One humorous aspect of the Obama-Clinton contest is that both candidates claim that they will restore America's popularity in the world, while advocating policies that would damage, in some cases grievously, our relations with our best allies. One instance of this phenomenon is Barack Obama's opposition to the pending trade treaty with Colombia, a key American ally in South America. Today, Colombia's President, Alvaro Uribe, struck back:

Colombia's president sharply criticized U.S. presidential contender Barack Obama on Wednesday for opposing a trade deal with his country, calling the Democrat out of touch with the realities of the South American nation.

"I deplore the fact that Senator Obama, aspiring to be president of the United States, should be unaware of Colombia's efforts," President Alvaro Uribe said in a statement. "I think it is for political calculations that he is making a statement that does not correspond to Colombia's reality."

Of course, ignoring reality is one of Obama's specialties.

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