Alexander Chancellor: He wants health insurance for all Americans, but Barack Obama still has to...

Today is the Fourth of July, the Independence Day holiday that celebrates America's separation from Britain in 1776. It brings a great explosion of patriotism throughout the land, with every little town celebrating with parades, barbecues, carnivals and fireworks. It is estimated that around 150m hotdogs will be eaten by Americans on this day alone. Prominent among them will be Barack Obama, who will probably eat several hotdogs because he has chosen this week as the one in which to try to persuade Americans of his patriotism. He started this campaign on Monday with a speech in the appropriately named town of Independence, Missouri, where Harry Truman was brought up. Since then, he has been trotting around some of the more conservative parts of the country waving the flag. Obama said on Monday that he had always taken his... [read full story]