Obama Issues Call for Public Service
The New York Times | December 06, 2007
By Jeff Zeleny
MT. VERNON, Iowa – Senator Barack Obama implored young Americans "to step into the currents of history," by not only supporting his presidential candidacy, but committing to form a new generation of public service.
In a speech here today at Cornell College, Mr. Obama said he would seek to restore America's standing in the world by doubling the size of the Peace Corps, increasing the strength of the Foreign Service and creating a national network – modeled after Craigslist – to connect volunteers to areas of need across the country.
"I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate, I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States," Mr. Obama said, drawing applause and a standing ovation from hundreds of students and residents of this eastern Iowa town. "This will not be a call issued in one speech or program, this will be a cause of my presidency."
Before presenting his proposals calling for a renewed commitment to national service, Mr. Obama was endorsed by Harris Wofford, a former senator from Pennsylvania who helped form the Peace Corps during his time in the Kennedy administration. As he introduced Mr. Obama to the crowd, Mr. Wofford said he had not felt as inspired "since the days of John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King."
