The Obama world tour

Sen. John McCain, a deeply knowledgeable, experienced foreign policy, defense and national security expert, is lucky to draw a few minor political beat reporters on his foreign trips or to U.S. policy speeches.

Then you have Sen. Barack Obama, with no credentials in these areas whatsoever, drawing three major "news" anchors and planeloads of major reporters on his rookie familiarization trip to Afghanistan, Iraq and all politically-advantageous points in between. Obama says he's there to listen, which is about all he can do, since his knowledge and expertise in these areas is so thin.

That the networks would foot the bill, and allow their most prominent, frontline anchors and reporters to serve as props for Obama's video footage for future "foreign policy expert" TV commercials, is bizarre. They will cover, I'm sure, for all the rookie gaffes and missteps Obama is bound to make on the trip, just out of naivete and inexperience, if nothing else.

Meanwhile, McCain wanders around on the domestic front, anonymously and quietly, so Big Media can properly worship, bow and scrape at the feet of the Obama World Tour. McCain should be particularly offended that his urstwhile Senate buddy, "Republican" Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, is at Obama's side, properly fawning and bootlicking, in hopes of a cabinet job and maybe even vice presidential slot, in an Obama administration. Hagel's Senate term can't end too soon.

All is not lost for McCain, however, as Obama, with his dearth of experience and credentials, is almost certain to make some serious errors--whether it's on this trip, or in the campaign afterwards.

There's a reason most presidential candidates of major parties have served years in local, state and congressional posts, even cabinet posts, before they run. You make your amateur mistakes, and learn the hard lessons, out of the public glare, before the scrutiny of a presidential campaign sets in.

Obama's about to find that out, in a painful, very personal, way.