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TechnoratiObama Girds for Global Test
Aides try to lower expectations ahead of U.S. president's debut on world political stage
WASHINGTON - As a massive entourage assembles to escort U.S. President Barack Obama on his first overseas journey tomorrow, White House aides are moving to lower the bar of expectations for what is expected to be his first crucial test of global leadership.
![[President Barack Obama makes remarks about the American automotive industry, Monday, March 30, 2009, in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/obama_talking.jpg "obama_talking.jpg")
Upwards of 500 officials - from senior cabinet colleagues, aides and security details to teams of doctors and personal chefs - are involved in Obama's seven-day whirlwind, which includes summits of the G20, NATO and European Union, plus meetings with the leaders of Russia and China, and ends with two days in Turkey.
The White House mantra on the goals of the journey is "to listen and to lead by example" - a phrase intended to maximize Obama's bridge-building credentials in resetting the tone of American foreign relations.
But the prospects of him returning with much more than reciprocal goodwill are far from assured. Europe, for its part, remains bitterly divided on the merits of the Obama administration's formula of debt-expanding stimulus strategies for economic revival. And the political appetite for a serious expansion of the NATO-led effort in Afghanistan, as outlined by Obama last week, appears even smaller.
"I don't think he will come away with much. Yes, this is his moment of honeymoon, he should be able to do things - but getting more deeply mired in Afghanistan doesn't work for Europe," said Richard Ned Lebow, a foreign policy expert at New Hampshire's Dartmouth College.
"You can say that Obama inherited such an awful problem that he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. But the fact is, Obama has made Afghanistan his problem now - he owns it.
"And if he uses his leverage to twist arms and have states extend their commitments in Afghanistan, that means they will be less likely to be forthcoming on other issues."
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs jokingly referred to the trip as "our European vacation." But there will be barely a moment of leisure after Obama arrives in London tomorrow night.
On Wednesday, he is to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, British opposition leader David Cameron and the Queen.
Thursday, on the sidelines of the G20 summit, he is to meet with the leaders of India, Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Proceeding to the 60th anniversary NATO summit Friday and Saturday - co-hosted by border towns Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany - Obama will have his first formal encounters since winning the presidency with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The U.S. delegation then proceeds to Prague on Sunday, where Obama will meet more European Union leaders to discuss energy and climate issues and deliver what White House offices say will be a "major address" on nuclear proliferation.
Obama moves to Turkey late Sunday for a visit to Ankara and Istanbul, where, in addition to meeting leaders, the president is expected to host an "online roundtable," reaching out to discuss American foreign policy with students in Asia and Europe.
In a briefing on the goals of the trip, White House aides urged reporters to see the next week not as a test of Obama's aptitude on the world stage but rather "as an opportunity to consolidate much of the work that we've done" during the first two months in power.
"The president recognizes that ... we don't get to choose when the test comes," said deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough.
"He's ready any day of the week - every day of the week - for just that."
12 Comments so far
Show AllI think Obama is doing the best that he can with what was given to him. Get Real
"...doing the best that he can with what was given to him..." Doing the "best" for whom. Bush handed the New World Order baton to Obama and Obama's running with it. After his little speech last week, a reporter asked Obama what he thought about a Global Currency. Obama said he "didn't favor" a Global Currency. That was another bold face LIE, not unlike all of Obama's other bold faced LIES, since Geithner and Bernanke are both seriously considering and talking about a Global Currency ala Gordon Brown and other globalist heads of state. Wake Up!! This is about gaining control of all real assets under a small group of international bankers. ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT--NO SOVEREIGNTY--NO VOICE--ECONOMIC SLAVERY--CONTINUED EXTERMINATION OF THE 'USELESS EATERS'.
The new boss is the same as the old boss America and that's not an accident. Our left vs right democrat vs republican divide and conquer ponzi scheme is a thing of beauty for the elite and you make it possible.
We need terms for congress and criminal prosecutions for all who have aided and embedded the criminal activities of the international corporations in washington as well.
Next election cycle we have to kick them all out every damn one of them and get the money out of Washington or you can forget about what's left of our country.
DEMOPUBLICANS/REPUBLICRATS = THE ELITE CONTROL THE USA
It is time to impeach Obama for his war crimes in Pakistan.
A nation that sets itself above the law, recognizes no courts but its own, will not admit to breaking the law and considers itself to be the policeman and arbiter of the world is not going to fare well in the community of civilized nations.
We've too long a history of courting despots who will say they are against what we are against, and overthrowing those who do not agree with us through black-ops and economic blackmail to have any credence in the world, unless we can SHOW the world that we have reformed. Unfortunately, I don't see much chance of that happening.
If we chopped twenty or thirty percent off our bloated war budget and dismantled or really curbed the CIA, and put the money back into benefiting the people of the US and the world, recognized the World Court and the work of the UN, perhaps we would be invited to join the civilized world.
A new box of bandaids and BS won't do it, nor widening the wars, and that is all I've seen offered so far by the Obamanation.
A nation that sets itself above the law, recognizes no courts but its own, will not admit to breaking the law and considers itself to be the policeman and arbiter of the world is not going to fare well in the community of civilized nations.
All empires die. All of them. We are declining, slipping into the irreversible coma of every strutting, ass kicking, know-it-all psycho-bully nation who briefly stuck rolled up socks in its crotch and paraded around the world in tight pants. Show's over.
couldn't have stated it better.
It is still best and right to pressure Obama to do it.
Obama takes his orders from someone else... wake up!!
I sure hope that the Europeans pressure Obama to join the World Court so America can join the world for peace and Justice.
PEACE AND JUSTICE? That's why 24k human beings die everyday from starvation while international food corporations hoard and speculate on food reserves. GET REAL!
This article emphasizes the European disdain for stimulus package-induced deficits. It fails to mention the European desire to regulate not only national financial industries, but the global financial industry.
The US has been able to unilaterally dictate to Europe for many years. Now the US will need to negotiate and it makes sense for the Eurpoeans to hold out on stimulus until the US agrees to re-apply New Deal regulation and expanded regulation.
To date Obama and his insiders have hinted at applying "oversight" on Wall Street's terms. They have not hinted at any meaningful regulation of the US financial industry, or any regulation of the global financial industry.
The longer Wall Street remains out of control, the longer and deeper the depression will become. On 2/24/09 Obama said "I get it". To date he has not demonstrated that he gets it.