A Dismal Gaza Strip - Solutions Anyone?

I know George Bush is running out of volunteers for the White House spokesperson job but where did he find this Gordon Johndroe dude to waste my precious television news time. This guy was so unforthcoming and confused that CNN and FOX had to pull the ‘technical difficulties’ card to get him off the screen. All he said on behalf of the White House was that ‘Hamas needs to stop firing Rockets into Israel’. Sounds good Gordon, what else?
I am one of the few people who genuinely applaud Mr. Bush when he deserves the credit, but a blind, evasive and hollow statements are far from solutions. This is Day 3 of Israeli air attacks into Hamas territory and I am sure Hamas by virtue of their anti-Israeli connection have earned themselves suspicion and distrust. Pardon my cynicism when it comes to Bush’s foreign policy, but I am wary of what to believe, simply because the Bush administration said so.
This is certainly where a straight-talk with the American people will be ideal, and that is exactly why I was disappointed by the vague speech by Johndroe. Where is John McCain (pre-SarahPalin) when you need him? The conflict is gradually escalating, and that is the concern for most of us who care about peaceful coexistence of the people in the Gaza Strip.
The facts are blurry at best and it is only fair to avoid the chicken-egg debate on whose side the blame falls on. Israel has vowed to ‘fight to the bitter end against Hamas’ and from what we are seeing so far, that is certainly not an empty threat. Both sides have an agenda, no mistake about that premise, but there is a point where agendas overstep sovereignty, which is the crux of the drama today. My concern is (and this is as genuine as it gets) when does the agenda turn into viable and pragmatic resolutions?

There is also a cross section of global observers who share the opinion that with the Obama administration unwilling to take the same hard-line unconditional support for Israel approach, perhaps Israel needs to initiate a game plan to get the advantage in lieu of any bilateral agreements. The UN Secretary General is urging both sides to exercise restraint and desist from the unnecessary inflammatory rhetoric. Barrack Obama has specifically reiterated the ‘special relationship’ with Israel, but the reality on the ground is forcing an American president to either choose sides or initiate a practical agreement, even a temporary resolution. I am not an Obama insider, but I will bet that he will not send a Gordon Johndroe to give his canned pointless opinion of a serious and potentially explosive conflict.

I maintain that our country can be friends of Israel and still maintain our objectivity, and I will reiterate that I am all for Israel protecting its sovereignty and dignity.This conflict is complicated and dangerous, but certainly not the smartest gig to blame Hamas solely and call it a day. In that respect, I prefer the United Nations’ response to Mr. Bush’s. Am I insinuating that Israel has a share of the guilty pie? Back to my earlier point, I don’t have all the facts of the story so I don’t know who is ‘chicken’ and who is ‘egg’. At this moment, innocent lives are at risk, and that is the sole source of my anxiety. Someone please tell the Hezbollah leaders to mind their own business and resist the urge of adding fuel to a fire which has absolutely nothing to with Lebanon.

Israel has expressed its explicit agenda of not wanting to take over Gaza, but of course you cannot blame it from protecting its citizens, ‘by any means necessary’.
Why is this renewed conflict in the Middle East seems to have the same kind of political ‘je ne sais qious’ as the recent Russia-Georgia conflict in which Russia’s aggressive response became the focus of criticism. International conflicts are muddy and thorny, and I am in no way criticizing the Bush administration, as most people around the world have already made their decision in their regard.

Peace in the Gaza Strip is the first step, and the subsequent steps will have to be carefully calculated to account for all factions and counter ideologies. Hamas says 312 Palestinians have died since Saturday, of which the UN says 57 were civilians. In Israel, a second person was killed by a militant rocket and Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was not fighting the people of Gaza but was in "a war to the bitter end" with Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007.
Obama will inherit a hundred year old headache, but some peaceful solution should be the ultimate resolve, even before he takes office in three weeks. The finger pointing goes on, while the rest of the world holds a collective breath to see an end to the ‘raining bombs’ along the Gaza Strip. Solutions anyone?

Why does it seem like we have been here before?

A Spoiler all by Himself

I am fuming. For anyone who had any doubt that Brett Favre was not only a liability to himself but to unsuspecting teams in the NFL, today had all the evidence you needed. Of course if you are a Miami Dolphins fan, you were expecting a vintage Bret Favre to spoil the Jets season and most importantly spoil the New England Patriots’ surprising season.

All Brett Favre had to do was to win a very 'winnable' game in which Miami played the first three quarters like they were sitting in Coach Sparano’s living room. That was too hard for his old bleep to do. Interceptions after interceptions, the New York Jets pulled a life cord from a well deserving new England Patriots who had done all they could to be playing in January. I am indeed fuming.
The Patriots have had our share of tough luck since week one. A season that began distressingly with star quarterback Tom Brady's injury, concluded just short of a postseason berth despite a stunning 11-5 record. 11 wins don’t get you into the playoffs? Only in the NFL.

According to ESPN sources, Brett Favre will have an MRI exam Monday on his ailing right shoulder, saying it would affect his decision on whether he'll come back for another season with the New York Jets. Who cares? He should stay home like any old man who can no longer play at the highest level in the NFL. The stinking Favre was picked off three times in the Jets' 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

If you had any doubts about a senior citizen unwilling to call it quits, now you do. Today is not exactly a good day for any Patriots fan, but for what Matt Cassell did for what turned out to be a roller coaster season, we are proud of a heroic year. Thanks to Bret Favre, all that Patriots excellence is gone down the drain.

Missles for a Middle East Christmas

The Christmas season didn’t bring too much promise of peace to everyone around the world.
The Middle East is living their worst fear, and it has nothing to do with Santa Claus jumping down their chimneys. Just 8 days ago, the truce between Israel and the Palestinian entity was still alive and for all intents and purposes, 2009 was supposed to be the year of ‘hope’ and restoration.
According this morning CNN/BBC reports (the closest thing to fair news that I can find) Israeli air strikes pounded targets in Gaza and killed at least 170 people. Unfortunately this is not one of the alarm sounding statements, this has ignited renewed tensions throughout the region.
The story even gets dismal as the militant group Hamas, which controls the government in Gaza, vowed to retaliate. Depending on which side of the story you’re on, ‘retaliation’ is a chicken and egg debate because Hamas had been responsible for several rocket attacks into Israel.

This day in history is not one of those that I had been looking forward to, the first anniversary of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, Pakistan withdrawing troops from the Afghanistan border to the Indian border in anticipation of India stashing troops to attack. And now Israel and Hamas in this potentially explosive crossfire.
The cease fire expired a week ago after a wild after a tense six-month truce between the Hamas government in Gaza and Israel. Under the Egyptian-brokered deal, Hamas agreed to end militant attacks on Israel from Gaza, and Israel agreed to halt raids inside the territory and ease its blockade on humanitarian goods.

F-16 Bombers, missiles and warplanes; so much for the good tidings of the Christmas season.

Feliz Navidad

In the spirit of friendship and community, I wish all my friends in cyberspace and Random Thought readers the best of the holiday season. Whatever the season means to you, church bells, nativity scenes or religious events, enjoy it.

Feliz Navidad amigos.

Political Entitlement? Who cares?

In this age of corrupt politicians and meaningless credentials, who cares if Caroline Kennedy can not shore up the fancy resume of public office to be the Senator of New York? Of course I am not endorsing her at face value for sentimental reasons, (I guess I already did) but after politicians like Eliot Spitzer and the gangster Blago in Illinois, please throw the archaic litmus paper tests into the Hudson River. Really, who cares?
The better question should be, can she do the job? I don’t even know what a Senator of New York does, but whatever it is my guess is that it can’t be too complicated. Ted Stevens did it for Alaska with one eye fixed on his bank account, I’m sure it can’t be that arduous a task.
But I see the other side of the story and why people have their reservations. New York Representative Gary Ackerman, said Kennedy’s only qualification was name recognition. In a radio interview he said she is no more qualified than Jennifer Lopez to be a Senator. That’s fair analysis I think, because most people would argue that J-Lo did not become a movie star by virtue of talent. This is America, beauty counts for something, and so does being a Kennedy.
Of course there is a reason why since 1776, we have fought tooth and nail to make America the exact opposite of England. No royalties, no queens ands definitely no entitlements (except for Paris Hilton). That’s why the Caroline Kennedy candidacy takes a little heat. She worked 3 days a week as director of strategic partnerships for the New York City schools for just under two years. Other than that, most of her time has been spent on boards for various non-profits, which has included raising millions of dollars for some causes.
Blah, blah, blah, so what if her resume is not laden with political gigs, please don’t blame the lady from coming from the ‘right family’ in American political history. Trust me, if my last name was Kennedy, I won’t even be brushing my own teeth, let alone show up in cold upstate New York to convince firemen that I understand their plight.

Qualifications? What qualifications? Who cares? She is daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, that should count for something. We are the same country which was ready to crown Sarah Palin as vice president even when we knew that all she had was beauty and a winking eye. At least Caroline Kennedy is talking about substance and not snowmobile championships and beauty pageants. Give the lady a break.
While we are at it, I say give her the seat and reevaluate her in 2010 elections at the ballot box. I can understand if this was Texas, a state with righteous fight-for-the-people politicians (no pun intended), but this is New York we are talking about here. PS: Eliot Spitzer left a sour taste in my mouth.
This has absolutely nothing to do with a sense of entitlement, (not too much anyway), sure she lost a father and uncle for our great nation and nothing at all it will be our way of expressing gratitude.
Can she do the job? I say yes and for whatever my opinion is worth, let Caroline replace Hilary. End of story.

Moscow Rising in the Putin Mystique

This is certainly not the first time I will blog about Vladimir Putin, and chances are it certainly won’t be the last. Nevertheless I am almost always speechless with his magic on the Russian political landscape, and it may very be because I happen to be on the outside looking in.

Just before Putin’s second term expired as Russian President, a constitutional amendment was approved to create the office of Prime Minister. Of course all you need is half a brain to figure out why. It worked out just fine, much to the surprise of international observers who argued that such an aggressive agenda was not plausible in this side of the developed world.

Fast forward to today, the upper house of Russia's parliament approved an extension of the presidential term from four years to six. This is not a Christmas prank; in fact it may very well be that Santa Claus stopped by Moscow with lots of presents for Mr. Putin. A constitutional change to keep him either in the nation’s top office or close to the power seems to be looming in the horizon and the rest of Europe are staring at this morning’s news in amazement.
Putin’s hand-picked successor, Dmitri Medvedev, proposed in November that the head of state's term be lengthened, starting with the next president. Even more fascinating in this carousel is the possibility that Medvedev would step down to make way for Putin's return when the law passes.

That is the fact of the story, how anyone interprets the fact is their own problem but I am not so sure what kind of signal this sends to the rest of the world.
This assertion is unfounded, but even a first grader in Russia knows who his ‘real’ president is, and a part of me finds this return-to-power business very unsettling.
At some point I would imagine that even the wisest and smartest visionaries in a country will give way for fresh ideas and new blood to advance the country into a future. Apparently that is no so much the case in Russia.

What do I know?

TARP Funds: Dude where's my Money?

Accountability in tumultuous economic times is just as elusive as the meaning of the word itself. Not too long ago big banks Citigroup, Bank of America, JPMorgan and Wells Fargo among others went to Washington DC to plead their case for money to stay afloat. It was in that spirit that TARP fund was born. What happened to the 350 Billion dollars of taxpayers’ money? Apparently no one is talking much and until their fourth quarter statement shows up, none of us will really know where the billions are showing up in the ‘stimulating economy’ story.
Of course nothing raises more red flags than corporate jets flying around when these banks claim to be drowning in financial abyss. I would hate to insinuate that probably that is what the ‘staying afloat’ monologue was all about.

Quite frankly in what is fast becoming potentially the worst downturn in the post-war period, and the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, you give people and companies a lifeline, no matter how little. The problem is, no one is given me a lifeline yet and in all fairness I think I deserve one too. Just last week the U.S. Federal Reserve did cut interest rates to further boots the financial sector, just as they have engineered a couple of emergency programs aimed at easing the credit crisis. They include a commitment to buy $600 billion of debt tied to the housing market, and $200 billion to support business and consumer loans.
I am not a genius at fiscal policies but I can bet the banks are the major recipients of the bailout cash. It was named the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) for a reason. It comes with accountability and fiscal transparency.

Back to my earlier point, there is no magic trick in the universe which would allow any idiot to secure a loan from a bank without an assurance of where and for what the money would be used for. In the interest of reasonable reciprocity, I will expect CitiGroup, Bank of America and the rest of their buddies to return that favor to the taxpayers who gave them 350billion worth of lifelines.

Just a thought.

Something Gotta Give

I promised myself that I won’t be blogging about the auto bailout the rest of the year, unless something significant happened. Well something ‘significant’ did indeed happen the moment the 14billion gig failed to pass the Senate. There had been bipartisan talks on the rescue plan leading into the end of the week and I am trying not to pile the heat on the Republicans, solely.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union spent a chunk of my CNN viewing time talking about their plight and the nuances of the bailout plan. Nothing really that most of us don’t already know. The story in the grapevine is that the White House and key lawmakers will spend their weekend working out details on ‘something’. What will that something be, your guess is as good as mine.

There is a huge gap between fiscal conservatives (and I’m using the phrase loosely) and the hardcore liberal spend-first think-later politicians, but the current crisis demands a re-examination of the quasi-laissez-faire ideas. Giving the Big 3 a lifeline is not too bad an idea. It won’t take a fifth grader to notice that I am pro-bailout in a sensible and accountable fashion, at least based on what I know now.
Today’s twist lies in the UAW union’s refusal to cut wages next year to bring them into line with their Japanese counterparts. I see the worker’s argument but another question that is pinching my sense is what happens even if the 14billion dollar deal goes through?

Saving the auto industry implies an existence of auto buyers to keep them in business. Something tells me the buyers will be the next in line for a bailout, but that shouldn’t stop the government from injecting a little cash into the system. More than 250,000 people are likely to have a bad Christmas with the prospect of huge job losses. Where is Santa when you need him the most?

Monday morning will be one of the most interesting Wall Street adventures in recent memories, mark my words. What happens from here will be just as crucial as who gets what. Ford, GM and Chrysler are in a nasty jam staring at bankruptcy in the face. How they got here is the tricky question, but something’s gotta be done and sure something’s gotta give.

Just a random thought.

Chicago-style ‘Idiocracy’

If the Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich did in fact know that the FBI had been on his trail for years and still went on record (wiretaps that is) with some of the most boneheaded sales pitches for government powers, he is not just a criminal; he just took the word idiot to a new low.
For that reason alone, somebody should dump him in Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib prison; somewhere very far away. It is bad enough that he would attempt such an illegal act of selling a senate seat, but the plain foolishness makes me wonder how he became governor in the first place.
CrimeForDummies 101: don’t tell the FBI your criminal intentions when you know you are probably being recorded. That is a no brainer, and for that level of idiocy alone, Rod Blagojevich should do jail time. He is out of jail on $4,500 bond and surprisingly showed up to his office to work. Barack Obama has politely asked him to walk away from politics and ‘public service’, but he still intends to serve Illinois, somehow.

According to a 76-page FBI affidavit released after Blagojevich's arrest, the governor did often weigh the option of appointing himself, saying he was "stuck" at governor and might avoid potential impeachment if he went to the Senate. It also could help him remake his image ahead of a possible presidential run in 2016, according to the affidavit(Source: CNN).
In the words of FlavaFlav, wooooow.

If the reports and allegations are anything close to the truth, the attempt to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat is just one in a series of scandalous acts by the Illinois governor, with extracting money from a children's hospital or a newspaper coming in a close second.
But before we call him a moron and throw him to the wolves, I contend that he certainly isn’t first to pull any dumb stunt of the sort, and my best guess is that he won’t be the last.

Remember when William Jefferson hid money in his freezer? The rest of us thought he was an idiot, and all of a sudden here comes Blagojevich. This guy was actually auctioning off a senate seat to the highest bidder.
Memo to the rest of the sane world, especially politicians in Chicago: when you know the Feds are listening to your conversations, at least pretend to own a brain. Believe me, I’m not the kind to tell you how intelligent I am, but Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is not the brightest crayon in the box.

That much I know.
(PS: Idiocracy is not exactly a real word.)

Gone Gitmo Gone

“I will restore America’s moral standing in the world, and lead the world with our civil and human rights. I will shut down Guantanamo Bay.” These are not my words.
Those were Barack Obama’s in February 2008, and he spent the rest of his campaign reiterating his displeasure with the human rights abuses, including torture, covert interrogatory operations and the application of habeas corpus. So Guantanamo will be gone, when?
President-elect Barack Obama will definitely reverse some of President Bush's most controversial executive orders, and it won’t be because they were wrong perse, but rather ideological conflicts on where Obama believes the country should be heading now. Among the key executive orders to go bye-bye will be the restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, the so-called "gag" order on international aid organizations regarding abortion, and oil and gas drilling on federal lands.
Of course the rest of the world are calmly awaiting January 21, the morning after Obama’s inauguration, just to see which of the policies would be the first to fall, if any.

George Bush is not the most popular of US presidents so I would imagine that too many people will not line up the streets of Washington D.C. protesting the expiration of “failed policies”. Those are Obama’s words again, not mine.

Guantanamo is a tricky gig. What I think is almost irrelevant in the conversation. Where will the detainees in the military prison off the Cuban coast go? What happens if a high profile terrorist like Osama Bin Laden is busted, where will he go? Certainly not Harris County jail; maybe San Quentin if there is space for one more inmate.

Even more puzzling, where do we draw the line between constitutional guarantees to speedy trials and cruel punishments on one hand, and the ruthless terrorists without regard for human lives on the other?
That is where the debate gets interesting, especially among the optimistic folks who think Bin Laden is a year away from standing trial.(Pardon me if I have to save my hopes on the capturing Osama part).

According to this morning’s headline news, Obama is still working the details about the fates of the prison's 255 inmates, and of course he will consider every national security fine print and legal ramifications before the first bulldozer heads off to the Cuban coast. I have a sneaky suspicion that of all the policies that Obama will have to rescind on his campaign promises, Guantanamo won’t be one of them.
"I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that," Obama said during a recent appearance on CBS's "60 Minutes."

Mark my words, by January 2010; it will be gone, Gitmo gone.

Ghana: On the Cusp of Hope

This is not the first time I will be accused of being overly optimistic. My buddy Assad will be the first to tell you that my ridiculously optimistic suggestions about Iraq a year ago is becoming reality, even before Barack Obama opted for redirecting the war-game across the street to Afghanistan. The moral of the story; - I know some stuff and that I’m not completely delusional.

With that said, Ghana’s elections have a little more at stake than the potential practicality and question of democracy on the African continent as a whole. Since its breakaway from colonial British in 1957, it has remained one of the relatively stable nations in the region, and many have assigned it such nicknames as ‘beacon of hope’.
What I know is that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) will pull any possible stunt to outlast their key opposition, theNational Democratic Congress. A crucial part of the democratic premise especially as it relates to the African continent is the lack of continuity.
A new government totally dismantles the work of the predecessor, so every four years, African countries start afresh for better or for worse. This is reason why many international observers are marginally biased to the NPP winning, in the hopes that it will translate into some level of progress. That is the tricky word, progress.

The last time I checked, most precincts had been counted but neither party with the clear majority of the 50% of votes needed to avoid a run-off. Trust me, run off elections are not the ideal scenario in this case; and I’m not saying that because of Robert Mugabe’s antics in Zimbabwe. The trust factor of very entrenched social and political organizations in systems other than democracy makes the potential to revert to familiar territory a grim possibility.

On that same note, I am confident that the Ghanaians (and Africans for that matter) eventually get tired of the chaos that political uncertainty breeds in neighboring countries, therefore take precautionary measures to keep the peace. I am not surprised to hear accusations of rigging and scandals especially in remote parts of the country. That is just how the cookie crumbles; - see Miami Date County 2001 in Gore V. Bush.

I am not naïve enough to assume that the presence of international observers makes everything kosher. In the best case scenario the only useful purpose for observer teams are the data for future sociological empirical research, everything else is business as usual. What matters at the end of the day is the Ghanaians themselves recognizing the significance of this moment in their democracy, and choosing progression over tribal loyalties and petty digressions.

That is where I am a little optimistic, that 23 million people will choose the prudent path, for the sake of its safety, integrity and its own future. God bless Ghana as it pursues the exemplary high ground for the rest of the African continent.

Just a random thought.

No Money, More Problems

GM is asking for up to $18B, Ford wants $9B and Chrysler, $7B. At least they didn’t descend on Washington D.C. this time in luxury jets to prove either how out-of-touch they are with the reality, or worse, how much they really care. Of course their first line of defense is the ‘protection of the common worker argument’. Argue if you want but that is a tried and tested strategy that will soften the heart of even the most hardcore laissez-faire ideologically conservative Senator.
Two weeks ago, they boo-booed their first plea for help, so this chance for a do-over was a priceless opportunity. The big three automakers submitted their turnaround plans to Congress with the hopes of winning approval for a lucrative loan package they claim is necessary for their survival. Who am I to argue with their financial projections and gloomy predictions? Never mind the fact that they have failed to retool and restructure their core capital alignments ins spite of the changing trends in the industry.
The fact that the Asians and the Europeans are stepping their game up means absolutely nothing to the rest of us on this side of the Atlantic, at least according to the management philosophy of the American automakers.
That is why getting money in a moment where money is not the most abundant resource, is becoming a difficult gig to sell.
At least this time around, they showed up with a ‘plan’. Salary cuts for top executives, the sale of corporate jets by General Motors and Ford and the possible elimination of two GM brands - Pontiac and Saturn makes the bailout discussion a very interesting one. $34 billion is the new $25 billion (did I hear anyone say ghetto-depreciation?)

The auto industry reported the worst U.S. sales in 26 years, and it won’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that they need help. I am all for easing the burden on corporations on whose success the livelihood of many of us hinge on.

Once there is nothing close to a carte blanche floating around Detroit, I will assume that the Obama administration do not want their name to be in the Ford, GM and Chrysler history books, during its final moments.

A lot will change in the coming months, some good and other bad. I still hope that the Big 3’s survival is part of the former and not the latter. PS: I am always overly optimistic so take my guess work for whatever its worth.

Just a random thought.

20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day

Today is 1st of December, World AIDS Day, and just in case you’re wondering what happens today, individuals and organisations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic.
20 years later, the statistics are still grim, with literally new infections every minute. People from around the world are joining in the effort to stop AIDS by taking a positive stand. Too many are dying too soon and the sad prognosis is that there is no relief in sight (at least not anytime soon). More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.

According to reliable sources, at the end of 2007, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and for 59% in sub-Saharan Africa and young people (under 25 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide. The epidemic is obviously not restricted to any region, age or gender; so all of us have a part to play in this daunting task. Get tested, and whatever you choose to do in your personal life, know that there is no substitute for safety. World AIDS Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.

On behalf of the management and staff of Random Thoughts blog (which is essentially just me), Get Tested, Get Involved and Spread the Word, Not the Virus.

A Case for (Inter)National Security

National security appointments often have nothing to do with NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange so it is almost difficult to measure the immediate impact of Barack Obama’s security team on national confidence.
Robert Gates keeps his job as defense secretary, Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state, Gen. James Jones as White House national security adviser, Eric Holder as attorney general and Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security. I like Susan Rice too, the US Ambassador to the United Nations.

Of course, the first line of attacks from either side of the ideological lines are whether this power team could coexist without any friction. That’s a fair question but for the same reasons that Obama said not select Hillary as his vice president, you have to agree that he has a solid game plan to get these top tier national security gurus in line. Ultimately it will come down to judgment, and Obama will be the one to pull the trigger.

Foreign and national security issues in an era marked by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and terrorism around the globe (see Mumbai on Thursday), is what makes this morning’s appointment a lot more than just an exercise of flipping coins to see where the heads and tails land. There is no coincidence that Obama appeared very diplomatic, so was everyone who stood behind him. If their demeanor failed to spell ‘diplomacy first’, I don’t know what would.

Moving forward, let Barack Obama tell it, "the time has come for a new beginning, a new dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the 21st century."

God bless America, and God bless us all.