AP: Obama has traveled world in Senate career

This morning while making my way through my RSS subscriptions, I read from the AP:

AP - 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.

My first inclination was to think Hillary must have OK'd a hit piece (much like a mob boss must OK a hit on a "made" man), but I was disappointed that the article was actually written by an Ombamamaniac.

WASHINGTON - 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 taxpayers nearly $28,000 as he studied nuclear proliferation, AIDS, Middle Eastern violence and more.

The rest of the article goes on to explain that it isn't unusual for Presidential hopefuls to travel around the world before a White House bid, how Obama did it for all the right reasons, how when Democrats travel on the taxpayer's dime, that it is OK, but that those despicable Republicans do it too.

There was also an amusing quote, "In Africa, Obama was often treated like royalty. Adoring crowds showed up wherever he went in Kenya, the home of his father."

I get the picture: Obama is the majestic, worldly, experienced candidate who is followed by his adoring crowds wherever he goes. Got it. Two years in the Senate, visiting a handful of the ~193 countries in the world, and he is the next Jules Verne.