Obama's European quiz: Any regrets?

by Christi Parsons and Mark Silva

STRASBOURG, France -- President Barack Obama carried his "town hall'' brand of public dialog to a European stage today, standing before an etimated audience of 4,000 in Strasbourg, France, on the eve of a NATO summit to call on "a new generation in a new century'' to rise to the world's challenges.

The president called on Europeans to set aside a "casual" but "insidious" anti-American sentiment, to commit to the his strategy in Afghanistan and to reach out to Muslims in all nations to work for "peace and partnership."

But some of the most pointed questions centered less on American foreign and domestic policy and more on the purely personal:

A young woman rising to identify herself as both American and French - "dual nationality'' -- wanted to know about the president's approach to the world economic crisis, but also about that dog, the White House pup that Obama has promised his kids.

"We are getting a dog,'' Obama said. "This is a very important question in the United States... It should be there soon.''

"Did you ever regret to run for president?' a young woman from Germany asked.

"It's a good question... Michelle definitely asks that question,'' Obama replied with a laugh, then wandering carefully into a personal, and inspirational tale:

"There have been times, certainly during the campaign, and there have been times over the past months, when you feel a lot of weight on your shoulders,'' Obama said.

"There is no doubt about it,'' he said. "During the campaign.... I was away from my family all the time... Not only do I have a wonderful wife, but I also have two perfect daughters... But it turns out that, as president, I now have this nice office in my house called the Oval Office.

"You also lose privacy and anonymity,'' the president said. "It used to be that, when I came to Europe, I could just wander down to some café, have some wine... and watch the sun go down... Now I have Secret Service around me all the time... Losing that ability to just have a walk, that is something that is frustrating....

"Having said all that, I truly believe that there is nothing more noble than public service,'' the presdient told his audience, which included many young people. "That doesn't mean that you have to run for president.,'' he said. "You might work for Doctors Without Borders... You might be the mayor of Strasbourg. You might volunteer in your own community.

"But the point is, what I found at a very young age, if you only think about yourself, how much money you can make, what can I buy, how nice my house is, how fancy my car is, over the long-term, I think you get bored...

"if you're only thinking about yourself, your life becomes diminished.. The way to live a full life is to think about, 'What can I do for others?'.... Especially for the young people here, I hope you consider other ways you can serve... The world has so many challenges... so many ways you can make a difference.....

"Better to jump in, get involved,,'' Obama said, "and it does mean that sometimes you'll get criticized and sometimes you'll fail and sometimes you'll be disappointed. But you'll have a great adventure... and hopefully, at the end of your life, you'll be able to look back and say, 'I made a difference.'''

The forum was much like the American campaign town halls that Obama has continued even after his election, except that an emcee introduced the president and First Lady Michelle Obama in French and translators stood ready to assist the French and German audience -- though all of the questions arrived in English.

The arena, in a region along the German-French border, was filled with a large number of students from Strasbourg and throughout Europe invited through the Atlantic Youth Council.

It was the third time in two days that Obama has held a public question-and-answer session, coming less than 24 hours after the president held a lengthy press conference in the wake of the G-20 summit in London.

First thing this morning, the president traveled to this city in the Alsace-Lorraine region, site of this weekend's NATO meeting.

He and First Lady Michelle Obama met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, the singer and model Carla Bruni, who were met at the Palais Rohan by crowds of French people waving and taking pictures.

As the Obamas and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made their way to the residence, people shouted out, "Mrs. Clinton!" and "We love you, Hillary!"

And at the town hall forum, Obama was greeted by hundreds of cheering Europeans, many of them young people.

The crowd cheered loudly when Obama mentioned the closure of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and condemned the use of torture.

"America is changing. But it cannot be America alone that changes," Obama said. "The only way we can confront this challenge is through unprecedented coordination."

Linda Strecker, 16, made the trip from her hometown near Heidelberg because she wanted to meet the man she calls "the great American president."

"He's going to end the war," she said, "and he has a great appeal to the younger generation."

Several students in the crowd said they had come with their teachers and school classmates.

Marie Meyer, 16, from nearby Colmar, said she had been "impatient" to see Obama because of the potential for change that he represents.

"He has shown that America can change its image in the world," Colmar said. "It shows that, in our time, people aren't judged by the color of their skin."

Christi Parsons reported from Strasbourg, Mark Silva from Washington.