I didn't think much of a criticism that Gary Hart made about Obama in a recent podcast interview with Sam Tanenhaus, editor of the New York Times Book Review.  But it roused me to prepare this consideration of Obama in light of John F. Kennedy's leadership during the Cold War. And  I did agree with most of what Hart had to say in his Times review of Obama's The Audacity of Hope.

I can't say enough good things about the three-part podcast from which I excerpted audio on JFK and the Cold War.  I found it on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's "The Best of Ideas Podcast" hosted by Paul Kennedy.  The web site says the links won't be up permanently, so grab them soon if you're interested.  Here they are:  Part One, Part Two and Part Three.

"Going to the Sun" by Montana musicians Christine Dickinson, Janet Haarvig and Matthew Lyon is from the Glacier Journey CD.  Used by permission.