My friend Rusty offers this discussion of Obama's stated foreign policy positions:

OBAMA: FOREIGN POLICY LITE

I'm a frequent contributor to the enthusiastic exchange of ideas that occurs on the Boulder (People's) Daily Camera's web-site. Being essentially a conservative, especially with respect to issues surrounding national security, I am, as one might imagine, in the minority on this forum. In any event, during the course of a debate about the merits or lack thereof of Barak Obama's foreign policy, another "contributor" encouraged me to read Obama's "progressive" foreign policy positions for myself and referred me to Obama's official website. Following is what I found. My comments in caps.

Obama will secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within four years. While we work to secure existing stockpiles of nuclear material, Obama will negotiate a verifiable global ban on the production of new nuclear weapons material. This will deny terrorists the ability to steal or buy loose nuclear materials. OF COURSE HE WILL "WORK TO SECURE EXISTING STOCKPILES". HOW? IT TAKES TWO, OR MORE TO TANGO. WHAT WILL HE DO DIFFERENTLY TO ENSURE THAT HE CAN HAVE SUCCESS? HASN"T BUSH "WORKED TO NEGOTIATE A VERIFIABLE" BAN ON IRAN'S PRODUCTION OF NEW NUCLEAR WEAPONS MATERIAL? DOES OBAMA REALLY THINK WE CAN "NEGOTIATE" WITH AHMADINEJAD?

Talk to our Foes and Friends: Obama is willing to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe. He will do the careful preparation necessary, but will signal that America is ready to come to the table, and that he is willing to lead. And if America is willing to come to the table, the world will be more willing to rally behind American leadership to deal with challenges like terrorism, and Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs. AL QAEDA IS NOT A NATION. NOT YET ANYWAY. IT IS NAIVE TO BELIEVE THAT TALKING WILL DISSUADE AL QAEDA FROM THEIR OBJECTIVES. IN FACT, IT IS INDEED AUDACIOUS TO THINK WE CAN JUST "HOPE IT AWAY". WE ARE ALREADY TALKING TO IRAN AND NORTH KOREA. THANKFULLY THOUGH, THE BUSH ADMIN IS KEEPING IT CLOSE TO THE VEST AND NOT RELEASING A TRANSCRIPT OF EVERY 'CONVERSATION' TO THE NY TIMES.

Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. ...if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda. AND, IN SO DOING, WE SQUANDER ALL THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE IN THE LAST YEAR? OK..WE PULL OUT. WHEN INEVITABLY, AL QAEDA DOES BUILD A BASE, WE THEN GO BACK AND TRY AND STOP THEM? WHY NOT STAY TILL THE JOB IS DONE AND THE IRAQIS ARE READY TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES? PREVENTION IS THE BEST MEDICINE AGAINST THE CANCER THAT IS AL QAEDA.

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Further, Obama advocates adding approximately 100,000 troops, including Army and Marines, to "strengthen our military". If his foreign policy is supposed to be so effective at keeping us out of wars, then why do we need all those soldiers (at a cost of tens of billions of dollars per year)? Is it a form of welfare? These questions are especially valid in the context of his plan to bring 150,000 home from Iraq in the next 16 months. What will we do with them all? Why have them if we do not use them? Maybe he would advocate invading Pakistan to find Bin Laden, et al. Now that might be a good idea.

Finally, Obama's enthusiastic support for Israel as expressed on his website, is irreconcilable with his intent to engage Iran. How do you engage a country that is sworn to the destruction of an important ally? "With missles", might be the best answer, but in any event, his foreign policy reflects a naivety and indeed "Audacity of Hope" that it will all just work out. We can't just hope, we have to lead and we have to do.