Yesterday at the commencement ceremony for Xavier University, which is located in the New Orleans area, Illinois Senator Barack Obama told the graduating class how important citizen participation is for our democracy:

"The easiest thing is to do nothing at all. Turn off the TV, put down the newspaper and go about your busy lives. Remain detached and indifferent," he said. "But, if you choose to remember what happens when responsibilities are ignored and the buck is passed. ... That asks more of you. Not only to pursue your own individual dreams but also to perfect our collective dream as a nation."

Obama encouraged the graduates to "make this a nation where we are no longer unprepared to meet the challenges of time. Make this a nation worthy of the sacrifices of so many of our citizens. Take the second path.

"Katrina's not the end of tough times for New Orleans or you," he said.

Barack Obama has been busy as of late.  Although the Senate is currently in recess, Obama is appearing as the cover man for the fashion magazine Vogue (you can see the photo here).

Amazing enough, during the interview with the magazine, Obama didn't deny that he has presidential ambitions:

" 'My attitude about something like the presidency is that you don't want to just be the president,' he continues. 'You want to change the country. You want to make a unique contribution. You want to be a great president.' "

And last month, Obama condemned the Administration's indifference on the issue of poverty:

"Whoever was in charge of planning was so detached from the realities of inner city life in New Orleans ... that they couldn't conceive of the notion that they couldn't load up their SUV's, put $100 worth of gas in there, put some sparkling water and drive off to a hotel and check in with a credit card."

Senator Obama continued, "There seemed to be a sense that this other America was somehow not on people's radar screen. And that, I think, does have to do with historic indifference on the part of government to the plight of those who are disproportionately African-American." He added that "passive indifference is as bad as active malice."

Wow!  Forget Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.  If we really wanted a winner in 2008, Barack Obama would surprise many.

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Other sites blogging about Barack Obama: Mojo Blog, Street Prophets, Talk to Action, News Unfiltered, Firasd, Hotline, Spirit Blooms, Diggers Realm, Oval Office 2008.