Political Punch

It all sounds very innocent, "a college trip to Pakistan".

Pakistan was in turmoil in 1981 and ruled of martial law. Millions of Afghan refugees were living in Pakistan, while the Afghan Mujahedeen operated from bases inside Pakistan in their war with the Soviets. One of the leaders that based his operation in Quetta, Pakistan was Usama Bin Laden (The Sheik).

Pakistan was on the banned travel list for US Citizens at the time and all non-Muslim visitors were not welcome unless sponsored by their embassy for official business.

The would be only a few reasons a young Westerner of the Muslim faith would travel to Pakistan in 1981:

To Participate in Jihad, which is the duty of every "True Believer".

For religious education in a Wahabbi sect, Saudi funded, Madrassa.

In order to purchase drugs from the drug marketplace.

Pakistan was not a tourist stop nor the place to hang out with someone's family in 1981.

heres a good one, while HRC is blasting Obama on his remarks she does a little oops of her own:
"If we are striving to bring people together — and I believe we should be — I don’t think it helps to divide our country into one America that is enlightened and one that is not"
Odd that she would use those words isn't it?

i'm from karachi. i want names.

I lived in another country from the ages of 4-12, I have relatives in other countries, I've visited at least 5 other countries. I think that may qualify me to be Ruler of the World!!

The more I find out about this guy, the more scared I get about this country's future if he's elected. I can't believe the way the media is pouring the koolaid and so many are drinking it hook, line and sinker. People - think for yourselves. We know nothing about this guy. I was watching Bob the Buildier with my son last night and who knew Obama stole his slogan YES WE CAN! He's an arrogant phony

Did you ask if he attended a terrorist training camp?

I spent a few months in Europe in my 20s - can I be the Queen of England?!

For me what is more important is to look at the facts and analyze objectively. I still do not understand how anyone voted for the US to invade Iraq when the facts were looked at. In that Obama has Clinton and McCain beat.

After NO Foreign policy knowledge Bush anyone would be better.

I cannot help but wonder whether he and his wife are true patriots. I have not "ever" wondered whether any other leading contenders for our president have been patriotic. Does anyone have a picture of him saying the allegiance to the American flag--if so, can you please publish it? He has no substance and I am truly worried that he could become the president of our United States of America.

"Jackie" said, " . . . as well as being involved in negotiations in many "hot spots" like Ireland where no one denies she was instrumental in uniting women from both factions." Uh, I and the Irish people involved in the negotiations deny that she was instrumental. She hosted one meeting -- sort of a tea.

I think the important thing is that his experience in distant country is not the rarified meeting and photo op with the powerful, but a chance to live with (even for only three weeks, in the case of Pakistan) other people to cumulatively understand their needs and motivations. Other countries' leaders often spend a great deal of time as young people going to school in other countries. Ours don't. So, what we end up with is leaders who substitute American high-handed desires (or at least those of its largest corporations) for what the world finds acceptable, which is one reason why Bush burned through our affinity "capital" so quickly after 9/11. Obama understands that starting wars and dropping bombs isn't "just fine" just because it's little brown people who are on the receiving end of American ordnance.

did obama have visas for these countries he visited?

what nation's passport did he travel on.

this was when obama left occidental college because he wanted to be a dentist and thought it was a dental school. occi-DENTAL!

I think Obama has reached a point where he believes he can say anything and no one will question it.

As First Lady Hillary Clinton played a major role as ambassador for the President as well as being involved in negotiations in many "hot spots" like Ireland where no one denies she was instrumental in uniting women from both factions.

Obama's college trip is not experience...His time in Indonesia as a toddler does not assure he knows the people there.

Is Jake Tapper the only one in the media that will mention this? Because how sad is this. If Hillary brings it up she will be accused of attacking Obama....and in the text of this little talk, as always, he is hammering her.

So exactly what is it about being first lady that does not count as experience? The whole attitude that 4 years representing America and meeting with world leaders is not experience surely smacks of sexism!

Obama's aggorance is wearing thin.

I have read from the Clinton supporters.Its easy to tell that they are full of lying wonders like their candiate of choice.Really who's unelectable or electable?

I have been to Jamaica 3 times! Count them - 3! I should immediately be appointed Ambassador to Jamaica!

So Obama stayed in Pakistan for three weeks...that DOES NOT qualify him in the area of foreign policy. I have been to Moscow and stayed there for three weeks before journeying on to the Urals. Does this make me an "expert" on Russia? Hardly!!!!

I traveled around the world for 7 yrs on business for my Fortune 100 Health Care manufacturer. I spent 2 weeks in Karachi, does that make me almost as qualified as Obama? He is arrogant and insane to try to peddle that crap.

@ outsider

Obama started off saying he was confident in his FOREIGN POLICY experience ("Foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain"). He then proceeded to talk about his visit to Pakistan.

SO WHAT? I visited and lived in several foreign countries, too. Does that mean I understand foreign policy better than someone who may have spent less time but has had actual interaction and policy discussions with those countries' leaders? And with the leaders of 80 countries?

If 3 weeks in Pakistan is the extent of Obama's foreign policy credentials, then I am way more qualified on the "foreign policy" front.

My point is that Obama's claim is ridiculous. Better that he stick to his "better judgement" mantra, since the "3 weeks abroad = foreign policy experience" is just pathetically weak.

EEVO wrote that a whole summer in another country gives him more foreign policy experience than Barack Obama.....If you are registered in all 50 states and are running (now or in the future, although I doubt it) for president, I think you should proudly highlight any areas where you can beat Obama and the others.....otherwise, try to understand that Obama did not say he has more Foreign Policy Experice....just that he understands foreign cultures better.

To all Hillary-heads,

They only understand emotion, you have to go to our official website (of which you have to get the password from me, the president of the group) so that I can supply you with the Trans-babrack-olator. Then your words will be filled with tones of emotion, hope, unity, and the idea of this intangible transformation of all the worlds people. And wwhn you speak you will be able to relate to them in a way that make them believe that you are a part of this mystical WE that they speak about so often. It's effective and it's our last hope to save these people from a catastrophy that hints to be greater (though hopefully not in lives) as that of the guyana tragedy.

So if I spent a WHOLE summer abroad in college, does that mean I have as much foreign policy experience as Barack Obama?

I mean, forget the "policy" part, right? I've LIVED in a foreign country (for 12 WHOLE weeks). I even have relatives living abroad and visited them and everything. So, like, I totally KNOW foreign policy, y'all.

VOTE FOR ME 2012.

To wanakee....

Don't forget during one of the 1st debates he said "I ask my staff member to hand me paper until two seconds before I need it because I will lose it"

See for yourself here - http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jan/15/debate-transcript/

Mr.Tapper,

GREAT POST!...

BTW to the Obama supporters: Are you guys living in the Twilight zone??

Obama uses his 3 week trip as part of his resume for his FOREIGN EXPERIENCE??

Is OBAMA qualified to be president? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

If this were April Fool's Day, I'd be sure this was a joke. Unfortunately, this is classic Obama; a Legend in His Own Mind. I hate to bring up the 37 bowling score but think about this: this guy who has such great judgement and very little experience thought he'd just saunter into the alley and knock those pins down like a pro. Who needs schooling; how hard can it be, right? Does anyone see a correlation here between delusions of grandeur and the hard knock of reality? Obama is weak, he has trouble making a decision, his judgement is poor, he has associations with nefarious people; in short, he is not fit to be Commander in Chief.

I feel sorry for Obama supporters. Something has to be wrong with them. Right?

All the comments on here can pretty much sum up why the younger generations (including myself) don't even bother voting. It's always the same old he-said, she-said B.S. that never seems to end. Everyone thinks if their candidate doesn't win, the world is going to end. If one side was right all the time, the other party wouldn't exist by now. By the way, if you want to make intelligent arguments, at least try to come off as intelligent and do a little spelling/grammar checking. These comments look like they were written by third graders.

What This Democratic Primary Has Taught Me...

Hillary is a conservative democrat.

McCain is a moderate republican.

Obama is a liberal socialist that will keep my race, blacks, looking for a means to become whole citizens, never finding a way and eventually becoming as content as before him in their victimhood.

And that I am the newest american republican!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am I a part of the WE? Because I don't get it.

Obama is beginning to sound desperate. I lived in Italy from age six to age twelve but that doesn't make me an expert on foreign affairs. He should stop the nonsense and show how he can employ people who know about foreign policy. The true test is knowing where to look for information and answers. His speechwriters are making him appear foolish.

Obama is a farce.

To be an Obama supporter I have to:

1. Never have read either of his 2 books.

2. Ignore the fact that his mom was a socialist and deny she had any influence on his value system.
3. Ignore the fact that his dad was a Moslem and deny that he had any influence on his value system.
4. Ignore the fact that his minister/mentor for 2 decades is a radical,racist,seperatist and deny he had any influence on his value system.
5.Ignore and forget everything I know about the powerful Chicago Democratic Machine that had to give its blessing and support in order for him to be elected.
6.Deny that he had any dealings with
Rezko and that his campaign contributions had any influence on his value system.
7.Routinely believe everything I am told by used car salesmen.
8.Believe in the Tooth Fairy.

"Yes we can," WHAT?

I don't get it.

A couple of State Department workers got fired for snooping in Obama's passport file. (Fact.) They may well have taken copies of what they found with them. (Speculation.)

Out of nowhere, Obama mentions his visit to Pakistan. (Fact.) Coincidence? Hardly. (Speculation.)

This is just the beginning of the story. "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!"

@ crisis08

Maddrasa is an Arabic word that means school. He went to an English speaking secular school. Please educate yourself before you throw around fear mongereing comments such as your previous one. I may not even be an Obama supporter, but I sure don't subscribe to the type of idiotic hype that people lick to throw around about him. If you'd like to know what a madrassa is, there's a good wiki on it...

@ crisis08

Wow, some people have a really distorted view of the truth. Obama was never educated at what you would call a "madrassa". Way to believe the right wing media spin... Bet you got that one on Fox

Personally, I don't think Obama can compete with Hillary on Worldly experiences. For one, he has never come under sniper fire. Hillary however, has come under numerous(0) attacks.

I lived four different countries for more 20 years. Am I qualified to be command in chief? Obama is very arrogant and he should not paint the former first lady and senator Clinton like that. He should pay respect to her and recognize some of her skill and talent. She had talked to some foreign leader and wifes. He just like any politician that like to distort the truth.

countallthevotes

Good point. Unfortunately, with Obama, we'll never know.

Did anyone else wonder who financed this world traveler?? I guess Obama did not have to work in the summer to pay tuition, like most students.

Wasn't he supposed to be "poor?" Not only did he not have to work, he had money to travel the world.

I used to be a buyer and traveled all over the world.
Does it make me qualified as a president?

Ok - so I have traveled all over this world, lived in Europe half of my life, and now that makes me qualified to be president?? Give me a break. This guy is grasping at straws, and it makes him look and sound just plain arrogant. He has no experience, and lying doesn't make up for it.

"Obama has shown that he has a good learning curve, so there's a great potential in him"

We don't have time for on the job training. You wouldn't hire a kid right out of MBA school to be CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, would you?

Within 24 hours more or less:

He makes a mistake that there is a "president" of Canada -- Hello? Prime Minister anyone?!

And now, three weeks backpacking in Pakistan more than 20 years ago is "foreign" experience? If he weren't trying so damn hard to spin this into something HUGE it would be reduced to the laughing attack that it merits.

I lived in London for 10 months. Where do I apply to work as a diplomat?

Visiting foreign countries doesn't give one foreign policy experience. However, Obama is good on listening, so that's why it makes a difference. He is empathic, and so he has a better chance at getting at the root source of the problem.

You can't really solve the problem if you don't know what the problem is. Obama knows how to get to the heart of the problem, and whether we want to deal w/ it is another matter.

Obama has shown that he has a good learning curve, so there's a great potential in him. Hillary, despite her claim of experience, has not demonstrated it thus far in this campaign.

Obama is not talking off the top of his head here. He is referencing the kind of critique of the American foreign policy establishment made in _The Ugly American_ and by many other Vietnam-era commentators, who argued that the State Dept. focuses too much on elites and "rational actor" politics and too often fails to appreciate what's really going on in foreign cultures. So, for example, Vietnam was understood as a communist conspiracy led by China and Russia, instead of an indigenous nationalist movement pitting traditional southern Buddhists against rich Catholic emigres from the north (aligned with the French) and northern one-state nationalists. Recent events certainly offer little evidence that the State Dept has much changed or improved. Only the armed forces show signs of much greater sophistication.

Obama is correct. Hanging out with a few elites in various countries is different from living among the citizens. Yes, it is all part of a life's experience.

the ad writes itself.

rotflmao

I know most say we have to evaluate Hillary on her own credits. Thats fien but here the bottom line about Hillary's foreign experience. Not only does she has her own, but will have her husbands who just happened to be an ex-president and can serve her as counsil in case an international crisis...so please. Obama cannot win on this one.

I know most say we have to evaluate Hillary on her own credits. Thats fien but here the bottom line about Hillary's foreign experience. Not only does she has her own, but will have her husbands who just happened to be an ex-president and can serve her as counsil in case an international crisis...so please. Obama cannot win on this one.

"When Senator Clinton brags 'I've met leaders from eighty countries'"

This guy is truly arrogant. Presidential election aside, it is just not cool to denigrate the work of any first lady.

Somebody get this guy a towel because he's going to be wiping egg off of his face soon.

BO is a scary joke. Democrats must nominate Hillary if we want a viable option for getting out of Iraq. He touts his experience as a 10 year-old but doesn't want to talk about going to the madrassa. (and I don't care whether he was a Muslim or not, it doesn't matter to me.) The point is that if foreign policy is BO's strong suit because he lived overseas as a child and went to Pakistan for a 3 week vacation as a college student -- we are in serious, serious trouble for having him even this close to being the nominee.

Let's see, I've lived for two years in Europe, traveled all over the place - have many international friends, I guess that qualifies me to nominate myself to the Presidency. Give me a break!

Obama is an egomaniac.

At best, his purported experience is embarassing, at worst, he's pathetic.

Note too, his use of the word "bragging" as it relates to Mrs. Clinton in her role as First Lady.

Did all First Ladies who traveled widely - some to war zones - "brag" about what they learned as they traveled the world on behalf of the American people? He has a lot of nerve insulting the authenticity of our First Ladies as well as the many hundreds, thousands of people from around the world who hosted them.

Obama has an outsize ego - and the need to inflate his own experience at the expense of anothers.

The more we learn about him ......

Oh Come on! A college trip to Pakistan as example of foreign affairs experience?
I think Senator Obama is feeling the fatigue of the campaign to make such an outlandish statement...
it will come back to haunt him...

My daughter graduated from a well known ivy league type college. She had one roommate from Turkey and another from India. So Obama had a friend from college from Pakistan...so what? If there was anything to it...why would his campaign bring it up? When the polls show that the more intelligent people support Obama while the less intelligent support Hillary...they were telling the truth.

At least Obama knows the difference between Shiites and Sunnis, and Al Qaida and extremist militia. That's more than you can say for the media's vaporware "foreign policy" expert, John McCain.

But hey, McCain did finish 894th out of 899 midshipmen in his Annapolis class! So somewhere out there there are at least 5 Navy veterans who know even less than he does. Maybe the media should track them down and ask them some simple questions about the middle east and see if they do any better than McCain.

I would like to know who the friend is. I think it is a fair question considering his other buddies including Wright and the Chicago Bomber/Activist guy. (could not remember his name) Obama has stated he chooses his friends very carefully.

@Roja: The only thing Clinton has said is that _while in flight, she was advised that there may be a risk of sniper fire_. She never claimed, at any time (for the chronic myopic among us), that she was under fire. End of your lie.

Obama was dead on straight about Hillary. The way she tells it, she was under fire. Only a true idiot would walk a greeting line shaking hands and smiling with their only child in tow while "under fire". Hillary's experience was get off the plane, meet and greet embassy folks and socialites or spouses of leaders. She would have you believe - in the face of videotaped evidence to the contrary - that she negotiated ceasefires, solved world hunger... why, if Al Gore looks the other way for a minute, she'll lay claim to inventing the Internet and winning a Peace Prize for bringing world leaders' attention to global warming!

"Obama has lived with people and know how they feel and think about life and the world, these are not security briefings or tea-parties with kings or queens or dictators around the world."

That is a bold stretch to liken 3 weeks in Pakistan and a few years in Indonesia to worldly experience that eclipses anything that McCain or Clinton have done. He has given NO details about what he did in Pakistan. The MSM should ask him.

Shouldn't the headline here be..."The Nuanced Truth About Obama's Foreign Policy Experience"?

Now this is the ultimate in experience....By the way who was the "friend" from Pakistan and what exactly did Obama learn that will help him with foreign policy decisions?

Naturally most of the mainstream media will stay away from this one...and when Clinton brings it up there will be lots of charges of racism....

Is there anyone out there in the media that is getting a little nervous about the "Selling of a candidate"?

That is laughable!! I have just updated my resume with "foreign policy experience" as I have lived out of United States more years than Obama. He is going to embarrass this country.

Are you calling McCain a liar?

Don't be silly, Gojeda! They didn't have Budweiser in Viet-Nam until the 1980s.

How can Obama count his 4 year-old young babyhood life as his experience........

He might not even read....LOL

America is trully an amazing country in
that you can have such great minds living side by side with ignorant ethnocentrics like the ones displayed here.

You will need a major attiude change if
you are to recoup global prestige in the 21st century.

As I recall, President Bush did not know who the President of Pakistan was when he ran for president. You haters out there praised and voted for President Bush but when a Columbia Harvard educated man who is world traveled comes to handle the same task you have issues, problems and pure hatred. How pathetic!

McBush the 3rd ...... Because America Owes It To Him!

The "game" is over. McCain wins!

Mary B, I think everyone should be given a chance. But everyone should be asked questions, not not given a pass just because he has a nice personality. That is how we got the idiot in the WH, lets not do it again.

WestCoastMessanger and HillLovers, Musharaf is a tribal leader, a dictator and we all know that official visits and meetings are a painting in rose of the reality. Obama has lived with people and know how they feel and think about life and the world, these are not security briefings or tea-parties with kings or queens or dictators around the world. That is the real difference between Obama and Hill the Bosnian General and McNasty the Governor general of Bagdad. God bless America and God bless Obama. OBAMA08.

@rightofrush (and all your other cowardly login names)

Always nice and cozy spewing from the sidelines without the courage to strap on a helmet and get in the game. Mommy must be _so_ proud. ; )

After reading through most of these INCREDIBLE comments, it's apparent: most of the bloggers on this board wouldn't vote for Obama even if he spent every minute of his life in the United States, wearing a flag pin on every item of clothing he owns, as a practicing Quaker!

The two things you REALLY want from him, he can't give you. He can't have a caucasian biological father, and he WON'T renounce the name given to him by his father.

If these bloggers did truly represent the voters of American (thank GOD they don't), this country would really be in BIG trouble. Shameful, shameful posts!

Tina D.

Your reaction & comment leads to think that you don't realize that the clown that is Commander-in-Chief now has/had no experience in forgien affairs. If that guy can get elected and drag down this country then anyone one should be given a shot.

I agree with the first comment (by Greta). He was in Karachi, and I expect his friend's family discussed the problems in the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) which have NEVER been under the control of the government of Pakistan. I expect Obama DOES understand what's going on, unlike some of the posters here who apparently think Pakistan is one homogenous group of people.

Obama is an egotistical mainiac. He now admits he needs a VP with a little more foreign policy experience than he has, (See Huffington Post 4/8/08). These and other Obama should put the nail in his coffin if Americans still have any sense? Also, his campaign supporters are calling for her to step aside? Oh yeah, he would like that wouldn't he. If the shoe were on the other foot, Obama behind Clinton, not one person would be telling him to get out! All I can say is, you better be careful what you ask for people. Hillary Clinton has more grit and promise for America, in her little finger, than all the nasty folks insisting on her withdrawal. God help "US" all if Obama does get the nomination. I am truly fearful for our country, for the first time in my adult life, because of the shape we are in at this time in America, for a rookie senator to take on the tough challenges we face. He, my fellow Americans, is not up to the task. Hillary on the other hand is the only candidate left who is up to this daunting challenge. I suggest we all step back and look at where we are in this country and proceed onward with this nominating process.

I will take Obama's "foreign experience" over that of the other two "experienced" candidates for sure now. That they have been running the very committee that allowed the $ 3 Trillion and climbing failure that they call a war tells me all I need to know about their "experience". Taking the disneyland tour of other countries mirrors exactly what they have done here, taken the disneyland tour of America. We have problems out here, we have problems over there, they are out of touch. Replace them with the best choice, the only person that is NOT A CROOK OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

Barack Obama says that he feels he has better knowledge and understanding. He did not say anything about "more experience".

Members of the press and representatives of the RNC then turn around and ask Hillary and the McCain campaign, "so how do you respond to Obama's claim that he has more foreign policy experience?" - even though he never said that.

So not only is the (supposedly "liberal") media guilty of bad reporting, they're actually twisting candidates' words and feeding them to Clinton and McCain as 'talking points' that never existed in reality - and are doing the RNC's job for them in the exact same way RNC surrogates are. And Hillary's perfectly happy going on Fox (again) with her "Hillary cackle".

The media is doing a great disservice to the citizenry, and is failing to act in the public interest. The media needs to stick to reporting the news, not influencing it or creating it.

During the campaign in New Hempspire, Obama made clear that he does not share the views of Democrats who downplay the risk of Islamist terrorism. He also talked about Muslims who seek to create a repressive caliphate. "To defeat this enemy, we must understand who we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for."

A Great speech right!

But in quelling another race-related flap involving Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan. Obama said "I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan,"

Clearly, his speeches and the friends he associates with shows a real Obama - A person whose talks and actions rarely found coherent. Labeling him a man of double-talks is not unfair.

Actually, he is very consistent in his behavior. Take Rev. Wright issues and listen to him on video. He unconsciously exposes his mind and the "truth Obama".

You can imagine what he did in Pakistan for 3 weeks. Going to church?

To Silas:

I guess it's only o.k. to hate on Christians! And, your mention of "moral common denominators" is amusing. Now, the left(you) thinks morality is a math equation. Enjoy 4 more years of the war-mongering Republican Party, cause the only chance the Left has is if Obama and Hill join forces. Fat chance!

I'll pray for your soul.

Despite what Limbaugh's "Conservatives-for-Hillary" crowd says, it will be an advantage to have a president who understands several foreign (especially, non-Western) cultures well. Although having courtesy tea ceremonies with leaders or their wives shouldn't be dismissed as meaningless, that isn't a substitute for getting to know the people of a country. Admittedly, though, these are minor points. Clinton and Obama are close on most issues; either would be better than McCain by far.

it is so rediculous!
Obama was educated in Indonisia between 6-10 years old .everyone should thank Indonisian for educating a good president for U.S, ALthough Indonisia cannot educated a good president for themselves.
every one should thank Kenya give a good president to U.S

No candidate should be given a cakewalk, it does not serve any of us well. Obama should be vetted the same as Clinton and Mccain, this is not a Miss Congeniality contest. This is no game it's our future.