Obama's Lincoln moment

The title of this post is not my own words and characterization but those of Los Angeles Times columnist Tim Rutten as they appeared in today's Saipan Tribune Op-Ed pages. In his column Mr. Rutten recognizes Senator Obama's recent "More Perfect Union" speech as one of those seminal addresses that fundamentally change the way Americans look at an issue or circumstance -- on a par with Lincoln's "House Divided" speech on slavery in 1858, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" speech in the throes of the Great Depression.

As Mr. Rutten notes, one of the most remarkable things about this is speech is not only that he made it but that he wrote it himself, as did Lincoln a hundred fifty years ago. In other words, every word is Senator Obama's own -- his own ideas, convictions, sentiments, and principles.

Mr. Rutten's full column is well worth a read.