the Oval Office! I would think it would suffice to say that Obama had met many foreign leaders, but in addition to that, he will name people to his Cabinet and as VP that will strengthen his administration. No one person can be excellent in every area of expertiese required to run a Country, the same as no CEo is excellent in everything needed to run a Corp. The good ones surround themselves with people who DO have expertiese in specific areas where they are a bit weaker. They DO NOT surround themselves with "buddies" and contributors just to be a good guy!

[ccpup]

12. WHO has Obama met?

and when was this? And how do we know who anyone will put in their Cabinet?

I don't want people put in there to strengthen someone's ability to do this job. I want those in the Cabinet to work with those qualities the newly elected President already has through a lifetime of real experience!

You're right that no one person can have every quality, but missing out on Foreign Policy -- and having made no discernible effort since being elected to the US Senate to correct that -- is a pretty big one to have "helped along" by someone else you appoint to, you know, help you out.

The idea that Obama will put good people in his Cabinet to make up for his weaknesses is not exactly the kind of argument -- with his already thin resume -- I think he wants to make.

[GodlessBiker]

10. How much foreign experience did Bill Clinton have?

[suston96]

11. Bill Clinton "foreign experience"? How's about he was a Rhodes Scholar...?

[GodlessBiker]

14. Ah, yes, a student at Oxford.

[desi]

25. Yes a Rhodes Scholar

but have you already forgotten the radical right making a fuss of his going to Moscow?

[DURHAM D]

13. Is that one day stop over in London -

how he developed his views on their cuisine?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. If McCain is his opponent

....yikes I shudder to even think about it.

[killbotfactory]

16. Yes, the only candidate with a chance of winning who opposed this dumb ass fucking war

which other democrats went along with due to political cowardice or serious misjudgment, is a threat to mid-east peace.

Much better to go with someone who has already fucked up mid-east peace.

What a gigantic load of bullshit.

[annie1]

17. Ruh-oh. Didn't that statement sound exactly like Hillary's? that sounds shady to me.

[burythehatchet]

18. Whenever I see an odd attack like this, I know its being directed

by Queen Hillary

[ccpup]

26. yes, you're on to our nefarious plan

she called me this morning and it was her TOP PRIORITY that I start this Thread on DU.

Damn! Now what do we do?

:sarcasm: for the :sarcasm: challenged

[Vickers]

19. Comparing Obama to Bush?

:rofl:

[Vinca]

20. Obama, to his credit, is intelligent enough to surround himself with

wise advisors. This sounds like a Hillary attack . . . again.

[oasis]

23. Oprah is of his "wise advisors". She gave him his worst piece of advice.

"Why not run for president?":dunce:

[Vinca]

27. Last time I checked, Oprah had done pretty well for herself.

It's curious to note that Obama has surrounded himself with former Clinton advisors. That, of course, begs the question why aren't they lining up behind Hillary?

[oasis]

28. The "former Clinton advisors" are gambling that they would get a top spot

in an Obama Administration as opposed to a minor role in Hillary's.

Hillary has retained all the heavy hitters that she needs to succeed.

[Vinca]

29. You have no idea how impressed I am with "advisors" who

trot out the old Muslim - booga, booga, booga - meme.

[oasis]

31. Just maybe, Hillary's team will impress voters other than you.

I think so. :think:

[killbotfactory]

32. Right, she'll have the same damn people in power that Bill had

but it's NOT a political dynasty, and don't let anyone tell you different.

[Clintonista2]

22. But..but.. didn't Obama go to another country once?

I thought that was his experience? :shrug:

[CyberPieHole]

30. Obama was in "presidential mode"??? THAT has to be a joke, right?

"President" of what? Burger World?

:rofl:

:kick: and recommend

[Lucinda]

33. Really good info...the whole article is worth a read!