I'll save the introductions for later (OK OK if you MUST know more about me, visit www.xanga.com/twoberry and read to your heart's content), but first I want to be outrageous and compare Barack Obama to John F. Kennedy.

You can forget all about the classic encounter between Dan Quayle and Lloyd Bentsen (you youngsters in the audience, I'll explain if you ask me), Barack Obama is the real deal.

JFK's legendary status is, in my opinion, based on the fact that he was a spellbinding orator and inspired a generation of Americans to accomplish programs that they all said was impossible.

Two examples: Peace Corps and a manned landing on the moon. The Peace Corps wasn't just a good idea. It was a good idea that never would have been realized had it not been for a massive commitment on the part of young Americans. And that commitment never would have been made, had it not been for Kennedy's capacity to inspire.

And NASA's space exploration program was similarly a result of longterm dedication and determination. Credit JFK again.

My favorite Presidential candidate, Barack Obama, has yet to propose anything as daring as starting a Peace Corps, or landing on the moon, but I think because our nation faces such a host of mammoth problems, Sen. Obama, like all of the other candidates, have all they can do to formulate programs to tackle the issues that face us.

But those issues are so daunting, so much more serious than anything the world has ever faced before, I'd say that the power of Kennedy-like inspiration is sorely needed.

Global warming concerns me as much as anything, and we've also got a broken economy, a broken health care system, crises in education and energy -- I could go on -- but the thing is, none of those issues can be properly addressed as long as we're in Iraq, as long as we're mired in a "War on Terrorism" which has no military solution.

And that's where I dream big. Even Barack Obama hasn't had the nerve to propose what I'm about to propose, but I'm saying that the goal should be nothing less than lasting peace in the Middle East.

DID I JUST LOSE MY AUDIENCE?

I don't blame you. But I'm serious. Maybe my dream will never be realized in my lifetime, but I won't give up the dream.

And as Barack Obama just -- by god this is unbelievable -- just this very second said, in quoting JFK himself:

America should never negotiate out of fear, but should never fear to negotiate.

The first two steps should be (1) stop shooting and (2) talk. Obama has already said he'll talk -- to the leaders we don't like.

Kennedy would have done no less.