I'm proud of Barack. There's no other way to put it; it does sound a little condescending. But this man's confounded the right wing with his balanced approach and effort to include just about every kind of philosophy in his cabinet.
After the countdown to the election, the countdown to the inauguration seems much more tolerable. And kudos to President Bush (I never thought I'd write that sentence) for the graceful way he's handled the transition.
The difference between the Bush administration and the Obama administration is clear in one fundamental aspect. Bush was insecure about being President; he overrelied on Cheney and was afraid of dissension in policy discussions. Obama, on the other hand, seems to welcome it. His team of rivals has included everyone except poor Chris Dodd.
And some in the right wing seem unable to fathom that they've lost. They talk about going into the wilderness as a transformative experience instead of a place where they've been banished.
Well, it is good to be in power again. And one thing a politician told me many years ago, "It doesn't matter what the other side says if you've got the votes."
