this past week, when endorsing Barack Obama for
his party’s presidential nomination, Ted Kennedy
said that in,

another time, when another young candidate was
running for president . .

concerns had been raised about “inexperience” and a
lack of “readiness” to hold the office of president

Sen. Kennedy was referring to remarks made by
former President Harry S. Truman in the summer of
1960;

remarks expressing concerns about the candidacy
of a young and charismatic John F. Kennedy;

remarks similar to those being made today about
Barack Obama and his alleged inexperience and
unreadiness

Truman held a press conference urging Kennedy
to “be patient”, “put personal ambition aside” and
wait his time before seeking the presidency

JFK responded with a press conference of his own

below are clips from Ted Kennedy’s recent endorse-
ment of Obama, as well as the press conferences
of Harry Truman and JFK

Kennedy, 2008

Truman and Kennedy, 1960

At a critical moment, when America needs to show new policies and a new face to the world, who better than Barack Obama’s?
- Dr. Susan E. Rice of the Brookings Institution

the above quotation is the dramatic closing line of an
endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama that appears in
today’s The Huffington Post

in her endorsement of Obama, Dr. Rice highlights an
issue that pundits and TV talking heads are either
missing or ducking -

the issue is the “Face” that America shows to the
world, and our perceptions and feelings about that
face

Rice’s contention that America needs to show a new
a face is one that resonates with many of us; and it’s
a powerful way to close her endorsement -

but why?

just what are we collectively concerned about,
embarrassed by or ashamed of?

there has been much allusion to America’s standing
and reputation, but not enough examination, not
enough in-depth discussion

rather than alluding to our shortcomings, real, ex-
aggerated or imagined; we need to examine them,
discuss them and, as necessary, do something about
them

the time would be Now, as part of the “national
debate” we undertake as we select our next
president