Then I should be Secretary of State? (Wizbang)

Barack Obama is using a visit to Pakistan 20 years ago as proof of his foreign policy experience.

To counter opponents' accusations that he lacks experience in foreign policy, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois often cites his ties to relatives in poor villages in Kenya and the years he spent growing up in Indonesia. Now he has added a new personal detail to that résumé: a trip to Pakistan while a college student.
Mr. Obama, the front-runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, made the disclosure Sunday night while speaking to supporters at a fund-raiser in San Francisco. His remarks, in which he poked fun at the utility of traditional foreign policy qualifications like government officials traveling abroad on fact-finding missions, were recorded and were quickly placed on the Web.

With the war in Iraq and Islamic terrorism among the top issues in the campaign, all three of the presidential contenders have sought to emphasize the value of their very different foreign policy credentials. Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, has often pointed to his military and combat experience, while Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has emphasized her involvement in international and national security issues as both first lady and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

But Mr. Obama has argued that his rivals' longer official record is no substitute for his real-life grass-roots experience. "Foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton and Senator McCain," he said in his remarks in San Francisco.

"Experience in Washington is not knowledge of the world," he continued, provoking laughter among those present. "This I know. When Senator Clinton brags, 'I've met leaders from 80 countries,' I know what those trips are like. I've been on them. You go from the airport to the embassy. There's a group of children who do a native dance. You meet with the C.I.A. station chief and the embassy and they give you a briefing. You go take a tour of plant that" with "the assistance of Usaid has started something. And then, you go."

During the speech, Mr. Obama also spoke about having traveled to Pakistan in the early 1980s. Because of that trip, which he did not mention in either of his autobiographical books, "I knew what Sunni and Shia was before I joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee," he said.

Does this qualify Obama to be President. My foreign policy experience.

I lived in the Philippines for two years(Stationed at Subic Bay)

While there, two coup attempts took place and I narrowly missed a third. I was flying to the country in Dec. 1989 when a coup took place.

I have family in the Philippines(in-laws, including my mother-in-law Nanay. She just went back for a visit this week.)
In addition to the Philippines, I've visited Hong Kong and Macau(before they ceded to the Chinese), Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, England, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. I've been to Hel and back. While in Hel, I came within less than five feet from the then Polish President. Actually my wife got to shake his hand and say she was from Florida.

Note- Go to the link above and you'll see a couple of photographs of President Aleksander Kwaśniewski.

Maybe my wife should be Secretary of State. Leonita can't be President because she is only a naturalized citizen. Her credentials stack up pretty well against Obama.

Update- Hat tip to Below the Beltway

The Wizbang® Network

Wizbang Pop!: Is Britney Pregnant?

Britney Spears is on vacation in Costa Rica with Mel Gibson and his wife. Of course the paparazzi weren't far behind. These bikini photos do beg the question, "is...

12:42 AM | 0 comments

Wizbang Blue: Obama Slams Bush as Fear-Monger

"They're trying to fool you. They're trying to scare you and they're not telling the truth," a fired-up Obama declared while campaigning in South Dakota. "But it's not going to work. Both Bush and McCain represent the failed foreign policy and fear mongering of the past," Obama said. "I believe the American people are ready to reject this approach and to choose the future."

9:16 PM | 0 comments

Wizbang Politics: The GOP's Credibility Crisis

A few years ago, I had the privilege of speaking to a gentleman who worked for the Gallup Organization. We had a substantive discussion about the business and standards of...

5:33 PM | 2 comments

Wizbang Blue: John McCain's Dirty Little Land Deal

Sen. John McCain secured millions in federal funds for a land acquisition program that provided a windfall for an Arizona developer whose executives were major campaign donors, public records show.

12:05 PM | 2 comments

Wizbang Pop!: Double Amputee sprinter Cleared to compete in Beijing

Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee sprinter known as the fastest man on no legs, will be allowed to compete at the Beijing Olympics after a ban on his prosthetic limbs...

12:00 PM | 0 comments

Wizbang Pop!: Ellen announces her marriage on "Ellen"

A spy in the audience of this Thursdays taping of the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" tells us that after Ellen mentioned the California Supreme Court ruling striking down the state's...

11:55 AM | 0 comments

Wizbang Pop!: It's splitsville for Kate and Owen

Forget the engagement buzz. Not only are Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson not getting married, they're not even an item anymore. After reuniting less than two months ago, the...

11:46 AM | 0 comments

Wizbang Pop!: 'The Ten Commandments' Tablets To Be Sold At Auction

Thou shalt find the Ten Commandments up for bid this summer. A pair of faux granite tablets that Charlton Heston cradled in the 1956 biblical epic "The Ten Commandments"...

11:41 AM | 0 comments

Wizbang Pop!: Anne Heche: "I Have No Money"

Actress Anne Heche has blamed the cancellation of TV series Men In Trees for her inability to pay child support. The star was granted a reprieve in the monthly...

11:29 AM | 0 comments

Wizbang Pop!: Jolie "Due On August 19th"

More secret details of Angelina Jolie's pregnancy have been exposed by a Kung Fu Panda co-star - Dustin Hoffman has revealed the actress is due to give birth to...

11:26 AM | 0 comments

Comments (14)

My gosh I never realized Ob... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by 914 | April 10, 2008 8:53 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

914:

My gosh I never realized Obama was so experienced? this changes My voting choice totally.

Posted on April 10, 2008 20:53

Obama makes a rack from Men... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by SPQR | April 10, 2008 9:00 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

SPQR:

Obama makes a rack from Men's Warehouse after a half off sale look substantive.

Posted on April 10, 2008 21:00

And hillary clinton is usin... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by JSmith | April 10, 2008 9:43 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

JSmith:

And hillary clinton is using her 8 years of serving tea to foreign dignitaries as her experience in foreign policy!

Posted on April 10, 2008 21:43

Born in Spain. Lived for 4 ... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Faith+1 | April 10, 2008 10:04 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Faith+1:

Born in Spain. Lived for 4 years in Germany. Lived for 18 months in various West African nations. I've even had to be evacuated from Liberia by the Marines when they had a ruckus kick up while I was passing through (which is why I have a deep seated and extremely high opinion of Marines!). Even did 8 years in th e USAF and did several missions in several foreign countries (mostly humanitarian).

Even with all that I wouldn't consider myself at all qualified.

Posted on April 10, 2008 22:04

This makes me laugh--if tra... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by Cloudfish | April 10, 2008 10:36 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

Cloudfish:

This makes me laugh--if traveling were experience then...well... maybe I could be...mayor???

I was born in Hawaii and moved west. Lived in Ceylon, India, Tibet, Turkey, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, and coast to coast in the US. My first language was Hindi, then French, then English (forgotten the first two long ago.) The Dalai Lama's mother threw me a birthday party (true story.) As a child I actually lived for 3 months in a Tibetan monastary. If you met me most likely you'd think I was just some other country boy from Wyoming.

This doesn't qualify me for diddly-squat---and I wouldn't expect anybody else to think so, either....

Posted on April 10, 2008 22:36

Pick me, pick me ... I was ... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by bill-tb | April 10, 2008 10:39 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

bill-tb:

Pick me, pick me ... I was in Iran doing business about 6 times in the 70s, before Democrat President Jimmy Carter gave it to the mullahs for their very own terror state. World terror took off big time after the mullahs settled in.

Notice that Jimmy doesn't want credit for what he accomplished.

Posted on April 10, 2008 22:39

Senator Barack Obama of Ill... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by miriam's ideas | April 10, 2008 10:45 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)

miriam's ideas

Senator Barack Obama of Illinois often cites his ties to relatives in poor villages in Kenya....

Why don't Barack and Michelle give money to these poor relatives to show their compassion?

If they gave just a little bit, they could still afford piano lessons for the girls. If they were careful with their money.

Posted on April 10, 2008 22:45

I understand radical Islam ... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Zelsdorf Ragshaft III | April 10, 2008 11:15 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)

Zelsdorf Ragshaft III:

I understand radical Islam and communism run in the Obama family. His dad was a communist and his half brother is a radical muslim. There son and brother is a fake and a liar.

Posted on April 10, 2008 23:15

"Then I should be Secretary... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by bryanD | April 10, 2008 11:18 PM | Score: -5 (5 votes cast)

bryanD:

"Then I should be Secretary of State?"

Oh...Puh-leeeze! Dry-drunk Enronchimp/preznitUSA? Meritocracy Now???

"I lived in the Philippines for two years(Stationed at Subic Bay)"

This calls for a San Miguel beer post!!!

Personally, I think S.M. is one of the world's best beers. And I've been ALL OVER beerworld! Others say it is chock-full of formaldahyde. Frankly, I don't care. Taste uber alles! What say you?

And if you perceive my attempt at distracting you from further "knucklehead" post, Congratulations!
Beer trumps Retards.

Posted on April 10, 2008 23:18

I think that I am equally q... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by Jennifer | April 11, 2008 12:12 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Jennifer:

I think that I am equally qualified.

I have eaten at Taco Bell(southern border negotiations), watch several programmes(notice my English word..therefore am cultured) on BBC, can speak French(Oolala I surrender)and am a typical white woman(translation not an evil corporate white man)...

Posted on April 11, 2008 00:12

I was born and raised on a ... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by SFtrooper | April 11, 2008 1:00 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

SFtrooper:

I was born and raised on a wheat and cattle ranch in SE Washington. Shoveled lots of barnyard sh*t......(qualifies me to be a politician).

Can I be Secretary of Agriculture???

Posted on April 11, 2008 01:00

I'd not care for secretary ... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by mattnu | April 11, 2008 11:02 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

mattnu:

I'd not care for secretary of state, how about secretary of War? Lived in three foreign countries and Texas, spent time in several more and helped invade a couple of others. And, my ancestors probably oppressed your ancestors... If Secretary of War is taken, I'd be happy with Dog Catcher.

Humor aside, somebody should be asking why Obama was touring Pakistan? It doesn't seem to be a big spring-break kind of place, and if he isn't and never has been practicing Muslim, why would he want to go? Terror Training?

Posted on April 11, 2008 11:02

But Bill the real question ... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by Jeff | April 11, 2008 2:13 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Jeff:

But Bill the real question is ...

Did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night ?

Posted on April 11, 2008 14:13

I've travelled to more coun... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by Mitchell | April 11, 2008 10:43 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Mitchell:

I've travelled to more countries than Obama.

It doesn't qualify me for dog catcher, even in Katmandu.

This guy's a fraud. How many of you lemmings are going to follow him over the cliff?

Jezuz, you took 16 years to figure out the Clintons; I don't think you're in a position to judge Obama, Demz.

Posted on April 11, 2008 22:43

Comment Preview

Posted by: