Barack Obama travels around the world - Pravda.Ru

Barack Obama travels around the world - Pravda.Ru: "Barack Obama's two years in the Senate have taken him around the world, from Russia to Iraq to Kenya - an itinerary more costly to taxpayers than any other senator who took office with him. The Illinois Democrat's travels in 2005 and 2006 cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $28,000 (EUR 21,000) as he studied nuclear proliferation, AIDS, Middle Eastern violence and more. Eight other new senators took office in 2005, and about $19,200 (EUR 14,700) was the most anyone spent for government-paid travel, according to reports filed with the Senate Office of Public Records. Obama's journeys are unusual for such a junior senator, but not for someone thinking of a presidential run. Obama has announced his candidacy for president in the 2008 election. 'Valuable or not, it's the thing they all do to show that they're knowledgeable about the world,' said Stephen Hess, a George Washington University professor and former presidential aide. "