AP: Barack Obama prefers cooperation abroad

[dkf]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Based on his Senate history, Barack Obama as president would likely push to expand human rights and reduce poverty abroad using cooperation rather than confrontation. If foreign events permit.

Aside from his vigorous opposition to the Iraq war, Obama spent more of his time on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on speeches and inspirational trips than on investigations and aggressive oversight. He was a junior senator with an agreeable manner who was just beginning to cut his teeth on foreign policy issues when he decided to run for president.

Since he took office in 2005, much of Obama's work attracted little, if any, attention because of the nation's focus on the Iraq war. Obama pushed through legislation that condemned violence by the Zimbabwe government, for example. He helped raise awareness about Darfur and called on the administration to do more to reduce global poverty.

In 2005, he traveled with Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., to Russian nuclear sites. In 2006, he visited the Middle East and Africa, where he and his wife publicly took HIV tests in Kenya to encourage citizens there to do the same.

The young senator's approach to issues attracted the attention of Lugar, the committee's senior Republican. After their visit to former Soviet states, the two co-sponsored legislation aimed at making it easier to detect and destroy weapons stockpiles. More recently, Lugar signed on as co-sponsor of Obama's anti-poverty proposal.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA_FOREIGN_POLICY?SITE=SCGRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[TexasObserver]

1. As a country, we have to heal the horrific damage Bush/Cheney have done to America's standing.

We badly need someone like Obama, who is not too proud to communicate to the world that America is not going to be the world's school bully any more.

[MagsDem]

2. What, he didn't turn water into wine, too?

Voting against his own party's attempts to withdraw from Iraq before it was cool to vote WITH his party's attempts to withdraw from Iraq = "vigorous opposition." LOL!

Man, the press has spoken, and Obama is shall be. Until the GE of course.

[Guava Jelly]

3. Wow

"In 2006, he visited the Middle East and Africa, where he and his wife publicly took HIV tests in Kenya to encourage citizens there to do the same."

I liked this part :)

[Warren Stupidity]

4. I AM SO DONE WITH OBAMA IM SERIES THIS IS HUGH!!1!!1!!

We cannot cooperate with other nations. They will be demanding fair and equal treatment. They will start insisting on respect for their sovereignty. This is unamerican and unacceptable. I am so done with the turban wearing muslim cult of america-hating barak hussein obama. Thank you.

[mmonk]

5. But but but.....

that's not being a "realist".

[Scurrilous]

6. K & R

:thumbsup: