What is left to say but WOW. Yes we did. Yes he did.
Yes he IS….
President Barack Hussein Obama
I declare today a national holiday – and celebrated with friends – starting at 7:30 a.m. – by watching the whole thing together over coffee, oatmeal with berries, and champagne!
(Brief aside: Pastor Rick Warren left me cold… a fat cat evangelical, but Rev. Joseph Lowery? He’s the man!!)
Obama’s inaugural address pulled no punches. He listed all of our present troubles and then – alluding to what would be different from the last administration he said:
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
…
Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
He even spoke to those of us who are not Christians – and a first time any major political figure has acknowledged “non-believers”:
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
The White House website at 12:01 Eastern Time made the changeover as well:
What a blessed relief to have a president who is smart, articulate, compassionate, and (let us go on record here) HOT- all at the same time. One who is genuinely striving to bring us together, to bring out the best in us all, to give us hope…
And to be free of of an inarticulate sociopathic overgrown fratboy! We cheered as the helicopter lifted off, and I heard (should have been off-mike but wasn’t) the sounds of happy laughter in the NBC control room).
In the spirit of Sam Cooke “It’s been a long time coming” ….
Hallelujah and Amen!
