LONDON, July 26, 2008
Obama Back On Home Soil After Foreign Tour
Democratic Candidate Lands In Chicago; Deflected Criticism Of His Trip Earlier In The Day
-
-
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., waves to the media at 10 Downing Street after a meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London, July 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
-
U.S. Democratic presidential contender Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., right, talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the garden of Number 10 Downing Street, London, July 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Jim Young, Pool)
-
-
Photo Essay Obama in the Mideast Democratic presidential hopeful holds talks in Iraq, Afghanistan
-
In-Depth VP Hot Sheet: Obama CBSNews.com ranks the top contenders to be Obama's running mate.
On the last leg of his trip in London, Obama brushed aside Republican criticism of his overseas trip and stood outside the famed 10 Downing St. to say that both President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain were moving his way on the key issues of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hours before flying home Saturday, Obama also suggested his poll numbers might dip in the coming days, adding: "We have been out of the country for a week. People are worried about gas prices and home foreclosures."
At the same time, he said the journey to two war zones, the Mideast and Europe was important because "many of the issues that we face at home are not going to be solved as effectively unless we have strong partners abroad."
On The Early Show, Republican strategist Kevin Madden said the risk for Obama on his overseas trip was that some American voters might believe the presumptive Democratic nominee was "more interested in Berlin, Germany instead of Berlin, New Hampshire.
"That's the big risk here. Does he look more interested in appealing to Europeans than the Americans facing everything from rising gas prices and unemployment?"
In Arizona on Saturday, McCain took a swipe at the headline-making trip in a radio address on Iraq and energy that his campaign made available to the media: "With all the breathless coverage from abroad, and with Sen. Obama now addressing his speeches to the people of the world, I'm starting to feel a little left out. Maybe you are, too."
But Obama sought to turn that back on his critics. He said McCain had earlier been "telling me I was supposed to take this trip. He suggested it and thought it was a good idea."
"John McCain has visited every one of these countries post-primary that I have," he said. "So it doesn't strike me that we have done anything different than the McCain campaign has done, which is to recognize that part of the job of the next president, commander in chief is to forge effective relationships with our allies."
The trip was designed by the campaign to show Obama on an international stage in a way that aides hoped would reassure voters who have doubts about his ability to become commander in chief or chart a course for American foreign policy. Jews at home were an audience of particular concern, reflected in his two-night stay in Jerusalem.
Mike Crowley, Senior Editor of the "The New Republic," said the images of Obama over the past week will only benefit him. "Barack Obama was a state senator five years ago," he said on The Early Show. "If people think he looks too presidential, he'll take that good news for him.
"He's going to come back, when this trip's over, hammering the kitchen table issues: gas prices, price of food. He's going to let people know he cares about that, [but he] had to get this done, show people 'I can do the world stage and do it well,' and I think he succeeded."
McCain has long opposed Obama's call for a 16-month timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq. On Friday, though, McCain said, "I think it's a pretty good timetable, as we should - or horizons for withdrawal," echoing a phrase Bush used in recent days. "But they have to be based on conditions on the ground."
At his news conference, Obama jumped on that to say there was now some convergence "around a proposal that we have been making for a year and a half."
He also said McCain supports sending additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, "and the Bush administration acknowledges that as well. I have been talking about that since last year," he said.
The senator also said he had canceled a planned trip to visit wounded members of the armed forced in Germany after officials told him a retired two-star general who is an adviser was considered campaign staff and "it would therefore be perceived as political because he had endorsed my candidacy but wasn't on the Senate staff."
He said that as a result, he scrapped the trip to avoid injecting wounded troops into a political controversy.
Obama's final day in Europe included meetings with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the official residence at 10 Downing St. and with Conservative Party Leader David Cameron in the opposition party's offices in Parliament. Brown's government is unpopular, and his party recently lost a local election that underscored its weakness.
Still, Obama said he had no advice for Brown. "You are always more popular before you are actually in charge of things. And then, you know, once you are responsible then you are going to make some people unhappy, and that is just the nature of politics," he said.
He also breakfasted with former Prime Minister Tony Blair, now a Middle East envoy.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From Politics
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
... - 36
- next
See all 705 CommentsYou are just a one-note boneheaded loser. Take a clue from being banned as rowdywitless, and realize you''re too dishonest to be allowed with normal people.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by banders6 at 07:49 AM : Jul 28, 2008
Well said!
It''s kindof absurd the lengths he goes to to try to scam people and brainwash them. But what''s really scarey is that people really believe the goon.
Ok, I''m getting really sick about hearing about this illegal war we went into after these Islamofast bastwards killed 3,000 of our people. Frankly the more of them dead, the better as far as I''m concerned.
But back to this illegal war. Who made it illegal? Where is your proof it''s illegal? And what jail are the people in who committed this ILLEGAL war?
When somebody''s been tried, it''s been proven to be illegal by some authority, and people are IN FACT proven to be criminals and are in jail. Then there you have an illegal war.
Until then it''s just a bunch of bull ***** propaganda being spewed out in hate!
Is that simple enough for your victimized, defeatism mind?
And say, what''s your take on edwards and his affair and love child??
SAy, CBS, we know you''re in the tank for the dems, ALL OF THEM. BUT, why still no coverage of edwards and the hotel incident??
I mean, come on, if it were a Republican you guys would be all over it. He''s the guy who was VP candidate last time around with kerry, presidential candidate this time around and you don''t cover his illicit affair???
You married your sister didn''t you? And you Mom is also you cousin.
And should Mr. Obama win, as appears more likely with each passing day, back to where will your shiny "white" one go?
Seeing as how McSame promises to continue the illegal and unpopular war, it defies logic that it will not be a concern. You state that the surge is working, but like so many, won''t say what it is working about it.
The fact that we illegally invaded and occupy a sovereign nation, committing horrendous crimes against humanity in the process, and losing the lives of 4,100 of our own, and killing more than a million innocent citizens of the victim country will not be forgotten just because a few less US lives are being lost.
McSame is a promise to continue the bloodshed for lies, and this will indeed be a factor in the election, the choice is between the status quo, and a departure from it.
Most of us see the continuance of the status quo, whether war, or "trickle down economics" as not an option.
Posted by johnbush2 at 11:01 PM : Jul 27, 2008
johnmccain.com, shows him with a double digit lead?
And that''s surprising to you?
Yeah, to you it probably is surprising.
Posted by ProMacLaura at 10:29 PM : Jul 27, 2008
Obama DID visit the wounded troops, doctors, and nurses at the hospital in Iraq, while it was still a congressional delegation (because Hagel and Reed were still with him).
Once he got to Germany, it was ONLY A POLITICAL trip, and it would have been viewed as using the troops as props. Obviously, the GOP considers the troops as nothing more than "political props", so they''re trying to accuse Obama of something they''re morally incapable of - respecting the members of the military.
I bet he could kick your white trash azzz all the way back to that catfish fry in your trailor.
you wish
But I say lets just kick Obama''s shiny black @ss back to the senate.
I KNEW the air outside started to smell funny at about the SAME TIME. Huh, I wonder...
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
... - 36
- next
See all 705 Comments