Barack Obama: The pretender

Barack Obama traveled the world pretending to be president. He traveled through Europe posing for the paparazzi who were pretending to be journalists.

In an unprecedented campaign merger, every network news anchor – NBC's Brian Williams, CBS' Katie Couric and ABC's Charlie Gibson – followed Obama like lemmings of the left. Also traveling with them were the media personnel whose job it was to remind them to remove their Obama campaign buttons before turning on the cameras.

Even the media acknowledged it. Get a load of CBS' Early Show's Harry Smith's question to Sen. McCain: "You know, when you have the network anchors chasing your opponent across the Middle East, it's a little hard to make news. What is your strategy to get folks to pay attention to your message over the next couple of days?"

Good question.

Last week, I had the Media Research Center's Seton Motley on my Faith2Action radio program. He said the only way Sen. McCain could get coverage with a media like this would be to "set himself on fire. … But then, it would be negative coverage about the harmful impact to the environment and the size of his carbon footprint."

Cozying up to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Obama literally pulled at his arm to keep Sarkozy from walking up the stairs to the "meeting," so even more pictures could be snapped. That was why he was there, after all.

CNN commentators couldn't contain their glee as they clamored to compliment the presidential pretender. Grinning and gushing, they tripped over themselves to predict this second meeting "certainly" wouldn't be the "last" meeting Obama would have with the French president. They "certainly" hoped not. I felt so nauseous I turned the channel.

But MSNBC wasn't any better. They shilled for Obama against those who would dare question him, proudly proclaiming, "I was there." They all want their photo-op in "history" far more than the appearance of objectivity.

But Barack wouldn't meet with U.S. troops in Germany. He wouldn't meet with the troops in Afghanistan. He's just running for "commander in chief," after all. He had time to play basketball for the cameras, however. Visiting wounded soldiers wasn't his priority – especially if there weren't any cameras allowed for him to stand in front of and pose.

Or maybe he didn't want any uncomfortable questions from soldiers who have risked their lives and wonder why Obama voted against the resources they desperately needed, or why he wants to throw away their progress to cut and run.

No, instead of encouraging our troops or listening to wounded soldiers, Obama followed the cameras and the crowds.

But in Berlin, instead of pretending to be president or even a presidential candidate, Obama sounded more like Nicolae Carpathia, of the "Left Behind" series.

He spoke of a "global partnership," "global citizenship" and "global commitment," "global development" and "those left behind in a globalized world." "Left Behind" in a globalized world? Interesting wording.

He also left out his plans for an $845 billion to a taxpayer-supported poverty program. There was also no mention of his $439 billion "civilian national security force," either – but he's been quiet about that since he first brought it up in a July 2 speech.

He then spoke of "a world that stands as one," and thinks with a Google search of historic facts and cliché-ridden sound bites spoken in monotone, he's just the guy to do it.

Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant, whose capture in Somalia in 1993 was made famous by the movie "Black Hawk Down," had this to say in a statement released yesterday:

The Obama campaign had also scheduled a visit with wounded U.S. troops at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, but this stop was canceled after it became clear that campaign staff and the traveling press corps would not be allowed to accompany Senator Obama.

I've spent time at Ramstein recovering from wounds received in the service of my country, and I'm sure that Senator Obama could have made no better use of his time than to meet with our men and women in uniform there. That Barack Obama believes otherwise casts serious doubt on his judgment and calls into question his priorities.

It "casts serious doubt on his judgment and calls into question his priorities." I agree.

No matter what you think about him, one thing's for sure: John McCain is the real deal. What you see is what you get. And what you don't see is what you'd expect from him: When he travels, he makes sure he sees soldiers. He's the first to thank them and the first to encourage them even if there isn't a camera around for miles. He's the first to listen to what our soldiers have to say. We just don't hear about it on the news – they're all too busy campaigning for Obama.