Obama trip abroad aims to aid image

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By Joseph Curl

While Sen. Barack Obama has pledged to meet with foreign leaders even before he takes office if he is elected president, it is Sen. John McCain who has enjoyed the solo spotlight on the world stage, bolstering his already jam-packed resume on international affairs.

Mr. McCain, who leaves Tuesday for Mexico and Colombia, has already traveled to six countries since all but locking down the Republican nomination. He has visited troops in Iraq and stood solemnly at the Western Wall in Israel with Sen. Joe Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew. The Republican spent a day in Jordan, then overnighted in Paris and London, and on each stop along the way, he met with that nation's top leader for private talks.

His solo show, though, has worn thin on Mr. Obama, who announced Saturday that he too will head overseas in an effort to capture some of the world spotlight.

"I do think McCain's travels are pushing Obama out there, because the biggest hit on Obama is his lack of foreign-policy experience," Democratic strategist Liz Chadderdon said. "He can't let McCain run the table on that issue."

Democratic strategist Bud Jackson agreed, saying Mr. Obama "has more to gain by being on an international stage."

"It would be an important visual that would raise his stature and go a long way towards helping him pass the commander-in-chief test," he said.

Noting that many voters already view Mr. McCain as well-versed in foreign affairs, "people aren't there yet with Barack Obama because he isn't as well-known and doesn't have a great deal of international experience," Mr. Jackson said.

Mr. Obama is mapping out a travel itinerary that will take him along much of a path already traveled by Mr. McCain. The Democrat plans stops in France and England, along with Jordan, Israel and Iraq. The Obama campaign released no dates or details of the trip , saying only it would be "this summer" and will also include visits to Afghanistan and Germany.

"This trip will be an important opportunity for me to assess the situation in countries that are critical to American national security, and to consult with some of our closest friends and allies about the common challenges we face," Mr. Obama said in a statement.

The 46-year-old, first-term senator's summer trip will bring ample positives and negatives. Mr. Obama, on the plus side, is extremely popular in Europe, and an enthusiastic welcome will likely play endlessly on U.S. cable news programs. But a major misstep will open the door to fierce criticism.

"Any international gaffe by Senator Obama could heighten concerns about his job readiness, so his campaign really needs to have its act together to flawlessly execute any international trips," Mr. Jackson said. "But it's a risk that must be taken because the reward is essential to winning this campaign."

The candidate already made a major misstep last month when speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Seeking to shore up his shaky support among U.S. Jews, Mr. Obama told the powerful pro-Israel group that Jerusalem "must" remain the "undivided" capital of the Jewish state.

The issue is the most sensitive of all between the Palestinians and Israelis, as both claim the city as their capital. The State Department immediately distanced itself from the comment, saying "it is for the parties to resolve these issues" and should not be influenced by "presidential politics."

Still, Mr. McCain's foreign trips have not gone without a hitch. In Jordan, he said Iran was training al Qaeda terrorists. Mr. Lieberman stepped behind the senator and whispered into his ear that it was Shi'ite extremists, not Sunni al Qaeda, that was going to predominantly Shi'ite Iran for training.

Less meaningful but equally embarrassing was an incident the next day, when Mr. McCain said the Jewish holiday Purim was "their version of Halloween." While children dress up for what is considered a joyous day, the holiday commemorates how the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from mass execution.

The merits of whether presidential candidates should spend even one of the 130 days left before Election Day traveling abroad is an open question.

"With $4 a gallon gas and $5 a gallon milk at home, I think they're both making a mistake by leaving the country," Miss Chadderdon said. "The voters and the issues are in the U.S. The candidates need to be in Colombia and Mexico - but Columbia and Mexico, Missouri."