Obama could not go. It would have been a political game from the start and the USA could have been held to ransom. Bill Clinton was the ideal person to go, a well-respected former president who was not in a position to negotiate as a country leader, but who was well known and respected world wide. It speaks volume for the man that he went, he had no incentive to go other than to help. It also speaks quite well of Kim that he agreed to the release. I wonder who among our current or ex leaders would have done the same thing as Bill Clinton.