国际英语新闻:Romney, Obama Clash Over US Foreign Policy

Obama campaign advisor Robert Gibbs spoke about the Romney trip during a conference call with reporters.  “I think this trip should be judged on the type of substantive ideas that Mitt Romney outlines and whether he would continue the proven policies of President Obama or return us to a time in which our foreign policy was a sore spot, quite honestly, in the world," he said.
 
During his trip, Romney will spend time in Britain for the opening of the Summer Olympic Games and then travel to Israel, where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
 
Romney has been sharply critical of what he calls the Obama administration’s shabby treatment of Israel.
 
Dan Senor, a foreign policy advisor to the Romney campaign, spoke about the issue in a conference call with reporters. “President Obama pursued a policy in his term that sought daylight, his words, not mine, that sought to put daylight between the United States and Israel, and that somehow that would win over support for America in the Middle East," he said.
 
Public opinion surveys suggest that foreign policy issues will not play a crucial role in this year’s presidential election, which will likely be dominated by the economy.  The polls also show that foreign policy is a strength for the president, while Romney gets higher ratings for how he would handle the nation's economy.