( CNN ) -- For the past week , Mitt Romney brought his presidential campaign abroad to England , Israel and Poland , leaving his initial footprint on the foreign policy landscape . He may have ventured off path once or twice , but , to paraphrase J.R.R Tolkien , not all those who travel are lost . He blazed his own trail , one that will do him much good at home and abroad . Before he even left for London , liberal commentators , on both sides of the Atlantic , jumped all over his alleged gaffe on Britain 's readiness for the Olympics . Romney was asked a question by Brian Williams , which he answered like a technocrat , an expert , and one of the few men in the world who has run an Olympic Games . As Dorothy Rabinowitz so wisely noted , `` He did what a man who prizes his authority on a subject does -- he answered . He reflected on possibilities . It was a serious subject -- his subject . '' If he 's to be blamed for anything , it 's speaking too much like an expert and not a politician . Critics of Romney often patronize him for sounding too scripted and too much like a politician . Now , when he speaks openly and freely , they criticize him for not being enough of a politician or diplomat . They ca n't have it both ways . From England he traveled to Israel , where he strongly backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli people and subtly distanced himself from President Barack Obama by vocalizing bolder action against Iran . `` We must not delude ourselves into thinking that containment is an option , '' Romney said . `` We must lead the effort to prevent Iran from building and possessing nuclear weapons capability . We should employ any and all measures to dissuade the Iranian regime from its nuclear course . '' Opinion : Romney on Iran is just like Obama . But rather than focus on Iran , our most pressing foreign policy dilemma , the liberal media manufactured another alleged gaffe -- Romney 's comments on the cultural differences between Israelis and Palestinians . Again , much ado about nothing . It 's hard to dispute the powerful and rich culture of the Jewish people , especially when quoting `` The Wealth and Poverty of Nations '' by David Landes , an erudite Harvard professor . To his credit , Romney did n't let this slow him down . He concluded the trip by traveling to Poland for a full embrace of Lech Walesa and the Polish people , a strong contrast to the cold shoulder Obama gave to Poland earlier in his presidency . In 2008 , despite direct threats from Russia , Poland agreed to accept U.S. missile defense sites . In 2009 , Obama folded to Russian criticism and abandoned the missile system , in turn abandoning the Polish people . In a not so subtle jab to the president , Romney declared in Poland , `` I believe it is critical to stand by those who have stood by America . Solidarity was a great movement that freed a nation . And it is with solidarity that America and Poland face the future . '' Romney 's closeness to Walesa and the Polish freedom fighters is nothing short of Reaganesque . At a time when the president tries desperately to compare him to George W. Bush , Romney is making Obama look and feel more like Jimmy Carter . Opinion : When did the GOP become the whiners ? To those who doubt Romney 's political adroitness , examine his deep respect for Catholicism both in Poland and here in the United States . Speaking of the Soviet Union , Romney added , `` The false gods of the all-powerful state claim the allegiance of a lonely few . It is for us , in this generation and beyond , to show all the world what free people and free economies can achieve for the good of all . '' Given that the controversial Department of Health and Human Services ' contraception mandate , viewed by many Catholics as a direct threat to their religious conscience , went into effect August 1 for all employers , other than churches and houses of worship ( religiously affiliated institutions such as Catholic hospitals and universities have a one-year exemption before they must comply ) , this statement is timely and bold . Romney also embraced Pope John Paul II , a Polish and Catholic hero , one of the men most responsible for the fall of Communism . `` And here , in 1979 , a son of Poland , Pope John Paul II , spoke words that would bring down an empire and bring freedom to millions who lived in bondage . 'Be not afraid ' -- those words changed the world , '' Romney said . The contrast could not be clearer -- `` Be not afraid '' or `` You did n't build that '' -- one man 's vision of hope , resolution and encouragement versus condescension , apathy and inertness . If this is the electoral choice Romney can frame for the nation , he will be one step closer to the White House . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William J. Bennett .
Lech Walesa : In his trip to England , Israel and Poland , Romney blazed his own trail . In Iran , he forcefully sought bolder action against Iran , Romney says . Bennett : In Poland , Lech Walesa offered a full embrace of Lech Walesa and the Polish people . If you doubt Romney 's political adroitness , note his respect for Catholicism , Bennett says .