PHOTOS: BARACK OBAMA arrives in Iraq, meets with PM Nouri al- Maliki

[flpoljunkie]

U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, right, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, left, and U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel, R-Neb, 2nd left, leave after having talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 21, 2008. Obama began Monday his first on-the-ground inspection of Iraq since launching his bid for the White House, with U.S. commanders ready to brief him on progress in a war he long opposed and Iraqi leaders wanting more details of his proposals for troop withdrawals (AP Photo/Thaier al-Sudani, Pool)


U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (R) and U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker smile as they walk out from the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki after a meeting in Baghdad July 21, 2008. Obama met Iraq's prime minister on Monday to get a first-hand assessment of security in the country, where violence is at its lowest level since early 2004. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (IRAQ)

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U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (L) walks with Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh (2nd L) and Iraq's National Security Advisor Muafaq al-Rubaye (R) during his arrival at the office of Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad July 21, 2008. Obama met Iraq's prime minister on Monday to get a first-hand assessment of security in the country, where violence is at its lowest level since early 2004. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (IRAQ)


U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, 2nd right, arrives at the office o Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, unseen, in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 21, 2008. Obama began Monday his first on-the-ground inspection of Iraq since launching his bid for the White House, with U.S. commanders ready to brief him on progress in a war he long opposed and Iraqi leaders wanting more details of his proposals for troop withdrawals. (AP Photo/Thaier al-Sudani, Pool)


U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, left, talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, right, in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 21, 2008. Obama began Monday his first on-the-ground inspection of Iraq since launching his bid for the White House, with U.S. commanders ready to brief him on progress in a war he long opposed and Iraqi leaders wanting more details of his proposals for troop withdrawals. Man at center is an unidentified aide. (AP Photo/Thaier al-Sudani, Pool)


U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama looks on during talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, unseen, in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 21, 2008. Obama began Monday his first on-the-ground inspection of Iraq since launching his bid for the White House, with U.S. commanders ready to brief him on progress in a war he long opposed and Iraqi leaders wanting more details of his proposals for troop withdrawals. (AP Photo/Thaier al-Sudani, Pool)

[MissHoneychurch]

1. Please please please

vote this man into the office!!!!!!

[gblady]

5. Yes.....

YES! YES!

[liberalmuse]

9. This is my plea as well.

These pictures alone make up for all the stupid self-important smirks, embarrassing gaffes and stiff, fake, photo-op smiles we've been subjected to for 8 years.

[monmouth]

20. I'm noticing the side glances of smiles and admiration in the

eyes of these older men. Hope I don't sound tinfoily but you can see in the older men a sort of pride. Maybe it's just me and I'm reading too much into the great photos, but they look like dads proud of the son that just won a four-year scholarship....lol.

[samsingh]

21. i noticed those as well

[otohara]

24. Turns Out Hope

is universal!

gObama:party:

[Kahuna]

37. I noticed that too. They are basking in Obama's aura. They can feel it!

:patriot:

[undeterred]

40. They like being with him, being seen with him.

Obama lights up a room.

[Cha]

22. Amazing, isn't?

Instant bush erase.

[Botany]

2. Time for a grown up to take over

[flpoljunkie]

6. It looks like Obama and Bush's Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker have hit it off quite well

[Voice for Peace]

18. I had to double check to be sure that was Crocker smiling. Haven't seen a picture of him

smiling before. He usually is tightlipped with an alarmed look in his eyes. What a transformation!

So people come away from these meetings with Obama and they just plain feel good and hopeful.

[Inuca]

19. That was my first thought as well

when I saw the picture. I saw Crocker in the Senate hearings and he usually has a painful to watch deer in the headlights expression. The word is I think that he is a good diplomat, stuck for now in a stressful and thankless job.

[awoke_in_2003]

26. There are some people

that can make everyone smile just by walking in the room. He seems like this type.

[Cha]

23. Strange, huh? I noticed

that, too, since bush's appointees are known to be such partisans.

[zanne]

3. He looks better in a suit and tie than anybody else, ever. nt

[President Decider]

4. Obama looks the part . . .

If it's possible to look Presidential and stately .... Obama looks more like a President in these pics than I've seen in the past 8 years!

[hedgehog]

7. How odd! The people around him are wearing real smiles, not

just photo-op smiles!

[gblady]

8. I noticed that....

and the pic captions say that those were taken after the meeting!
Bodes well.

[awoke_in_2003]

28. Yep, you can see it in the eyes. nt

[polichick]

10. Can you imagine having to deal with someone like Bush for years...

And then having Obama show up?!

[Cha]

25. If bush weren't a

sociopath he should be feeling about 10 inches high.

[monmouth]

29. Sort of like Christmas in July!....n/t

[YankeyMCC]

11. Am I seeing a bit of discomfort in al-Maliki's

posture and expression?

You know as if he's thinking "Oh crap if this man is elected President I'm going to have to keep on my toes or get out of town."

Mr Obama will make an excellent chief executive.

[Arkana]

12. "It's all right, Mr. Prime Minister. No, please don't cry."

"You can pretend I'm already President if it'll make you feel better."

[BeyondGeography]

13. They can't believe this could be the new face of America

and it's a good "can't believe."

[Froward69]

14. EDIT EDIT!!!!! please under the second photo...

"Barack Obama (R)" he is not a republican and it demeans him to have an "R" after his name... I do realize you were trying to denote position in the photo as "on the Right" but the R looks unnerving. We all can recognize Barrack Obama, no matter where in the photo he is.

[blogslut]

32. It's the caption the news source provided

n/t

[malik flavors]

15. He looks really presidential around all of these world leaders.

[rebel with a cause]

16. First of all, thank you for the photos.

Obama looks great as usual. Presidental and in control of his own behavior. Something we have not seen in the resident for seven years and what we would probably not see if mccain was somehow elected.

Then, is it just me or does Hagel look like he is falling into the ambassador (or something) in the first photo? And everyone looks uneasy in it. I think he is speaking into his ear maybe, but it does look odd to me. :shrug:

[gblady]

31. I know what you mean....

I wondered what was going on in that photo as well...I wondered why the expression on Barack's face...
looks like Hagel is whispering something in the ambassador's ear to me...
I wonder if the next picture is related....maybe did Hagel say something funny...and everyone laughed???

[rebel with a cause]

34. Could be.

That makes sense and makes me feel better about the first photo. Leave it to me to worry about something happening on the other side of the world.
:rofl:

[Hope And Change]

17. K & R!

[Cha]

27. Thanks for the pics, FL~ They're

Priceless!

[Imagevision]

30. Intersting how people around him beam...

[madmax]

33. My President!!!

This man is definately Presidential AND smart! GoBama!

[kskiska]

35. Compare

[Kahuna]

36. *Snarf* You ain't right.

:spray:

[Kahuna]

38. No wonder Andrea Mitchell was so cross today. I'll bet she wasn't

expecting THIS!

[Binka]

39. She's Married To Green Eggs & Ham

She expects to be bullied and sneered at. She likes that. Fucking HOOR! She has the class of a shit taco.