Barack Obama Says Bush Bad, Obama Good

Barack Obama was on old stomping grounds today speaking in Chicago to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He was talking about the world view of America, and he thinks the rest of the world just looks at us like a bully. Obama said, “America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America. We must neither retreat from the world nor try to bully it into submission — we must lead the world by deed and by example.” Obama says that George Bush really hasn’t acted like a world leader. “This president may occupy the White House, but for the last six years the position of leader of the free world has remained open. And it is time to fill that role once more,” Obama said. This was a speech that Obama postponed from last week due to the Virginia Tech shootings. Although he says the world has a negative view of America now, Obama believes he can turn things around. He called for the troops to come home from Iraq, and says this would be a great way for the America to start acting like a world leader again. He wants to increase spending on foreign aid. Obama also wants to lead a global effort to stop nuclear weapons, including Iran’s, and North Korea’s. “If America does not lead, these two nations could trigger regional arms races that could accelerate nuclear proliferation on a global scale and create dangerous nuclear flash points,” Obama said. Maybe he can click his heels together three times, and nuclear weapons will just disappear.
Alan Cosgrove