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July 22, 2008 2:23 PM

Obama's Sort-of Campaign Trip To Jordan

Posted by Maria Gavrilovic
(CBS)
From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(AMMAN, JORDAN) Barack Obama arrived at the airport for his flight to Israel in style, in a sporty Mercedes Benz. So what? Well, that Benz was driven by none other than King Abdullah of Jordan, who gave the Illinois Senator a lift after a meeting and dinner earlier today at His Majesty's palace.

Despite only being a candidate and a freshman U.S. Senator, Obama kept King Abdullah waiting ten minutes before their one on one meeting. His Majesty, who returned early from a trip to Denver, clearly didn't seem to mind, though.

Meantime, after being repeatedly pressed about whether Obama is campaigning or politicking, chief strategist David Axelrod admitted that the presumptive nominee is sort-of campaigning.

"The answer is, of course, any event outside of a CODEL is a campaign event. But it is not a political rally. He will not engage his American political opponents," Axelrod said.

Obama may not be officially campaigning and he isn't president, but he sure looked the part today.

He arrived at a military controlled airfield in Amman on an Osprey V-22, with his traveling sidekicks Sens. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Jack Reed, D-R.I. Not one, but four, aircrafts dramatically landed at Marka airport as campaign aides, secret service, and a small protective pool waited for the arrival. Obama soon strutted off of the second V-22, sporting wrinkled khaki pants, a blue oxford and a helmet in hand.

As he was greeted by Charge d' Affaires Dan Rubinstein, Obama smiled and chatted all while ignoring the 5 or so reporters sweating away in an enclosed pen on the tarmac. Maybe he didn't hear the shouts because he was wearing ear plugs. Or may be he was just avoiding the press.

Obama was then whisked off in a 20-car motorcade to the posh Four Seasons Hotel, where he changed and freshened up for a press conference at the historic Citadel.

At the presser, reporters heard a first hand account from the Senators about their trip, but it was clear who the Big Dod was. After taking questions from reporters for roughly 20 minutes, Obama asked Hagel if he wanted to answer one, but he shrugged and let Obama take one for the team.
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Add a Comment See all 18 Comments
by chika6 July 23, 2008 4:59 PM EDT
Grow up guys, good people should like charm and style. Obama is the right guy for USA. The world understands that hence the appluase including a free ride from a King.
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by chrisl45 July 23, 2008 12:04 PM EDT
Obama is the teacher saying to the world all my students did not fly into the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon! This is Obama''s plan, legacy, and shows his charisma as well. First, all he is is a black teacher at law school. That''s what he is using. Traditionally, when I think of a black professor, I think of someone who knows the laws dealing with "minorities" over everything else. I mean that''s what they are best at, what they like dealing with, and what is expected of them by their students. So, here comes along Obama with that label. Minorities such as radical extreme Islamist groups can use this fatherly protection against the United States to come in and learn how to fly planes for example. Obama is keeping his fingers crossed when he talks to the heads of countries such as Palestine, Iraq, and Jordan. It might work in the short term for the terrorists. Maybe they want to see what they can get. Thus, unintentionally or intentionally Obama is telling countries such as these that maybe he wants to send American troops to Afghanistan to kill them like over 10,000 Russians were killed there. That''s Barack Obama''s plan, legacy, and secret. That''s why I''m begging you to vote for John McCain. John has the experience to get things done. God Bless Senator John McCain, our troops, and the United States
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by ariel133 July 23, 2008 11:42 AM EDT
Our brave American soldiers have gone to the most dangerous part of the world and replaced a murdering dictator with a democracy. Most Americans honor them and appreciate their patriotism.

The commander-in-chief wannabe showed up in Iraq for a few photo opportunities and should have stopped there. As soon as he opened his mouth he quickly reminded everyone how little he knows about foreign affairs or the military. This fraud would not even pass an FBI security clearance to get into the service as a private because of his association with the bomber, Bill Ayers.

Obama is unqualified and unfit to lead the best military in the world.
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by ariel133 July 23, 2008 11:18 AM EDT
The ONLY way we will win, change, or succeeed at anything in the USA is to vote for the more qualified candidate- MCCAIN. Even 4 out of 10 Democrats agree. I am just so tired about hearing how likeable Obama is. Likeability is not experiance. An overseas visit is not experiance. Lack of real experiance is: DANGEROUS!
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by rowdywicca July 23, 2008 10:32 AM EDT
Awwwwwwwwwwww, isn''t that sweet, Obama getting a ride from one of his Islamofascist buddies in a Mercedes...NOW THIS IS THE BIGGEST NEWS OF THE CENTURY!
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by trbundro1277 July 23, 2008 6:44 AM EDT
It''''s the screwiest mess both sides have ever seen in an election.
Posted by cfin5 at 07:22 PM : Jul 22, 2008
*** yeah, I will agree with you that there isn''t a great choice on either side this election. However, with that being said, Mccain scares me more than Obama. If Mccain would come out with an economic plan to fix it that the rich don''t continue to get more tax breaks. I think Romney or Huckabee would have been a much better choice, just like Edwards would have been a way better choice for Democrats if they wanted to win in a landslide. I usually lean Democrat for economic reasons, which is why I really liked Romney''s Immigration idea, which is allow more legal immigrants in every year, but in return, no amnesty for immigrants that came here illegally. I thought that was fair. Mccain is for open Amnesty. I can''t stand Mccain because of that one issue alone! Romney disgusted me when he spoke at the Elder president bush''s ranch. The bush connection made me want to throw up. The Repubs should have distanced themselves way aside from bush, but already failed in doing so! I hope Obama wins this election! Otherwise, get prepare to learn how to speak Spanish if Mccain gets voted in. I hate Mccain!
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by lordmi July 23, 2008 5:41 AM EDT
to dailyflo45 - if somehwere abroad You will act and demonstrate American Greatest values , I will be proud of You and my country, no matter who You are - President, cenator or truck driver.
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by lordmi July 23, 2008 5:03 AM EDT
Ma-am........Your deatiling looks cheap and out of touch.
I saw already several articles of this author- all the same boring and in no sense.
Can we get here somebody, who has a bit more brains to show us the sense of this visit, but not the color of the shirt.
Thank You for consideration.
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by brianbwb-2009 July 23, 2008 4:27 AM EDT
"We have a long tradition in this country that we only have one president at a time. He''''s the commander in chief and the negotiator in chief. I cannot remember a campaign which a rival seeking the presidency has been in a position negotiating a war that''''s under way with another party outside the country."
Posted by greenfun

Perhaps this is so because the "war" we are engaged in was started on the basis of lies, continues due to corruption, never should have happened in the first place, and those responsible refuse to "negotiate".

Regardless of tradition, we are now in a position where our brothers, sisters, and children are dying for the sake of lies and profit of Bush''s klan, and I personally don''t care who can "negotiate" us out of it, as long as we get out of it, and hold those people who caused it responsible for their lies and corruption.

To heck with tradition, it is not worth the lives of a million innocent Iraqis, or the lives of our own..
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by greenfun July 23, 2008 1:45 AM EDT
Who does this guy think he is???
CNN Reporters: Obama "Presumptuous" & Negotiations Overstep His Authority as a Senator
Last night on Anderson Cooper 360, two CNN political analysts charged that Senator Obama overstepped his authority as a United States Senator in acting as a negotiator with the Iraqi government and publicly disclosing statements made during those interviews.

During an interview with Anderson Cooper, David Gergen, CNN''s Senior Political Analyst stated, "Barack Obama made the first mistake of his trip, in my judgment, in releasing a statement in which he said exactly what Maliki had said in those conversations.

We have a long tradition in this country that we only have one president at a time. He''s the commander in chief and the negotiator in chief. I cannot remember a campaign which a rival seeking the presidency has been in a position negotiating a war that''s under way with another party outside the country.

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