I have friends who were in the Peace Corps, and their view of the world and their understanding of peoples, not to mention the language skills they acquired, have brought them benefits across the spectrum of their lives. They are among the finest people I've known, partly because of what they took into the program and partly because of what they took out.

The folks of whom I'm aware served in the '60s. And along came Nixon and tried to convert them into spies.

The idea of service to others on that scale is a distinctly liberal notion and the Peace Corps needed a Kennedy and Johnson. Having said that, one of the most dedicated and selfless volunteers I know is obscenely Conservative. Here's hoping Obama can get a serious Americorps going. As I recall he's a product of that program.

Arf