When Barry Was in Egypt Land

This morning at the University of Cairo, President Obama addressed the Muslim world. He took the stage, praised the accomplishments of Islamic culture and looked to bridge their divide with the West. He mentioned his own connections to Islam, (as in he secretly is one!!!). Obama pointed out that while not all Muslims can be viewed the same, neither can all Americans. What's really crazy about this speech was how Obama never used the word "terror" or "evil" or the phrase "with us or against us." He talked like an adult speaking to other adults.




Obama even talked about the pesky little issue of Israel, and the two-nation state, all the while deploring violence as a means toward "moral authority." He insisted that the United States would say in public what it said in private, finally bringing to light the notion that most in Washington empathize with the Palestinian plight, but fear the political backlash of saying so publicly. Obama even spoke about Iran, tossing out a big old "my bad" for the 1953 coup. The guy even quoted the Ko'ran.



But what made this a landmark speech for the Obama administration was because he spoke calmly, maturely, rationally and intelligently. What remains to be seen is how this speech will be received by the citizens of the region. What goes without saying is that he couldn't have done any worse than the last guy, and this is certainly a step in the right direction.