by John McCormick
ALGONA, Iowa – There are almost always questions from voters about health care, immigration and the influence of lobbyists.
But others are less expected. In recent days, for example, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama has been asked about Iceland, Norway and a potential federal Department of Peace.
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That last one was asked here a short time ago by a man in his later years who also asked whether Obama would consider, if elected president, a council of ethical and spiritual advisers.
The Illinois Democrat nodded in agreement and said he would surround himself with such advisers, although added that he might not call it the Council of Ethical and Spiritual Advisers.
“There are a lot of smart people, but so much of leadership is, especially presidential leadership, I think, is character. It has to do with, you know, how you stay focused on the reasons that you took this office,” he said. “How do you make sure it’s not just based on ambition? How do you make sure you’re not just trying to protect your office?”
Obama said most of the nation’s problems are not “technical” in nature. “They have to do with the fact that we operate on the basis of short-sightedness, or greed, or selfishness, or we’re hoping for power,” he said.
In terms of a Department of Peace, Obama said he has another department in mind for that job. “I want to create a State Department that works because that’s what the State Department is supposed to be,” he said.
Friday, in Monticello, Iowa, Obama was asked about energy efficiency in Norway.
“This is the first time during the campaign that I’ve been asked about Norway,” Obama said. “I’m very impressed by that.”
He then added that Norway is “much smarter in terms of using the money they get from oil revenues to reinvest in energy efficiencies.”
Another North Atlantic nation came up during a question-and-answer session on Saturday in Independence, Iowa, when Obama was asked his opinion of Iceland’s efforts to be free of oil use in the coming years, while also using more hydrogen for fuel.
“Hydrogen is a part of clean energy,” Obama responded, adding that he would boost funding for alternative fuel research.
He then pointed voters to his campaign staff members and Web site, if they have further questions. “We can answer any question that you’ve got,” he said.