History - Shared

Today I watched the inauguration in a room full of agency employees packed in as tight as could be. Every race, color and background seemed to be represented. I watched as co-workers male and female sat with tears streaming down their faces. The room held its breath as the oath was taken - giggled as Judge Roberts rushed it, and the as it turns out, read the oath of office in the wrong order. Our gallent new president repeated the words - still in the wrong order - back, knowing the Judge made a mistake.

NPR today reported on a 105 year old woman who spent 5-hours in the cold, wrapped in a sleeping blanket to watch the event.

It was a wonderful moment that I will remember as one of the most significant events I witnessed.

The balls - a fashion frenzy:

see here

Keep your Enemies Closer (or Rivals...)

Brilliant move by Obama - Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State.

Not only is she a great choice and will make a terrific cabinet member, but the choise shows how serious a leader Obama will be for our country. While the pundits are saying that this move is one of the lessons that Obama learned from Lincoln about keeping your rivals close, I think it is more than that.

Obama is showing that he is a true unifier. Earlier today he met with McCain. Now comes word of Hillary's selection. I wouldn't be surprised to see a republican on his cabinet. This is going to be so much fun to watch. Let the change begin.

Blackberry Out

Poor Barack. He is in the beginning stages of blackberry withdrawl. As POTUS, every single letter, text, etc is part of Public Information and as a result, the use of the blackberry device and even email is tightly controlled.

I'm guessing he can't even send a text to the girls asking WTF (which is what I text to my son all the time).

I went through a little blackberry withdrawl myself today. I forgot it at home. I found that I didn't miss it as much for the messages and constant mewing, more that I had my calandar and contacts.

Amazing the role that technology plays in our lives. My favorite vacation is the technology out vacation. We go to the middle of nowhere in Canada and fish. No phone, no internet, no TV. Totally out of it. And I look forward to it every year.

History

What an amazing moment in history. I have Obama Lawn Signs!!! Who wants one?

Judgement

Colin Powell today endorses Barak Obaman. At the core of his endorsement is the issue of "Judgement." Powell says that in watching Obama, he has displayed the judgement required to lead our country. That he is more inclusive, he crosses lines.

He said that Obama is a transformational candidate. He has both style and substance.

Powell said that he has to question McCain's judgement. His lack of judgement was evident in his selection of Palin. It continues with the way in which he has been running the race. The robo calls, the negativity and narrowness. The Republicans move far to the right is also an issue.

He questions how the Republican party at large has conducted itself.

From Meet the Press: "Powell also told NBC’s Tom Brokaw that he was “troubled” by Republicans’ personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and the recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, a co-founder of the radical ’60 Weather Underground.

Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.

“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.

“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”

It has already been called a "racial" move by some on the far right. For shame.