News this last week

First things first, could we get over the fact that President-elect Obama (I still love saying that) requested Senator Clinton be his Secretary of State?

Why the big hub-bub?

Remember why she was running for the Presidency? Let's see--she's smart, hard-working, ambitious and intelligent. Why this should be a surprise fails me.

Let's get over it, embrace the intelligence of it and move on. So what if they were, at one time, competitors for this same job?

The same with his meeting tomorrow with Senator McCain.

Apparently we're so used to divisional politics, stupidity, narrow-mindedness and short-sighted moves from our politicians, we're awestruck by intelligence and intelligent moves, even if they are political.



The other news this week was an oft-repeated story about President-elect Obama possibly being our next FDR.

The obviousness of this, to me, is extremely apparent. It's great to say, sure, but seems very apparent.

In the first place, we're coming off a "do nothing", know-nothing dolt of a President, just as they did going into the first Great Depression. The only thing is, at least Hoover wasn't blatantly evil (my highly biased but common opinion) and in the pockets of Big Business, the way the current occupant is.

But secondly, and really, much more importantly, it seems that, unfortunately, we're apparently going to need just such a figure in this position, to lead us from Washington and the White House, given our current state of affairs.

Our economy and that of the world is going to heck in a handbasket right now, so we need this guy to do all the right things and put the people first, just as FDR did.

The one big difference between the two--FDR and President-elect Obama--besides their skin color, is that the first was born to wealth, making Obama's rise to power all the more magnificent.

So yesterday, when the President-elect announced he'd be releasing, each week of his Presidency, a video on Youtube for his weekly address, instead of on the radio as all his predecessors since the Depression did, he at once connected to FDR and, in effect, brought us in closer. I'm surprised I haven't seen anything written, yet, about this. This makes the "fireside chat" even more personal and relatable. It's fascinating.

It also takes him (Obama) and the fireside chat and us--all of us--into another "next generation moment" for his campaign, his Presidency-to-be and the nation.

The thing is, it was a very deft, intelligent, simple but brilliant and obvious move.

For everyone on computers, it was the obvious next step for that venue.

Now, instead of no one listening for and to the President's weekly radio address, virtually everyone will be tuning in to Youtube for it.

And we'll do it partially because it's so new itself, partially because it's our new President, partially because it's President Obama himself and, finally, because our economy and country are in such a bad condition and we need to know what new thing will happen next.

Again, it's a brilliant, simple, important move that will be very welcomed by the nation.

Finally, our President-elect evoked another of the most important of our country's former Presidents yesterday, when formally relinquishing his Illinois Senate seat:

"In his published letter, Obama quoted Abraham Lincoln, 'another son of Illinois' who had left for Washington, 'a greater man who spoke to a nation far more divided.'"

"Lincoln, Obama wrote, said of his home: 'To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything.'"

"Obama wrote, 'I feel the same, and like Lincoln, I ask for your support, your prayers, and for us to `confidently hope that all will yet be well.'"

President-elect Obama is not perfect. Far from it. He has never claimed to be.

But our hopes, as a nation, are high and we have high expectations. He'll disappoint us, sure. He won't be able to do everything we want or need him to do.

But he's making the right moves. He's thinking and acting deliberately (which is a huge and very welcome change from the previous administration, of course). He'll ask us to sacrifice and work hard.

It seems we've turned a corner and can have hope again.