Hello canative62, I'm sorry that you can't recognize that the Nobel Peace Prize is not solely President Obama's honor, but also reflects well for our country as a whole, in the eyes of the world community. It is time for our country to regain the world's respect. Notice I did not say they need to like us or fear us or agree with us. Respect us in the sense that the other countries see us as a power with the experience, imagination, innovation, and ability to stand toe-to-toe with any other nation. Imparting a sense of hope in difficult times is a gift and skill that should be appreciated, not undervalued. I am of an age where I can remember President Kennedy's inspiring speeches and recall wanting to be worthy of such a great country as ours. If President Obama can motivate the upcoming generation to honor and serve our fellow citizens through an increased dedication to volunteerism (another Kennedy stronghold) and to take a more active role in government through informed voting, I am all for that. If the rest of the world recognizes his gifts of motivation and inspiration, that is just icing on the cake. Please put aside your partisanship for just one moment to be happy and proud, if not for him, at least for our country's renewed standing in the world. Otherwise, it just looks like "sour grapes". There will be time enough to return to political party positions. Sincerely, Karen

Karen what is avry clear is thatObama and the Democratic Party want this Nation to become a third world socialist country just like those in Europe, THE VERY SAME COUNTRIES WE HAVE HELPPED FOR DECADES SACRIFICING OUR BLOOD AND TAX DOLLARS..TAX DOLLARS THAT DO NOT GET PAID BACK I MIGHT ADD. NOW OBAMA WANTS US TO BECOME A COPY OF THEM... I FOR ONE DO NOT THINK THAT IS A GOOD THING..... I DON'T SEE EROPE AS SUCH A GREAT SOLUTION TO THE WORLDS PROBLEMS.... THEY HAVEN'T DONE MUCH TO HELP SO FAR... BESIDE LIKE I SAID THE HONOR WAS GIVEN BASED ON WORDS,,,, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S RECORD ON PROMISES IS NOT SO GOOD....

What socialist thrid world European country are you talking about? According to any accepted definition, every country in Europe is considered either first or, in a stretch, second.

None of them compare to the u. s. of the past.....none of them or in fact impacting what happens in the world....

And which one has not required u.s. aid in the past????

Also Karen I am not so sure that the Femocratic party is really in favor of "informed voting" it looks alot like state run media which is in fact propaganda... and ACTIVISM COULD WELL TIRN INTO STATE THUGS much like the way the seiu was used to control the town halls... which could lead to control of congressional districts The truth is I don't believe the Democratic Party will leave any chance for opposition party success.... IF YOU THINK THAT IS GOOD FOR THIS COUNTRY YOU ARE JUST LIKE Anthony,Soveriegn,Momo and the others who seem to want a government to provide everyones needs.... at the expense of those who really earned it....People like Michael Moore think 80% tax is fair..(I wonder how much he thinks is fair for him to pay????)..not just on the "millionaires " but anyone who earns 250,000 or who knows even less as that is probably what it would take... they concept of all countries being like those in Europe.. including the U.S
the very same country who helpped all those countries with our blood and money....WHY should we be like them???? which of them has helpped other countries the way we have???? WHich is why it is so BAD for Obama to be appologizing for our past>>> no other nation has ever been so generous as we have... and asked so little in return.... all we asked for was small parts of land to bury our dead....Why should we appologize??? why should we be like them????

Hello canative62, I can see that you have very strong negative feelings about the Democratic Party, so I think trying to convince you otherwise would be a waste of time for both of us. However, I will try to explain my beliefs about our country that cross party lines to include anyone who shares the same sentiments. I don't think that our great country should try to be a carbon copy of any other country. What would be the point? When our founding fathers created the United States we were a bold new experiment in a new form of government. We took the best of the traditions and legacies from England, France, and other nations and then adapted, reconfigured, and, in my opinion, improved on these foundations, and added our own innovative ideas to create a unique country. I love U.S. History and never cease to be amazed at the accomplishments and goals of this nation. Yet we do have our darker moments in history and those need to be acknowledged, understood in the context of the times, examined, and judged. You know that old saying is true, "if we do not learn from our past mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them". Just as slavery, treatment of Native Americans, and the internment camps for Japanese-American citizens in WW11 were low points in American history,the squandering of the world's goodwill and cooperation in recent years has also been a mistake. Just because I believe that we are the best country in the world, I don't think that the United States is perfect or that our greatness is an excuse to act arrogantly. When President Obama acknowledges our missteps or failings to other world leaders, I don't see that as a sign of weakness. Instead, I think that shows a sense of worth and self-security to be able to admit mistakes, apologize for them, learn from them, and then move on to future greatness. Being able to work cooperatively with other nations is not a sign of weakness, but is one of practicality. If we isolate ourselves, time will not stand still and we will no longer be the greatest, most powerful country. China will assume that honor. Sincerely, Karen

Karen.. the only time we have been isolated was under WILSON JUST BEFORE THAT LAIZE FAIRE POLICY got us into WWI. No one is saying we have been perfect but just because we made a miistake "helpping others" does not lead to the conclusion we should become like them. Yet the agenda of the Democratic Party has been for decades to bring the U.S. into a more socialized country like those in Europe. THat is why I oppose them....They are moving this nation in a direction that the founding fathers would not recognize... The result is a government that is too big for its own good. That size is leading to greater and greater dependence by voters which is in fact the way they "buy" votes from those segments of society that want someone to take care of them... AND it all has to come from the tax payers...I don't see anything good about that... I do see that there is a segment of those unable to help themselves and they do need help, but the rest appear to be the majority of the supporters of the Democratic Party and are a burden to this nation. Just give me some positives about the Dems... other than the strong anti- war stand. Then assure me that no one is out there seeking to do harm to us.... so we can all live in peace..Then assure me my tax dollars are not going to some who just think they are better than me because I work and they don't want to and I should support them. That is when I would be willing to weaken our military and support their tax and spend agenda and give the Dems some slack..

I would much rather my tax dollars be used to provide food and medical care to people than to pay for the Porsche or Mercedez-Benz of a CEO from a defense contractor.

When defense contractors no longer feel entitled to an unending supply of tax dollars, then we can turn our attention to poor people.

and canative62, since you feel the need to refer to people as "thugs", I can think of nothing more thuggish than parading around with a lethal weapon outside a venue where the President of the United States is speaking.

Haven't you heard Obama has a "pay Czar" who stops excess payments to CEOs... including a years salary for the CEO of the Bof A including any bounus for the year.....would you work for free for a year?????

Karen,

I believe you have it all wrong as far as this nation being 'perfect'. This word is used to much lately as an excuse and by those (mostly in the Democrat party) who constantly hate this country and say bad things about it. If what you say is true, why do they continue to say that about the very country they live in? The fact is, perfection is a mind set, not a way of life. We've heard the old saying, 'Don't get crippled by perfection.' Yes, it can cripple us (you) and disable our progress. But what America really is, is a country that has progressed so much and so far, we have those in office now that want to dismantle this progress and use nothing but blame and excuses to hide their true agenda and seem to throw around the race card like it's a Visa Card...used every day. Not only does the Democrat party like to blame a lot, but if you are a history buff, you have to remember that most atrocities that happened in this nation were because of that same party. Roosevelt sent U.S. citizens to concentration camps just because they were Japanese descendants. On the other hand, the civil rights act, it was the Republicans that pushed this through and the Democrats were fighting along side a Southern governor to stop it and finally LBJ had to cave in and the Democrats insist to this very day it was their party responsible for this act. The bottom line here is, people now days are more aware of what is going on and are tired of being lied to, cheated on, and fed false information and their money taken away for it. My belief is, America needed this rude crude awakening in order for it to finally some day get rid of this cancer we have in our governments and get back to being what we truly are, a great power and country without the excuses of 'acting arrogantly' because conservatives have become too lazy in allowing this all to happen. Sometimes being that power is just like a parent, you have to slap them on the butts to get your point across because we're not going to live like the rest of them, we're going to live free and prosper. America has not come close to what our European counter-parts have done as far as their history goes. And, when you say we squandered 'good will', that too is a mindset. How do you package 'good will'? You can't, it's being what we are, not what the other wants us to be. - Brian