Burgmann to barrack for Obama in US

BY EMMA KEMP City of Sydney councillor Meredith Burgmann will travel to America to campaign for Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama.

The Labor councillor’s two sisters will join her on the 10-day trip to New Hampshire ‘ one of the key swing states ‘ where the three will work as volunteers.

‘I’m absolutely convinced that if the Republicans continue to be the leadership of the United States, it will drag America and probably Australia into more unnecessary and dangerous wars,’ said Dr Burgmann.

‘I also think that Obama is for the first time someone who does not have the same thinking as the State Department and the Pentagon, and therefore is a better foreign policy strategist than any of the previous presidents.

‘The fact that Obama has spent some of his childhood not living in America is really important. It makes him see America clearer than the others can.’

On the flip side, Dr Burgmann cited Republican nominee John McCain and his controversial pick for vice-president, Sarah Palin, as ‘very dangerous in terms of foreign policy positions’, saying they would continue the legacy of a bad Bush administration.

And foreign policy is certainly the critical factor for Dr Burgmann, who said it was the reason she could not support defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

“Eighty-seven per cent of Australians could see that invading Iraq was a really stupid thing to do, but she couldn’t, and I just think that was a real problem,’ she said.