Obama Shows Hawkish Side On Mideast Trip

CBSNews.com Reports: Democrat Talks Tough About Afghanistan To Show Skeptics He Can Be Strong Commander In Chief

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

---

Not long after he touched down at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on Saturday, Barack Obama posed for pictures with three American officials, a pair of military men in uniform, and one rather imposing statue of a bald eagle.

It was an ideal photo opportunity for a candidate looking to convince skeptics of his patriotism - just 37 percent of voters identified Obama as "very patriotic" in a recent CBS News/New York Times poll - and his toughness when it comes to foreign policy. And it was typical of the images that have come out of Obama's visit to the Middle East, a stream of television-friendly shots of the presumptive Democratic nominee chatting with troops and meeting with foreign leaders.

Obama has been careful to fortify these images with words: On Sunday, the Illinois senator urged the Bush administration to move more troops into Afghanistan as soon as possible during an appearance on "Face The Nation." He also reiterated his willingness to authorize unilateral U.S. action against terrorist targets in Pakistan's tribal areas if the Pakistani government will not act.

Obama's decision to travel to two war zones while highlighting his relatively hawkish rhetoric on Afghanistan and Pakistan reflects an attempt to deal with a problem faced by every Democratic presidential candidate since the Vietnam era: The perception that he is not as strong as his Republican rival when it comes to national security. In last week's poll, just 24 percent of respondents said it was "very likely" Obama would be an effective commander in chief. Nearly double that percentage - forty-six percent - said the same of his rival, presumptive GOP nominee John McCain.

"Democrats start with one hand tied behind their back," said Stephen Hess, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who worked for Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford and Carter. "It's a hell of a legacy that they inherited from the 1960s. This isn't something that started with Barack Obama."

It is something that Obama appeared to have one major advantage on from the outset, however, thanks to his early opposition to the Iraq War, which most Americans now view as a mistake. But while that early opposition helped drive Obama's candidacy in its infancy, it also positioned him in the public imagination as something less than a hawk. And his call for a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq has left him open to charges that he is looking to effectively "surrender," as his rival puts it. (Though Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's recent apparent endorsement of Obama's timeframe took some of the bite out of that claim.) Republicans have also hammered Obama for not visiting the country before this trip since the start of 2006.

McCain, meanwhile, built his own candidacy on his judgment on foreign affairs - most notably, his support for the successful troop "surge" in Iraq, which Obama opposed. As Obama has worked to establish his foreign policy bona fides, McCain's campaign has repeatedly painted the relatively new-to-the-national-scene Democrat as naive and misguided in his plan for dealing with countries like Iraq and Iran.

After Obama told ABC News Monday he would still not support the surge if he had it to do again, McCain's camp suggested in an email that a "candidate who places his political ambition ahead of our national interest does not pass the threshold to be commander in chief.”

Obama's decision to spotlight his hawkish positions on Afghanistan and Pakistan, Democratic strategist Chris Lehane said, reflects an attempt to take a page from John F. Kennedy, who went on the offensive on national security by raising the so-called "missile gap" issue against Richard Nixon in the 1960 presidential campaign.

"They're trying to put Republicans on the defensive on the one issue Republicans thought they could be on the offensive on," Lehane said.

Democratic consultant Bob Shrum, chief adviser to Democratic nominee John Kerry four years ago, said Obama doesn't need to win the perception battle against McCain on national security - he just needs to convince Americans he is competent to be commander in chief. Shrum also cited the Kennedy-Nixon race, noting that even though voters may have thought Nixon had more experience, Kennedy did enough to convince them he could do the job.

"Are people ever going to think that he's going to be stronger than McCain on national security? Maybe not," he said. "But he doesn't need to be seen as stronger than McCain on national security. He needs to be seen as strong enough on national security."

Obama's positions on Afghanistan and Pakistan reflect "the early Democratic argument that the administration took its eye off where the real fight was," said CBS News political consultant Joe Trippi, who worked as a senior advisor to former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.

"It is the same case that was being made by a lot of Democrats just prior to the war even starting - the old argument about why we shouldn't go into Iraq in the first place," said Trippi.

Hess argues that Obama's early opposition to the Iraq War may have given people a false sense of Obama's foreign policy leanings.

"Iraq, or the pullout, may be the exception that proves the rule," he said. "Other than that, he doesn't appear to me to be an old-fashioned Vietnam-era peacenik Democrat at all."

"To that degree, this trip he's taking, which is supposed to be for his education, may turn out to be for the education of the American voter," Hess added.

[ariel133]

"Are people ever going to think that he''s going to be stronger than McCain on national security? Maybe not," he said. "But he doesn''t need to be seen as stronger than McCain on national security. He needs to be seen as strong enough on national security."

STRONG ENOUGH? NO.
YOU CAN''T BE HALF DEAD- EITHER YOU ARE OR YOU''RE NOT.
YOU CAN''T BE HALF EXPERIANCED TO LEAD A COUNTRY, YOU ARE OR YOU''RE NOT.

[ariel133]

"Are people ever going to think that he''''s going to be stronger than McCain on national security? Maybe not," he said. "But he doesn''''t need to be seen as stronger than McCain on national security. He needs to be seen as strong enough on national security."

STRONG ENOUGH? NO.
YOU CAN''T BE HALF QUALIFIED- EITHER YOU ARE OR YOU''RE NOT.
YOU CAN''T BE HALF EXPERIANCED TO LEAD A COUNTRY, YOU ARE OR YOU''RE NOT.

[terrorislamo]

HUSSEIN LEADS THE CHORUS OF USEFUL IDIOTS,,,

Leftist Support of Islamist Terror

Most shocking is the outright sympathy of many leftist-liberals for Islamic fascism. They said little about the murder of 500 Russian civilians, many of them children, but screamed week after week because some Arab savage at Abu Ghraib prison wore a bag on his head. They cared nothing about the beheadings committed by the Islamo-savages or the execution of 12 Nepalese. David Horowitz gives an excellent discussion of who this "Left" really is. He calls them neo-communist, I call them Leftist-Liberals. I''m a classical Liberal myself and I feel it''s time to remove this irrational element that has been allowed to poison our good name.

http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/list.htm

The Chorus of Useful Idiots

http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/thornton.htm

Supporters of Muslim Terrorism on the un-Religious Left

http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/index1.htm

Exposing Leftists'' Radical Islam Connection

http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/left_islam.htm

Definitions, Lies, and Losing Your Head

http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/def_lies.htm

Shocking (Liberal) Silence

http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/leftist_silence.htm

See no evil: Why the Left is blind to suffering

http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/no_evil.htm

[oneamerican-]

It''s ironic, to say the least, that the same liberals who have barked their Bush-bashing dogma for eight years about his supposed lack of understanding, etc. etc. - now sing the holy praises of their self-proclaimed Messiah, who has no expertise in the private or public sector, who constantly says the most atrocious gaffs exposing his extreme incompetence on both foreign and domestic subjects, and who unashamedly lies to everyone around him.

Obama is not the answer - rather, Obama is the question.

What makes McCain more "experienced"? Being a POW? Being shot down 5 times? He doesn''t even know that Czecheslovakia is no more. He thinks Iraq and Pakistan are border countries. But he''s more "experienced"? Where?

[ariel133]

There is a definate down side to having a black president. The blacks will automatically assume all race relations are harmonious when it fact it won''t be. One person cannot do that- and the whites who say " I''m voting for a black man so that makes me non- racist" are in for a very rude awakening. Racism will not dissapate with a black President, in fact, it will cause more harm than good, when the issue is still very much alive in this country. Obama is not the answer, not only simply because he is black, but because HE IS NOT QUALIFIED to be a COMMANDER.

[briannorwood]

I continue to be amazed at the cool, composed nature of Barak Obama. By every measure, his trip abroad has been a smashing success.

McCain must be wondering whether it was such a good idea to bait him into going. As the adage goes, "be careful what you wish for, it may come true!"

I can''t wait for the photo ops of Obama speaking in front of 100,000 in Germany!

[briannorwood]

Ariel133:

Well, at least he knows the difference between Shia and Sunni and what the borders of Afghanistan and Iraq are! LOL!

[libsluv2spit]

What makes McCain more "experienced"? Being a POW? Being shot down 5 times? He doesn''''t even know that Czecheslovakia is no more. He thinks Iraq and Pakistan are border countries. But he''''s more "experienced"? Where?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by kwa7154 at 12:52 PM : Jul 22, 2008
+ report abuse

a better question.. what makes obama more ''experienced''? his tenure? being eloquent? a lot anti-american baggage on his resume??

what?

[briannorwood]

ddhinnyc:

And you get your news from Rush Limbaugh? Good luck with that!

[realpatriot1]

OneAmerican,

If Obama is so incompetent, how''s come the Republicans are falling all over themselves to embrace his longstanding policies on Afghanistan, Pakastan, Iraqi withdrawal(or "time horizons" if that sounds better to you), and, on engaging Iran directly?

Now if the Republicans would only follow his lead on paying as they go for their spending, providing permanent tax relief to those making less than $250,000 annually, and addressing our long-term energy needs with something more than depleted stockpiles of fossil fuels that will destroy the environment they might have something to talk about besides Obama.

[libsluv2spit]

obama''s experience is based on the amount of money he has on his war chest..and what the liberal media would spoon feed the public..

by the way this is presented to you by EXXONMOBILE...

nice touch.

[briannorwood]

realpatriot1:

Agreed. And I will choose smart (Obama) over dumb (McCain, Bush) anyday!

[realpatriot1]

ddinnyc,

Only idiots listen to Oxycotin Lard *** and actually believe he tells the truth on anything.

If anyone is in trouble it''s McCain for leaking the itenerary of Obama''s trip. I''m sure the other Senators will have more to say about that.

[gocubs58]

Posted by Ariel133 - Obama is not the answer, not only simply because he is black, but because HE IS NOT QUALIFIED to be a COMMANDER.
-------

I''ve said it before and I will continue to say it....PROVE IT. Give me some SOLID evidence that he does not have what it takes. If you can''t do that, then your post is nothing more than character assasination....it means nothing.

[singingrick]

Thanks Obama for giving America hope after nearly eight long years of corrupt, incompetent, neocon rule.

[singingrick]

ddhinnyc:

And you get your news from Rush Limbaugh? Good luck with that!

Posted by briannorwood
---------------------------

$100 says you''''re listening to Rush right now.

Posted by ddhinnyc at 01:01 PM : Jul 22, 2008




How would you know that Rush is on right now?

By the way, did you vote for Bush twice?

[singingrick]

ddhinnyc


Did you vote for Bush?

[realpatriot1]

briannorwood,

The Republicans are really fun to watch and listen to as they flail away at Obama!

They love to talk about Obama being wrong on the surge yet fail to acknowledge that not only were they wrong to invade a country that didn''t attack us, but they were wrong on the surge from the get go.

That''s because the surge was initially proposed by General Shinseki before the invasion and was shot down by the republicans, including that experienced military Senator from Arizona.

He''s the same one who thinks that 1 meeting on Afghanistan is too few for Obama to chair and attend but too many for the ranking Republican on the Armed Service Committee to show up for when scheduled.

[shazam111]

There is a definate down side to having a black president. The blacks will automatically assume all race relations are harmonious when it fact it won''''t be. One person cannot do that- and the whites who say " I''''m voting for a black man so that makes me non- racist" are in for a very rude awakening. Racism will not dissapate with a black President, in fact, it will cause more harm than good, when the issue is still very much alive in this country. Obama is not the answer, not only simply because he is black, but because HE IS NOT QUALIFIED to be a COMMANDER.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Ariel133 at 12:52 PM : Jul 22, 2008
+ report abuse

you have serious delusional problem of racism your self its a shame that you are allowed to live in america so you can spew your racism uglyness side....you are so ignorant about obama and defining him as a black man just because the colour of his skin...shameless individual technically and genetically he is a white man cause the DNA trail goes by the mother and not by the father based on new studies done by national geographic....I suggest you stick your head in pile of dung.

[summarex]

I can''t help but wonder why it is that virtually every picture I''ve seen of Obama in Iraq shows him greeting black soldiers. I guess someone is trying to do some social reinforcement upon the unsuspecting.

[realpatriot1]

ddhinnyc,

That other Democratic boot-licker as you call him is an Army Ranger Commander and War College Professor who knows more about combat and military than practically anyone in your party.

[singingrick]

He speaks worse than Bush ever did.

Posted by ddhinnyc at 01:05 PM : Jul 22, 2008


Really? What specifically did he say that was Bushlike?


By the way, did you vote for Bush?




lol!

[singingrick]

singingrick, did you hear Obama''''s press conference today?

Posted by ddhinnyc at 01:08 PM : Jul 22, 2008




Did you? What specifically did he say that was Bushlike?


By the way, did you vote for Bush twice?


lol!

[singingrick]

He speaks worse than Bush ever did.

Posted by ddhinnyc at 01:05 PM : Jul 22, 2008






Really? What specifically did he say that was Bushlike?


By the way, did you vote for Bush twice?


Hello?

You there?


Crickets............




lol!

[notblue]

LOL! Nothnig like trying to straddle both sides of the fence, this will upset his screaming child base!

[singingrick]

notblue


Do you remember the day you sold your soul for your party? Or were you born without one?

[briannorwood]

"I can''''t help but wonder why it is that virtually every picture I''''ve seen of Obama in Iraq shows him greeting black soldiers."--summarex

Do you think it may be because among enlisted men, African Americans are grossly over-represented?

If I were the GOP, I wouldn''t expect to get the majority of military vote this year! LOL!

[singingrick]

He speaks worse than Bush ever did.

Posted by ddhinnyc at 01:05 PM : Jul 22, 2008






Really? What specifically did he say that was Bushlike?


By the way, did you vote for Bush twice?


Hello?

You there?

ddhinnyc?


Crickets............





lol!

[notblue]

jwhitman, I never sold my soul to ANY party, unlike you!I sold my sold to America, unlike you! Good luck with your purposeful blinding indifference to reality just keep drinking the leftwing kool-aide, you libs are the best entertainment out there.

[singingrick]

ddhinnyc


Rush''s commercial break must be over. Be sure to come back and give us today''s neonut talking points straight from Rush''s backside to your mouth.


lol!

[briannorwood]

"$100 says you''''re listening to Rush right now." -- dhinny.

----

Only when I want a good laugh. For real discussions on issues of the day, I much prefer intelligent analysis, so I mainly listen to NPR.

[shinxy-2009]

Two paragraphs of news and the whole rest of the article devoted to punditry and McSame worship.
Give me a break.

[singingrick]

jwhitman, I never sold my soul to ANY party, unlike you!I sold my sold to America, unlike you! Good luck with your purposeful blinding indifference to reality just keep drinking the leftwing kool-aide, you libs are the best entertainment out there.

Posted by notblue at 01:15 PM : Jul 22, 2008




Then why do you support policies that hurt America? Why do you support failure and corruption at every opportunity? Why do you hate freedom? Why do you hate America so much that you would sell us out?

[singingrick]

He speaks worse than Bush ever did.

Posted by ddhinnyc at 01:05 PM : Jul 22, 2008






Really? What specifically did he say that was Bushlike?


By the way, did you vote for Bush twice?


Hello?

You there?

ddhinnyc?

Got nothing?

Though so.





Crickets.......
.....





lol!

[minuteman-1]

I told you libs, that Obama is now a war-monger, showing "hawkish" side

I guess you must feel a little ripped off, because the Obamination was soooooooo anti-war during the primary, but once he had the liberal lefties in his hip pocket, he was free to swing baby swing like a pendulum......he''s just Obush and Osame as before

[pittsnoggle2]

CBS, why don''t you just come out and endorse him? I have never seen such a coordinated campaign by a media outlet to get a candidate elected.

Why don''t you just let Barry''s campaign write the articles for you? You could save a lot of money.

[minuteman-1]

pittsnoggle2 at 01:21 PM

You are so right about that one, these articles are so lefty-biased, it is downright comical, as in the funny pages, cartoon funny

[singingrick]

I told you libs, that Obama is now a war-monger, showing "hawkish" side


Posted by Minuteman-1 at 01:20 PM : Jul 22, 2008



No you told us Obama was a liberal apeaser not a hawk. You also have shown us that you will say or do anything to smear Obama and keep the neocon agenda rolling forward.

Question:

If you have to lie or parrot someone else''s lies to promote your agenda, then what are you promoting? Are you trying to get the American people to vote against their own interests again?

[terrorislamo]

SHOW US YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE HUSSEIN,,,

Is Obama%u2019s %u201CFight The Smears%u201D Passing Off A Fraudulent Document As His %u201CCertificate of Live Birth%u201D?
Barack Obama%u2019s Achilles heel?
This may be the most damning evidence to date. Obama may be over the barrel now, once and for all.
Janice Okubo, Director of Communications of the State of Hawaii Department of Health confirms all earlier suspicions of a forgery.
The million dollar question remains. What is Obama hiding?
Faked certificate suggests that Obama may not be %u201Cnatural born%u201D US citizen
It is now a certainty that the %u201Cbirth certificate%u201D claimed by the Barack Obama campaign as authentic is a photoshopped fake.
The image, purporting to come from the Hawaii Department of Health, has been the subject of intense skepticism in the blogosphere in the past two weeks. But now the senior spokesman of that Department has confirmed to Israel Insider what are the required features of a certified birth document %u2014 features that Obama%u2019s purported %u201Cbirth certificate%u201D clearly lack.
http://conservablogs.com/velvethammer/2008/06/25/obamas-fight-the-smears-daily-kos-are-passing-off-a-fraudulent-document-as-his-certificate-of-live-birth/

[mcvet]

ANYONE who thinks a young Man from the South Side of Chicago is Week needs to have the head checked! LOL If there is ONE constant about this City it''s they do NOT fit a mold. That''s how it''s been for a LONG LONG time.

[singingrick]

He speaks worse than Bush ever did.

Posted by ddhinnyc at 01:05 PM : Jul 22, 2008






Really? What specifically did he say that was Bushlike?


By the way, did you vote for Bush twice?



Still got nothing?


No problem, just switch you moniker and start spewing more Republican talking point propaganda again.


lol!

[briannorwood]

Minuteman-1:

Hold on a minute, cowboy! I am a liberal. I was against the war in Iraq from the outset, and continue to believe it was the greatest foreign policy blunder in American history.

But, like nearly every American (and, I might add, the rest of the world after 9/11), I FULLY supported our invasion in Afghanistan for the following reasons:

1. Whereas Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, the Taliban did by providing aid and materiel to Osama Bin Ladin.

2. There was a moral imperative against the brutal policies of the Taliban against the Afghani people.

I don''t like war, but all patriots must believe in and support our country''s efforts when the cause is just.

So, although you would love to continue to believe we liberals are "unpatriotic", you are dead wrong.

[PacificGatePost]

OBAMA WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY MEETING EXPECTATIONS, INCLUDING HIS OWN ---

Obama%u2019s impossible road ahead:


http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-obama-will-win-but-cant-deliver.html

[briannorwood]

Minuteman-1:

Hold on a minute, cowboy! I am a liberal. I was against the war in Iraq from the outset, and continue to believe it was the greatest foreign policy blunder in American history.

But, like nearly every American (and, I might add, the rest of the world after 9/11), I FULLY supported our invasion in Afghanistan for the following reasons:

1. Whereas Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, the Taliban did by providing aid and materiel to Osama Bin Ladin.

2. There was a moral imperative against the brutal policies of the Taliban against the Afghani people.

I don''t like war, but all patriots must believe in and support our country''s efforts when the cause is just.

So, although you would love to continue to believe we liberals are "unpatriotic", you are dead wrong.

[PacificGatePost]

OBAMA WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY MEETING EXPECTATIONS, INCLUDING HIS OWN ---

Obama%u2019s impossible road ahead:


http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-obama-will-win-but-cant-deliver.html

[missingamerica]

It is my observation that Democrats are not fond of death and destruction because (for the benefit of you Republicans) death and destruction is bad.

Republicans, too, are often reluctant to pursue warlike policies - if it might inhibit business and/or profits. On the other hand, killing people to enhance profits is quite acceptable to a Republican.

That contradiction leads to the ongoing quagmire of the Middle East, wherein the Republicans have us kill enough people to ensure the flow of oil and enhance profits, but we cannot kill too many people or destroy too much stuff as that would disrupt the flow of oil and severely inhibit profits - even as it forced us to replace oil.

So, Republicans have to strike a delicate balance between not enough death and destruction and too much death and destruction.

See how it works? And you thought it was easy being a Republican!

[libh8er]

''Obama Shows Hawkish Side On Mideast Trip''


BLAHAHAHA!! Man, the LAMESTREAM media is really going all out for this guy. No lie is too big!!

[hypnotoad72]

Now many have espoused "All war is eeeeeeeevil" mindsets.

Many say GWB lied, blah blah blah.

Yet we have videos from the 1990s of Al Gore and Bill Clinton saying the same things GWB had.

Pelosi turned to being a ''hawk''.

Candidate Clinton was always on the money re: foreign policy.

Many people Obama is flip-flopping. What if, for sake of conversation if nothing more, he''s seen stuff that proves the anti-war folks have got it all wrong?

[bookout2]

Oh. is that fat Al sharpton Barack Obama is kissing..
...er, shaking hands with?