Obama, who announced his candidacy in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln and who is pledging a governing style straight out of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s landmark Lincoln book, “A Team Of Rivals,” will look in predictable places for his running mate but may surprise the nation with an unknown, or dare we say, perhaps even a Republican.

Having followed Obama closely for more than a year, here is my Top 10 list of vice presidential candidates Obama should consider:

1. Chris Dodd. I have had the theory that Dodd would make a strong running mate for Obama should the Illinois senator get the Democratic nomination — even though this would run counter to conventional wisdom about picking a vice presidential candidate from a key state (Florida or Ohio) or going with a Southerner or Latino.

As I reported earlier, Dr. Steven Kraus of Carroll observed something several weeks ago at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner: Dodd, a U.S. senator from Connecticut, and Obama clearly have respect for each other.

Dodd is simply a classy senator who can answer questions with reliable competency. Yes, the Southwest likely will determine the 2008 election, and sure, a Richardson vice presidential nomination makes sense because of this. But Dodd is fluent in Spanish as I saw firsthand when Lorena Lopez of La Prensa and I conducted a joint interview with him. If Obama gets the nomination, Dodd complements him in a number of ways as a running mate — including his ability to campaign in Spanish.

Dodd won’t make mistakes out there and with his reassuring white hair, the elder statesman would be a nice balance for Obama. Youth and wisdom. Age and experience.

2. Richard Lugar. Yes, Lugar is 76, and obviously, he is a Republican. But Obama mentions him frequently as Lugar, a Hoosier State senator, has served as something of a mentor to Obama, 30 years his junior. With serious foreign policy credentials and ice-veined competence, Lugar would signal that Obama is governing in the here and now — or the “fierce urgency of now,” a quote he often borrows from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Obama could reach to the GOP and independents with the argument that he’s not looking to set up succession for the party.

3. Ed Rendell. The Democratic governor of Pennsylvania makes sense from several strategic angles. He’s in a swing state. He’s an effective campaigner so he could knock heads around while Obama stays on the high road. Then there are the optics. With a paunchy countenance and the old-school girth of gut, Rendell, who is white, is the perfect counterbalance to Obama. Finally, Rendell has a major advantage over many white potential VPs. He understands racial politics as he has experience dealing with Philadelphia and large cities with high minority populations so he is less likely to walk into a racial minefield (or take Obama into one) than, say, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who just didn’t have that much experience dealing with diversity.

4. Warren Buffett. The Oracle of Omaha is 76, but as the economy becomes a bigger issue, why not select the smartest guy in the room when it comes to money? Buffett is beloved by Republicans (for helping make them money) and liberals (for giving his away). Late last year, Forbes magazine reported that Buffett was worth $52 billion. This means that if he didn’t get funding for one of his initiatives he could conceivably just do it himself … which raises issues both fascinating and troubling.

5. Kathleen Sebelius. The two-term governor of Kansas (that’s “What’s The Matter With Kansas” Kansas) has done well with Republicans and independents. She’ll deliver the response to George W.’s State Of The Union speech on Jan. 28. There’s a personal angle here that’s intriguing. Obama’s family is from Kansas — on his mother’s side. The full circle element of Obama selecting a Kansas woman as his running mate is a marketing dream. Plus, an Obama-Sebelius team would be a ticket of true change — as well as one that is Plains States-Midwest friendly. Look for this pick to move higher.

6. Wesley Clark. When the retired general was in Carroll, Iowa, stumping for Hillary Clinton a few weeks ago, I spoke with him for about 45 minutes. He should have campaigned here in 2004. He likely would be president now if he had. Clark is as whip smart as Obama and has the foreign policy and military credentials to burnish this ticket. The only issue: they are both similar in personality. Could clash.

7. John Edwards. Could he do for Obama what he couldn’t for John Kerry? You have to keep Edwards on the list if for no other reason than a future political (FDR-Truman-like) deal may make this selection a quid pro quo. Both Edwards and Obama are saying no to PAC money and could run as a ticket not wedded to special interests. Edwards also seems to relish the role of attack dog, and surely will not make the same mistakes he did in 2004 when he was easy foil for Dick Cheney.

8. Bill Richardson. Isn’t he vice president already? He’s been referenced so many times that Richardson could be forgiven for adding this to his resume. Yes, the Latin vote is vital, and the election may be decided in the Southwest. Can America accept a black man and an Hispanic on the same ticket? I think the answer is yes. He’s great on the stump and appeals to white rural voters. I see that up close and personal here in Iowa. He’s also damned funny.

9. Ken Salazar. Continuing on the Latino angle, we have to include U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado, a Democrat who can appeal to white rural voters. (He ranches). He’s a former state attorney general and could make an excellent point man on the environment.

10. Bobby Jindal. The new Republican governor of Louisiana, at only age 36, is the son of Indian immigrants and the first Indian-American elected as governor. He has been compared to Obama for the obvious barrier-shattering reasons but also because of his intellect and spectacular educational pedigree. He is much more likely to be Obama’s opponent (should there be an Obama presidency) in four years than a VP now. But the possibilities are intriguing should Obama reach out to a Republican. This ticket would excite young voters, win over never-before voters, draw in Republicans and independents — and very likely do a great deal for Obama with Latinos. If I’m Jindal, though, I spend the next decade rebuilding my state and then run for the presidency myself, on my own terms.

Still, this is the most thought-provoking selection to consider.

Here is what The New Orleans Times-Picayune says about Jindal:

Every inauguration begins with lofty language but few hold as much promise as Gov. Jindal’s. The 36-year-old, Oxford-educated chief executive is a new generation of leader. Unlike most recent governors, he is not a product of the Legislature. He has worked inside state government but has been in Washington representing the 1st Congressional District.

  And a Yahoo message board dealt with the potential of him running as a Republican VP candidate.

While the Iowa Democratic Party is beaming over the record turnout that tallied 239,000 Democrats caucusing Thursday night, nearly doubling 2004’s record turnout of 124,000, the record numbers helped to illustrate some of the flaws of the actual process. “When you have a quarter of a million people turn out to caucus, you’re going to have a few problems,” Carrie Giddins, spokeswoman for the Iowa Democrats, told The Des Moines Register.

The Register’s Erin Jordan characterized these problems as “hiccups,” but if these trapped air bubbles are not addressed by the Democratic Party, the Iowa caucuses may choke themselves into extinction.

The Iowa caucuses were initially conceived to be a “gathering of neighbors,” wherein people can participate in a spirited discussion about the candidates, but this notion has been replaced in larger precincts by crowd control, fire-code violations, organized mayhem and, in some instances, mob rule.

Hiccup!Matt Palevsky and Bess Kalb at Huffington Post detailed an account of “mob mentality” in the gymnasium of Brody Middle School, where 437 neighbors gathered to caucus. Delaware Sen. Joe Biden had reached the requisite threshold of 70 but was ruled unviable when one of their people did not make it back to the group, missing the final count by a few seconds. When Biden supporter Kevin Owen complained to the precinct captain, the concern was brought to a vote, but the Biden supporters were shouted down by the collective “nays” of the front-runners.

Hiccup!

Coralville Precinct 6 had the largest turnout in Johnson County, where 762 caucusgoers joined the fray and squeezed into the Wickham Elementary School gymnasium. One participant, Meg Wagner, said that several people could not get in or find parking, so they turned around and drove home. Their voices had been silenced before they had a chance to step onto the gymnasium floor, not to mention, it is hard imagining a civil and constructive discussion transpiring among 762 people.

Hiccup!

On the bright side, 60 percent of the caucus-goers were new participants, and it’s great to see more people actively participating in the political process. Unfortunately, such a large increase means that the majority of caucus-goers had never been exposed to the strategic and numeric complexities of how the caucuses work. They were left to the mercy of their preferred candidate’s precinct captain, assuming they had one. Consequently, instead of actively participating in the process, a number of caucus rookies did as the were told: “Stay put until further instruction.”

Hiccup!

The real casualties of the Democratic caucus process were the so-called second-tier candidates. For the past nine months, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut have been battling the media, which simplified the race to a three-candidate race last spring. Coverage focused primarily on the poll-driven front-runners: former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York.

Because of the record-high turnout, the viability threshold was too high for the second-tier candidates. Consequently, the big three sucked all the air out of the room in most precincts. In Coralville Precinct 3, the turnout had nearly doubled since 2004, growing from 64 to 118 attendees. Because the number of delegates assigned to each precinct is based on previous elections, caucus-goers in Coralville 3 found themselves competing for three delegates.

Hiccup!

After speeches were given by precinct captains from each of the six represented candidates, caucus-goers broke into preference groups. As expected, Obama and Clinton absorbed most of the people, 43 moving to Obama’s corner and 33 moving to Clinton’s corner. Meanwhile Edwards (15), Biden (11), Richardson (11), and Dodd (5) did not reach the initial viability number of 20. During the first 15 minutes of the 30-minute realignment period, it was clear that all of these folks came committed to their preferential candidate and were unwilling to join another camp. In a democracy, why should they have to?

By the end of the period, all four unviable groups did commit to one thing: being uncommitted. In lieu of relinquishing the coveted third delegate, the groups formed an uncommitted group, which surpassed Clinton’s number, 35-33, while some members broke ranks and went to Obama. Their commitment to uncommitment not only forged a political paradox, but served to repudiate the caucus system. Opposed to adding more credence to a candidate they did not fully support, they were willing to sacrifice their voices in the process, thus maintaining their integrity.

Hiccup!

Speaking of integrity, the real tragedy that the Coralville Precinct 3 woes illustrate is that two of the candidates, whose lives have been dedicated to public service, were sacrificed by Iowa’s caucus system. Biden and Dodd, who boast a combined half-century of experience in the Senate, were the real casualties of the Iowa caucuses.

Hiccup!

Ironically, Biden and Dodd vigorously defended the Iowa caucus system on the campaign trail, only to witness the very same process put political daggers intp their presidential bids. Dodd was the first to make a written pledge to maintain the integrity and spirit of the Iowa caucuses and asked the rest of the field to commit to the same pledge, which they did. Biden said on several occasions that the Iowa caucuses are the great leveler of democracy, because they give candidates who do not have the big bucks a chance to be heard during the retail-politicking process.

Biden received .9 percent and Dodd garnered only .02 percent of the final delegates, but because of the viability effect, these numbers are not truly representative of their support in Iowa. In Coralville Precinct 3, Biden initially had 10 percent of the vote, but left with nothing. Had the Democrats used the system adopted by the Iowa Republican Party, where all the votes count for each candidate, Biden could have left Iowa with 10 percent of the Iowa vote under his belt. Consequently, Biden and Dodd abandoned their bids and returned to their respective homes, while Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who posted numbers ranging around the tenth percentile, move on to New Hampshire.

Biden and Dodd deserve better than this, Iowa.

Hiccup!

When the Iowa Democratic Party begins mounting its defense for the first-in-the-nation status, they may want to reconsider changing the process. People outside of Iowa do not mind Iowa being first inasmuch as that, for some quality candidates, Iowa is so often last. Imagine how all of Biden and Dodd’s supporters outside of Iowa, who volunteered for their campaigns and/or committed to them financially, might feel.

Sure, the Iowa Democratic Party may have nearly doubled its numbers for next year’s general election because of the caucus. But, depending on how long the primary process draws out, not all states outside of Iowa will be afforded this same luxury.

Hiccup!

“If Iowans are independent enough to have chosen me from the field of candidates, I’m quite sure they have the ability to make an independent second choice as well,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd.

The campaign for Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, offered similar sentiments.

“The rumor mill is hard at work,” said Olivia Alair, a campaign spokeswoman. “We are encouraging our supporters to stand tall and stand tough and have every reason to expect that they will.”

Robert Becker, Iowa director of the Bill Richardson for President campaign, took particular offense with reports circulated this morning that his campaign was encouraging non-viable supporters to switch to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

“Here we are the day of caucus and there are all these rumors about deals being made,” he said. “I’m just sick of it. We have not directed our supporters to caucus for anyone other than Bill Richardson.”

All the campaigns agree that in these final days, there have been internal discussions as to strategy. All are equally adamant that they have not and will not issue a blanket statement to their supporters to move to an opposing campaign.

“All the campaigns know where they have their strongest support,” Becker said. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure these things out.”

Danny O’Brien, state director for Biden for President, said the campaign is confident going into tonight’s caucus.

“There has been no discussion — there will be no deals,” O’Brien said. “We feel we have momentum going into tonight’s caucus.”

Dodd said the most important things campaigns can do now, at this late hour, is trust Iowans to make the best choice.

“Of course, I think the best choice is me,” he said. “I want Iowans to caucus for me and to support my candidacy. But we’ve all been in the state and we’ve all had opportunity to bring our message to the people of Iowa. Now it is up to Iowans — and I trust them.”

With the Iowa caucus just around the corner, there is cause for both celebration and angst in the feminist community. Without a doubt, this election has been as much about women as it has been about any other group or collective of issues. Early on, candidates from both sides of the aisle — but especially the Democratic contenders — announced their women’s leadership committees. Due in large part to the fact that a viable woman had entered the race, campaigns were quick to tout their feminist credentials and female staff members. Official campaign press releases were issued when a candidate gained the support of a particularly well-known or well-respected woman.

Women, however, weren’t content with platitudes, and, as the contest continued, it became clear to the campaigns that horse races listing female supporters and sound bites were not going to be enough. For this to be the political year of the woman, candidates were going to have to become serious about courting women — the largest population voting block — by speaking in detail about their core issues of concern. As any good campaign strategist will tell you, details do not a good sound bite make.

The Clinton Effect

Despite all the promise that New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton brought to the race and all the effort put into her candidacy by prominent women’s groups such as EMILY’s List, many women have ventured to other campaigns. The exact reasons are as varied as there are women, but the phrase of “I’m not going to vote for someone just because she has the same internal plumbing that I do” is one often heard in Iowa political circles. For these women, most of whom are between the ages of 18 and 50, there is no urgency of the moment — no feeling that this might be their last chance to do something for the overall betterment of women.

Conversely, there are women entering or in their golden years who mince few words when describing how Clinton’s “internal plumbing” was one of their main deciding factors. “I’m not young,” they say. “In my lifetime, I want to see a woman in the White House.” Implicit in such statements is the fact that many of the women in this age group have either had to forge their own path to success or have helped female friends and family forge one. For them, Clinton’s candidacy has become a culmination of a lifetime of working on behalf of women’s issues.

Only time will tell how such stark contrasts within the Iowa women’s movement will play out. Some are not taking chances that the emerging gender gap might keep them from female mentors.

“Of the women I admire — those I know that could help me and that I could learn the most from — they are supporting Clinton,” a friend recently said in a phone conversation. “I hadn’t found much of a difference between the candidates, so I went with Clinton too. It’s a common thread, another way for me to connect with these women.”

The internal politics of Iowa politics described in the above statement may be somewhat distasteful, but it is upheld by the comments of some women who have found their home in a campaign other than Clinton’s.

“When I tell people who I’m supporting — even women I’ve considered close friends for years — they look at me with this quizzical look and ask, ‘But aren’t you a feminist?’” said one eastern Iowa county official. “When I tell them I do consider myself a feminist, they often ask if I’m sure. There seems to be a real belief, especially from some of our older women, that in order to be a feminist, you must support the woman running, even if you don’t think she is the best person for the job.”

Women Supporting Men

Historically, as women have moved up career ladders, they’ve learned that one of the ways to judge the character of a male co-worker is to meet his spouse or other women in his life. This tactic, often whispered in corporate bathrooms and during lunches away from the office, was brought into the political conversation by Roxanne Conlin, a prominent Iowa attorney and staunch supporter of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

“I spent all my life in the company of men,” she said during a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids. “When I first became a lawyer, there were very few women. … The reason I say that is one of the ways I have traditionally judged my male colleagues is by the women who chose them.”

Elizabeth Edwards, Michelle Obama, Jackie Dodd, Jill Biden, Ann Romney, Valerie Biden Owens, Barbara Richardson, Carol Paul, Mary Romney, Cate Edwards, Marion Robinson, Maya Soetoro-Ng, Ashley Biden, Janet Huckabee, Carolyn Dodd, Sarah Huckabee, Jeri Thompson and Martha Buonanno are just a few of the women family members who have been in Iowa on behalf of the male candidates. In addition, there has been a parade of women who are political or social celebrities here to spread the good news of the male candidate they have chosen.

“If nothing else comes of this, we know now that our nation is full of strong women who are taking an active role in the political process — it’s just too bad that more of them don’t actually run for office themselves,” said a male Obama supporter. “I’d vote for Michelle in a heartbeat — Elizabeth Edwards too.”

Such sentiment isn’t isolated and campaigns know it. In an interview this fall, Mary Romney, a daughter-in-law of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, said, “We like to think that we are traveling the state, campaigning for Ann for First Lady.”

Issues & Sound Bites

Last spring, in the midst of the whirl of the campaigns’ attempts to one-up each other with women staffers and supporters, a request was sent from BlogHer, an Internet community of more than 7 million techno-savvy women, to the leading Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. To date, not one campaign has agreed to participate, and, sadly, the BlogHer community is not alone. There are other organizations and blogs devoted to women who also feel they’ve received the cold shoulder from presidential hopefuls.

In response to the candidates’ nonresponse, BlogHer announced a user survey that has shown that the vast majority — well over 90 percent — of women in the community want the group’s editors to speak directly with the candidates and not rely on surrogates to address issues of concern. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the survey, however, came in response to the question of whether women bloggers are turned on or off by tactics to reach women and moms specifically. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed indicated that they found tactics such as “Women for Obama” and “Moms for Hillary” distasteful.

Just over 25 percent of women surveyed by BlogHer refused to give a one-word answer and instead opted for “other” and leaving a personal response. Comments such as “If it smacks of being patronizing or phony, it’s a huge turn off for me” and “They seem to only want to talk to women on their terms and with their framing” were par for the course — and are on target with what’s being said daily by women in Iowa.

Listen to the national media long enough and you’ll soon be convinced that I’m one of the hottest commodities available in this presidential election. First, I’m a resident of Iowa. Second, I’m a woman. It is true that I was contacted by every Democratic campaign (and a couple of Republican ones as well) and asked to join their “Women for …” group. Over the summer, I spent hours in small meetings, visiting with leadership of said women’s groups. Those who participated were told that the feedback garnered from those meetings was invaluable, that the views expressed by the women involved were going to be taken back to the top of the campaign and integrated into the messaging, plans and forthcoming white papers. Some of it was. Unless the other meetings held across the state of Iowa were drastically different from the ones I attended, very little of the substance of those meetings was converted to policy.

Women who attended the meetings, even those who remain firmly committed to the candidate hosting the meeting, still sometimes wonder where that information went or if it went anywhere at all. We asked to hear about reproductive health — not just abortion, but the full gamut of reproductive health issues — and have yet to see one white paper with that title. We asked for details concerning everything from early childhood learning to veterans’ benefits to protecting family farms. We asked for a great deal. We gained very little.

Who would have guessed that the elderly woman on the Wendy’s commercial who demanded, “Where’s the beef?!” so many years ago would be so in tune with women today?

Contrary to radio entertainers who fill the day with notices of the “chickafication” of everything from the economy to the media, the best-kept secret of the women’s community is that women’s issues are human issues. We don’t just care about families, contraception, security or education. Our key concerns are most likely your key concerns, and that fact, above all else, points to why this election cycle has been a disappointment.

Women want more than 30-second marketing spots and three-second sound bites on the evening news. Women, just like all Americans, are looking around the nation and finding room for improvement (if not full-fledged overhaul). From the economy to national security to health care, women are looking for answers. And it has been that quest for details, that want for something of substance, which has turned out to be the downfall of what could have been not only the political year of the woman but the political year of the citizen.

Consequently, choosing a candidate to support was not an easy decision for most of the groups’ members, including IDVC Chair Bob Krause, who was originally leaning toward Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, but ended up endorsing Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut. “While we do have an excellent field of candidates, I’m caucusing for Chris Dodd because I trust him more than any other candidate to lead the nation when the unexpected occurs and to deliver results for his fellow veterans,” Krause said in a statement.

IDVC Chair Bob Krause (right) looks on as U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., (left) speaks on behalf of Dodd at Dec. IDVC meeting

Terry Phillips (left), Joe Stutler (middle), Kent Sovern (right) man the IDVC table at the Jefferson Jackson dinner in Dec.

Similar to Kerry, who was a decorated Vietnam War veteran, Krause was also swayed by the fact that Dodd is the only Democratic candidate who has served in the military (U.S. Army Reserves and Army National Guard: 1969-1975). “As a 28-year veteran of the Army Reserves, I know we need a commander-in-chief who is ready to take on the job from day one,” Krause said in a statement. “He will provide the leadership to restore America’s security and good name around the world, as well as produce results on our challenges at home.”

Dodd’s veteran status and firsthand knowledge of veterans’ issues also influenced Terry K. Phillips, a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War, and Joe Stutler, an Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm. “I was so impressed with his plan being the most comprehensive in solving the problems facing veterans that I agreed to serve as the state veteran coordinator for the Dodd campaign,” Phillips told the Iowa Independent.

Stutler echoed Phillips’ remarks and noted Dodd’s active support of the IDVC. “Not only does Dodd support veterans’ issues, but he’s supported the IDVC every time we’ve asked him.” Stutler had made a commitment to himself that he would support whoever showed up to the IDVC Presidential Extravaganza in August, and his decision was made for him when Dodd was the only presidential candidate who showed up to speak at the event.

In addition to Sovern’s endorsement, Obama has garnered support across multiple generations of veterans in the IDVC, including Andrew W. Hampton, whose recent fame came about at an Obama campaign stop in Mason City Dec. 26. Hampton, a 79-year-old retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, teared up when asking Obama about health care for military veterans, thus prompting Obama to walk over and hug him.

“It was an amazing personal experience, which was enlarged by a promise given by Senator Obama to the veterans of our nation,” Hampton wrote in an email message to fellow IDVC members. “He made a promise to work to support all of our veterans and to help secure what has been promised to them.”

Moreover, Obama picked up endorsements from Larry G. Olk and Marc Wallace, both of whom are actively caucusing for Obama. Wallace, an Army veteran who served in Germany as a linguist during the latter part of the `80s, is a precinct captain in Des Moines, while Olk, a Vietnam War Army veteran, serves on Obama’s Vets’ Caucus Steering Committee. “Obama stands out in possessing a unique skill set that includes deep commitment, impeccable honor and honesty, persuasiveness and most important a consensus builder,” Olk told the Iowa Independent in an email. “I have not seen that in one package since JFK.”

IDVC member Jim Mowrer, who now serves as the Iowa chair for Veterans for Biden, was also prompted by his military service to get actively involved in the presidential campaign. Mowrer, who recently returned from Iraq with the Iowa National Guard’s 1-133 Infantry Battalion, where he served as a senior intelligence analyst, committed to Joe Biden because of a promise the Delaware senator kept to the troops on the ground in Iraq.

“Senator Biden kept his promise to us that he would fight for the funds needed to produce Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles which dramatically reduce the number of casualties from improvised explosive devices (IEDs),” Mowrer said in a statement to the Iowa Independent. “When other presidential candidates were going back on their word to support those of us in harm’s way, only Senator Biden remained steadfast in his support, regardless of any political consequences.”

It was this same promise and Biden’s plan for Iraq that helped garner the legislator endorsement of IDVC member and Iowa House Rep.McKinley Bailey of Webster City. “After returning from serving in Iraq, I quickly grew frustrated by my impression that leaders in both political parties did not understand the fundamental challenges to ending the war in Iraq,” Bailey said in a press release.

“When I first learned of Senator Biden’s plan, I realized that was the ticket – a political solution, not a military one,” Bailey said. “I am endorsing him because from day one, our next president must make decisions on the direction in Iraq and I am convinced Senator Biden has the knowledge and experience to bring our troops home without leaving a situation that requires another generation of Americans to return in a decade.”

Veterans for Biden National Coordinator J.B. White sits at one of two tables reserved for veterans supporting Biden at Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Nov.

“I’ve lived in Muslim countries even though I’m Christian,” Obama said.

The line was a winning one that night with the audience in the southwest Iowa town of about 2,200 people 30 miles south of Carroll.

But with only days until the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, some of Obama’s Democratic opponents are stressing that his foreign-flavored biography and family (he has an Indonesian sister named Maya Soetoro-Ng) are no match for the foreign policy credentials of more experienced pols with their stamped-up passports and long lists of nations visited.

“Fresh doubts over Barack Obama’s foreign policy credentials were expressed on both sides of the Atlantic last night, after it emerged that he had made only one brief official visit to London — and none elsewhere in western Europe or Latin America,” The Times of London reports.

When asked about this in a phone interview this afternoon Obama said he’s quite familiar with Europe.

Here is Obama:

I’ve been to Europe multiple times. I haven’t taken an official congressional delegation meeting to Europe, but I have to tell you, official delegation meetings to Europe, that’s not how you get to know Europe. You get to know Europe by its people and its culture and its traditions. Obviously, knowing some of the players there is important. This is sort of the silly season in politics where people try to make assertions like this just to underscore their point which is that there are others who have been in Washington far longer than I have.

When asked specifically about Obama’s foreign policy experience — and the Times report on European travel that Obama disputes — on Christmas Eve, presidential candidate and veteran U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said he had some thoughts on it because “problems are mounting up by the hour.”

“This is not a time for on-the-job training and I say this with all due respect for people who have just sort of arrived on the scene without any proven ability to bring people together to make a difference,” Dodd said.

Added Dodd, “This is not a time for celebrity here. Iowans know that. They’ve managed to cut through that fraud in the past of celebrity and choose candidates who can go on and win a general election.”

Dodd said he was not making the comments on a personal level but rather as fact.

“If anyone thinks that you’re not going to hear that being wrapped around the neck of a candidate come next fall here, about the lack of experience, they’re deluding themselves here,” Dodd said. “Be prepared as we look at these issues here of having people who have experience, the ability to produce results.”

Some bloggers critical of Obama are making the case that if elected the Illinois senator would be the first president since Calvin Coolidge to have so little European experience.

Former Iowa Lt. Gov. Art Neu, a Republican, said U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton has more experience than Obama. No question there, Neu said in an interview.

“On the other hand we’ve seen people with experience who weren’t very good presidents.”

Clinton frequently notes that she has visited more than 80 nations as First Lady and a U.S. senator from New York.

“That’s certainly one point Clinton has over Obama is on foreign policy experience,” Neu said. “There are so many intangibles you really don’t know who would turn out in the end to be the best president.”

Pedro Rodriguez, an Hispanic activist in Denison, says Obama has a bird’s-eye view of many cultures — something no other candidate in the field has.

“He’s got a knowledge of how to approach things from a different cultural level,” said Rodriguez, 51, a supervisor with a packing house in Denison.

For his part, Obama can make the case that he doesn’t need to travel to understand foreign nations, that through the less formal, deep bonds of family, he connects with the hustle and flow of life outside of the United States.

“As the child of a black man and a white woman, someone who was born in the racial melting pot of Hawaii, with a sister who’s half Indonesian but who’s usually mistaken for Mexican or Puerto Rican, and a brother-in-law and niece of Chinese descent, with some blood relatives who resemble Margaret Thatcher and others who could pass for Bernie Mac, so that family get-togethers over Christmas take on the appearance of a U.N. General Assembly meeting, I’ve never had the option of restricting my loyalties on the basis of race, or measuring my worth on the basis of tribe,” Obama writes in his best-selling book, The Audacity Of Hope.