With the several fiascoes that have occurred over the past few years with the Bush administration involving cover ups of arguably illegal government actions, a trait Americans should be looking for in their next presidential candidate is trustworthiness.  

Senator Barack Obama is most likely the Democratic nominee for the 2008 November elections, but as his popularity grows with the American public, it is troubling to see that behind his fine speeches and charming smile, Obama is not entirely trustworthy.

First of all, Obama has the least amount of experience as a leader of the people than any of the other candidates.  He has only been a senator for Illinois for three years, and during that time, Obama has missed over 220 votes during the current congress.  That is a 40.3 percent rate of absentia, which makes his rate of voting the worst of all the democrats in the Senate.  Can America really trust a man who apparently does not take his senatorial job seriously enough to represent the people of Illinois adequately?  

Second, Barack has been associated closely for over 20 years with the Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., the infamous pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ based in Chicago who preaches nothing but racism, hatred and anti-American sentiments.  Even if Obama’s claims of having detached himself from his preacher and mentor recently are true, which is doubtful, it is disturbing that he only did so once the public outcry reached his politically-minded ears.

How can the American public trust a man to lead this country who has been a devoted follower of a leader who preaches against American patriotism?