Obama: I Traveled To Pakistan In College

Talking Points Memo ^

[Sub-Driver]

Obama: I Traveled To Pakistan In College By Greg Sargent - April 7, 2008, 1:41PM

The Obama campaign says it's not disupting this account by The Huffington Post's Off the Trail of some remarks Obama made at a California fundraiser last night, including this:

"I traveled to Pakistan when I was in college -- I knew what Sunni and Shia was [sic] before I joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee..."

We don't recall this being public before, but if it has been, let us know.

Obama also suggested that he wouldn't be looking for a hawkish type to shore up his foreign policy credentials when searching for a veep...

"I would like somebody who knows about a bunch of stuff that I'm not as expert on," he said, and then he was off and running. "I think a lot of people assume that might be some sort of military thing to make me look more Commander-in-Chief-like.

[NathanR]

"I knew what Sunni and Shia was [sic] before I joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee."

I would think that being educated in the largest Islamic country in the world, Indonesia, would have taught him that.

[maggief]

Another family visit?!

[pissant]

Why would a privileged college student go to Pakistan?

[dead]

The press will pump him up, but Obama running for president is absolutely ridiculous. He’s actually citing a college vacation as foreign policy experience.

That really sums it up perfectly.

It's like the goofy "Experience" you list on your first resume after college - "I ran the pool concession stand where I was also a lifeguard..."

Seriously, McCain is an absolute kook, and he's still going to bury this dork.

[Timeout]

According to this article his mother worked in Pakistan for a while.

But if he visited her there, why didn’t he mention it in his books? This is a weird development this late in their campaign.

Also. Read the article about his mother. Man, that woman was busy doing everything in the world EXCEPT raising her child.

[Timeout]

Sorry, here’s the link to that article about Obama’s mother.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aOOwMgWY_VIA&refer=home

[Enchante]

I’m a couple of years older than Obambi and travelled a good deal in student-type hostels, cheap hotels, campgrounds, etc. in western Europe, North America, and Latin America in the late ‘70s to early ‘80s. I was hitchhiking, taking trains, hanging out in youth hostels etc. Thus, I talked with tons of people doing similar things and heard all the tales of where they’d been and where they wanted to go. Of all the places in the world, I cannot remember ANY of my contemporaries EVER saying they had been or wanted to go to Pakistan..... not even from among all the ones who wanted to go to India or Nepal, etc.

I find it extremely curious that Obambi would have found his way to Pakistan in that era.... WHY? Who or what brought him there? Pakistan was not anywhere on the travel agenda of any of my fellow hippy-dippy student travelers who longed to explore Europe, Africa, Latin America, east Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and India/Nepal.

[maggief]

From your link:

“In 1986, Dunham did a one-year development project in Pakistan. That year, mother and daughter took a two-week journey along the old Silk Route to China.

Dunham’s work for the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan was followed by stints at People’s Bank of Indonesia and Women’s World Banking in New York. She also did consulting work for the World Bank and USAID. “

[teddyballgame]

Or, is this must a little pre-emptive damage control before those passport records leak out?

ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. How long before we hear that this is “old news”, “time to move on” and “nothing new here”. Evidently he was paying attention during the ‘90s.

[indcons]

Thanks - I won’t be too surprised to learn that his mother converted to islam. After all, she had quite the affinity for the ROP and its adherents.

[Enchante]

Ah, so he may have been drawn to Pakistan by the white mom whose side of the family has been almost completely obliterated from his life and history except when it’s convenient to call Grandma a racist...... very interesting.

[stylin19a]

Obama is chair of The Subcommittee On European Affairs.

It has Jurisdiction Over The Countries Of Europe, As Well As NATO Activities. “Jurisdiction: The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries on the continent of Europe...and with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.”

He hasn't convened a single meeting.

Let's ask him to release his passport information, that'll tell us where he's been and when.

[Reagan79]

Will he be the first President to go to Mecca? They have to do a pilgrimidge ya know.

[pissant]

Barry graduated from Columbia in 1983. He entered law school in 1988. So for 5 years he was not in college.

[elpadre]

“. It is a very important part of the job description of the United States Military that it not get involved in domestic politics”

I realize that, but if a nominee for POTUS were a subversive, not that Obama is, but if such were true, is there no mechanism by which the public can be informed. It has always bothered me that federal elections require no back ground investigations and undoubtedly there have been security risks in Congress. I know that in the 60’s there was a card carrying member of the Cosa Nostra who danced on his boss's string, in the House from NJ - probably more.

“The CIA is fearless in the field?” - sorry - a slip up - mia culpa

[CharlesWayneCT]

Did he really say “Commander-in-chief like”?

[FreedomPoster]

Ping. Is this one in your pages?

[xuberalles]

Yep. Of course he traveled there to spread christianity!