Embarassed To Be An American?

The Washington Posts examines John Kerry's view of America on the world stage.

When President Bill Clinton referred to the United States as "the indispensable nation" during his second inaugural address in 1997, and then as other U.S. officials picked up the term, Sen. John F. Kerry recoiled. He turned to his longtime foreign policy aide Nancy Stetson to ask, "Why are we adopting such an arrogant, obnoxious tone?"

Kerry has tried to accomodate of all of America's enemies, from the Iranian mullahs to the Nicaraguan Sandanistas.

But, does he actually stand for anything? Not even those closest to him know for sure.

"Kerry's aides cannot recall whether he ever sketched out a broad foreign policy vision before he sought the presidency. Indeed, many of Kerry's speeches during his Senate years were lengthy and subtle, reflecting an understanding of complex issues but also a tendency to sketch so many shades of gray that the reasoning for his position became opaque."