Obama Rocks Berlin

Reviews of Barack Obama's speech in Berlin yesterday appear to be mixed, with the New York Times calling it "vague on crucial issues of trade, defense and foreign policy." However, The Nation loved it, saying, "To much of the world, Bush's talk of freedom is code for messianism, arrogance and empire. Obama reframed the debate--and reclaimed the word--with his spectacular speech in Berlin today, when he spoke of 'the dream of freedom' as something both Americans and Europeans shared and could be proud of. "

Over 200,000 Berliners heard Obama speak in person and the speech was carried live on all four German national networks. Berlin officials decided not to allow Obama to have his Reagan moment at the Brandenburg Gate after all, and the speech took place nearby at the Victory Column. Time will only tell if his speech yesterday will have the same historic resonance as Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" or JFK's "Ich bin ein Berliner." The entire speech is below in two parts.