I am somewhat disappointed after reading Barack's narrow-visioned monologue. I hope that he has changed his mind many times and on many issues since July/August 2007 (a year ago) when this long commentary was written. No, really. For his sake, I hope he does change his mind about many things he has written in here. -- He chooses "Renewing American Leadership" as the title? What exactly is so 'renewing' about continuing calling an illegitimate, foreign, imposed war on Iraq as a 'civil-war', what exactly is 'renewing' about pledging to continue helping Israel kill and banish more Palestinians from their rightful homeland and what exactly is 'renewing' about baselessly branding Iran as 'dangerous for the regional stability'. 'There's nothing 'renewing' about any of this, it's more like continuing the old bull$%^&. -- And then Barack has the audacity to state that, "our starting point must always be a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy" ...? Please. That's exactly what Bush was doing, long before you came and 'renewed' it. -- Well, for starters, my dear Obama there wasn't any 'civil war' in Iraq when you weren't there, blindly backing Israel is not the solution but THE problem and Iran is an independant nation that doesn't need you to go 'liberate' it. Thanks, but no thanks. -- Next, for first-graders, my dear Obama, President Harry S. Truman's era is not what you want to idealize, least of all to implement. Please stop idealizing a fear-monger, one of the most cunning enemies of the cause of Democracy, the cause that is so dear to you and your nation. Launching a propaganda of fear (including the sham cold-war) to rule the people of America was the worst gift of American politics to it's people in Truman's era. Trust me. Or, you can choose to read "The Fifties: The Way We Really Were" by Douglas T. Miller. Continued below ...