Romney visiting the Middle East

[240 is Back]

Former Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney is in the Middle East this week for a series of meetings with foreign leaders.

Romney, who is a likely presidential contender in 2012, left Friday, Jan. 7, for a one-week trip that will take him to Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

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During the tour, he will meet with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and King Abdullah II of Jordan. Romney met with General David Petraeus, the top American and NATO commander in Afghanistan, on Sunday afternoon.

“The purpose of the trip is not to conduct private diplomacy but to give Gov. Romney a firsthand look at what is happening in an important region of the world. The trip is being paid for by a combination of private sources,” Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said in a statement to POLITICO.

While he’s in Afghanistan, Romney will travel with the International Republican Institute, and his spokesman said he will “train Afghans and share with local leaders his views” on various issues affecting the country.

The American Israel Education Foundation will pay for his travel to Israel.

[240 is Back]

Dude chose the right time to get to the other side of the world.

Rack up some foreign policy credentials while Palin hides out after a person on her hit list ended up shot in the head.  Whether she's responsible or not - and she may not be - the backlash to her style of hateful rhetoric ain't gonna be pretty.

Mitt is smart to avoid comment and stay busy elsewhere.  The LAST thing he wants is his name appearing anywhere in the same paragraph or article with palin right now.

[Fury]

If I was as pro-Obama as you are 240 then I would be worried. This hit list thing might effectively kill Palin's shot at the GOP nomination which will then open the doors for a more competent guy to get in there, which would make it all that much harder for your hero to get reelected.

[Soul Crusher]

240 really didn't learn anything from the palin baby CT's. 

That's fine, and if mitt is the nominee I will obviously have to vote for him, in spite of the healthcare debacle. 

[Fury]

240 really didn't learn anything from the palin baby CT's. 

That's fine, and if mitt is the nominee I will obviously have to vote for him, in spite of the healthcare debacle. 

His economic knowledge would completely obliterate Obama's. The guy helped found Bain Capital, one of the absolute juggernauts in the private equity world.