Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says it’s time to challenge the status quo when it comes to U.S. foreign policy.
"Just think about what we can achieve together if we change the conventional thinking that’s squandering America’s reputation in the world," Obama said Thursday in Council Bluffs.
Obama’s Democratic rivals as well as Republicans have called him "naive" for his recent declarations on foreign policy issues, such as Obama’s willingness to open talks with the leaders of nations like North Korea and Iran.
Obama, in turn, suggested experience hadn’t led to better judgment when it came to the war in Iraq.
"After all, the war in Iraq wasn’t cooked up in Council Bluffs," Obama said. "It was authorized by politicians in Washington who said they knew better than you did and that’s what conventional thinking on foreign policy amounts to. Conventional thinking has to change."
Later Thursday in Atlantic, Obama told reporters he wouldn’t comment directly on whether competitor Hillary Clinton should release thousands documents about her years as First Lady that are being held at her husband’s presidential library in Little Rock.
"Generally speaking, the American people have the right to know about the public business of those who are aspiring for the highest office in the land," Obama said.
Obama, his wife and two children visited the Iowa State Fair late Thursday.
Ric Hanson from KJAN in Atlantic contributed to this report.