One of the most enduring symbols of equal rights and freedom had these words for Obama today… In a letter delivered to Obama before the ceremony, the former South African president described the election of America’s first black president as “something truly historic not only in the political annals of your great nation, the United [...]

As promised, this is one of the first orders of business. And given that we eventually freed the majority of those we kidnapped and held indefinitely without access to legal counsel, this move is yet another signal that America is starting a new chapter. From AP: The U.S. moved Tuesday to halt the Guantanamo Bay [...]

“We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and Non-Believers.” – Barack Obama in his inaugural address today I forgot to include this in my thoughts about his address, but it was so refreshing to hear somebody finally say those words. They’re long overdue and it signals yet another way Obama is [...]

Obama carries over the look and feel of his campaign and the results are light years ahead of White House websites of the past. Still, Megan McArdle did some digging and she’s a bit frustrated… Unfortunately, that sleekness has been achieved by tucking even more of that unsightly information out of the way, where it [...]

Not surprisingly, the parts that resonated for me the most were the ones that spoke about putting all of the pettiness aside so we can finally move forward. Because that’s what Obama’s entire campaign was about and it’s one of the most important changes he can hope to deliver to the country and Washington in [...]

Presented here in full just in case you haven’t seen it. And now it’s time to get to work.

Chief Justice Roberts made a pretty big mistake when he was administering the oath to Barack Obama today: WASHINGTON – Chief Justice John Roberts swore in President-elect Barack Obama as president of the United States on Tuesday with a slight stumble over the wording of the oath of office in the first of what could [...]

It started at the State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois on February 10, 2007. One of the most unlikely presidential candidates in modern times, a junior Senator from a very blue state, announces that he’ll entire the race for the Democratic nomination. Nearly everybody in the media says it’s too early for this guy. Especially since [...]

In a few hours, Barack Hussein Obama will be President of the United States of America. This is an exceptional moment in U.S. history, not because Obama is the first black president (although that’s certainly noteworthy) but because we’re at one of those rare crossroads when we know the next four years will be of [...]

“I can summarise Bush’s legacy in two words: Barack Obama.” – James Lindsay, a politics professor at Texas university in a Financial Times article. Here’s more… Observers have traced much of Mr Bush’s alleged incompetence to his dislike of what he calls “process decisions” – conclusions reached through the normal Washington inter-agency process. Following his [...]

“I’m here tonight to say a few words about an American hero I have come to know very well and admire very much — Senator John McCain. And then, according to the rules agreed to by both parties, John will have approximately thirty seconds to make a rebuttal.” – President-elect Barack Obama’s intro to his [...]

As we move within 24 hours of inaugurating a new president, most of America’s attention is focused on the future, with a great many Americans hopeful about Barack Obama and his coming presidency. But what about the guy packing up the White House? Does he deserve more than a passing goodbye after eight years? Bush [...]

Check out the clip at the BBC. However, I will offer one question to this: do you view Obama as an “African-American” president? Yes, I know he is and it’s a historic day, but (to me at least) he just seems like the President. And maybe that’s the most enduring legacy of MLK’s work…that race [...]

If you know anything about the case of former border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, you’ll know that Bush’s commutation of the remaining amount of their sentence is justice being served. And let’s face it, if Scooter Libby got his sentence commuted, these guys should too. First, the backstory… Ramos and Compean were sentenced [...]

Pete Seeger, now in his 80s, agrees to play “This Land is Your Land” at the inaugural concert. But only if he can play the original. This land is your land This land is my land From California to the New York island; From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters This land [...]

One of my favorite annual blog lists, from The Beast. Replete with some great one-liners.

Michael Scherer of Time Magazine has an interesting piece titled “The Permanent Campaign” which describes the millions of Obama backers who are staying involved (and connected) through Facebook, Meetup, and other online tools. There’s no doubt that Obama has tapped into social networking in a way that has changed American politics.  Note to Republicans: ignore it [...]

Way back when Barack Obama was just a regular rock star, only filling high school gymnasiums instead of NFL stadiums, my daughter got to cuddle with him twice. Nothing scandalous, mind you, Dahlia was a five-month-old baby at the time. But her combined 90 seconds with the future president made her a New York Daily [...]