BUTTE - Butte, Montana was again the center of the political universe for democrats Friday. One man running to lead the free world chose to celebrate the nation's independence with local Montanans.

"We were started off on a set of ideas about liberty, justice and equality that all men were created equal," Senator Barack Obama, (D) Illinois, told the crowd at a Fourth of July picnic.

As a nation built on freedom, Obama says our most valuable export is leadership. Considering himself to be the next leader of the United States, he says the country will lead the world to a better education system, universal human rights, a more justified war on terror and energy independence.

"Are we going to declare out independence from special interests the oil companies and the gas companies that are preventing us from creating the kind of energy policy that will save our environment and free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil, investing in solar and wind and biodiesel?" the senator asked. "That's the kind of independence we need to declare today."

With the celebration of independence and freedom, many Montanans are wondering where Obama stands on the right to bear arms. Criticized for wavering on the issue, when asked, he clarified his views on guns in America.

"I believe in certain common sense gun laws. Strong background checks to prevent criminals or people with mental illnesses to have weapons. But there's not a sportsman, hunter or resident of Montana that is a legal possessor of fire arms that has anything to fear from me."

In fact, Obama says Montanan's concerns aren't unlike those of voters across the nation. He says they're looking for a new direction in gas prices, the economy and foreign policy.