What can we do for an encore? I think a lot. I hope this new era is the tip of the iceberg. President Elect Obama's victory not only changed things many levels, but we could see an end to painful eras in American History. We are still attempting to figure out the short term and long term impact that will now reign under this new era of hope.

One thing I haven't seen discussed that's astonishing to me. Obama's victory hammers the nail into the coffin of the unresolved lingering animosity remaining from the Confederacy/Civil War Post Confederacy apologists of 2-3 generatoins have long applied "lipstick" vocabulary and symbols such as "heritage", " state's rights", "culture", and Confederate Flag ( actually the flag was the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia) as modern reminders of an era of slavery where African Americans were de humanized. Their objective was status quo. They've been successful for 143 until Tuesday night.


Obama's victory destroyed language, attitude, and meaning of the symbols and words used to remind America of their agenda. They are now and forever powerless. The Obama family walking onto the stage in grant park trumps all those words, phrases, and symbols. It's not even close. America in one night grew up. Abraham Lincoln 's emancipation proclamation was brilliant. However the next 100 years until the Civil Rights consisted of many fumbles and losses. We took a couple steps forward during the 1950's Civil rights movements.

Many assumed the Civil Rights movement as being the last initiative needed to heal the country. We were all so foolish to think it was that simply. Just as America was vastly immature during the 100 years after the Civil War ended, we were almost as dysfunctional in the following 50 years after the Civil Rights movement. I think some of us knew this better than others. I wasn't one of them. I didn't know what it would take or just how divided America was until I saw the reactions after Obama's victory.

The Civil Rights movement wasn't the moment. It was a necessary means to the "moment" Tuesday night was the moment. It was the decisive hammer crashing outdated vocabulary, attitudes, and symbols.


We matured and finally grew up as a country. This wasn't a fairy tale story with a happy ending on the disney channel. This event was real and it's impact will be far reaching than we can even fathom at this moment. It's a new America and world. The message has been sent.

No one can deny the unprecedented power of the election's moment. But now, to governing.

What *substantive* policy change will Obama try to implement? The man who voted to make Bush's warrantless wiretaps legal, will likely stay at arm's length from the same-sex marriage rollbacks, talks like he means to replace the war in Iraq with a possibly longer military quagmire in Afghanistan, and voted for the mega-corporate bailout bill?

Again, familiarize yourself with the man who received the beneficence of Obama's first appointment, new chief of staff Rahm Emanuel (the son of an Irgun terrorist who killed Palestinian civilians in the 1940s, btw):





http://www.counterpunch.org/rhames11072008.html

Bill?

Are you saying that Emanuel has Zionist ancestry?

TRL

No; I'm saying his father was a member of a terrorist group. Nice try, though.

Details:



http://gawker.com/5078472/obama-already-pa...with-terrorists


On the Deir Yassin massacre:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_Yassin_massacre


http://www.wrmea.com/archives/April_2008/0804022.html

So, Bill....

The father makes the son, what....a monster?

TRL

No, but Rahm's appointment is clearly not likely to pave the way for the new president to reconsider our f***ed-up Middle East policy.

I'm just as worried about Rahmbo having helped push through NAFTA, his cozy $18 million Wall Street fortune (ha, CHANGE) and how instrumental he was in keeping antiwar Dems from running in '06. He's a backwards, "neolib" bully and I think worse of Obama for appointing him.

I was listening to NPR yesterday & they were discussing that Pelosi has stated that Obama & Congress will be running the country from the "center" since that is what most of the country has mandated based upon the election polling data they have gathered. I think considering who Obama is (e.g a uniter even of idealogues), pragmatism will be the rule of his administration. And I couldn't agree more w/ this approach.

Bill,

You could have simply said that you don't think Obama's first appointment is a good one, without the linkage to this man's father's purported terrorist past 60 years ago.

Emanuel seems to have a positive and a negative reputation on Capital Hill, according to the media pundits.

Time will tell us if his appointment is a good one, right? Let's give it a chance?

TRL

Emmanuel was one of Clinton's cockroaches. That's not exactly "change." He has a reputation as a "take no prisoners" partisan. That's not exactly "change," either. Not an auspicious first choice for Obama.

Rahm Emanuel is kinda hot.

Well, that's all that matters, then.

I think his father's present is relevant too, TRL:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/110...so_not_shy.html




Rahm also volunteered with the Israeli Defense Forces during the first bullsh*t Gulf War.

Ouch! That is surely a harsh description.

As far as America's support for Israel is concerned, Israel has nothing to worry about. Israel knows this, and so does Obama.

Let's worry about real things. Oh, so Iran develops nuke weapons? BAM! Israel takes them out, supported by the United States. Done deal.

TRL

LOL@ the critics of Obama hijacking the thread.


For arguments sake, I love the appointment of Emanuel. It's comedy that Republicans assumed Obama was going to walk on egg shells in order not to hurt their feelings after Tuesday's rout.


What you republicans don't get is Obama and Democrats are not about revenge. The GOP played the divisive card and attempted to destroy Democrats. The Emanuel appointment has nothing to do with Republicans and everything to do with Obama and the platform of the Democratic Party.


The GOP got slaughtered. Go to the corner and take a seat. Not everything is about you.

Obama managed to get the fervent support of ex-KKK member Senator Robert Byrd, who now even seems willing to pass the baton on the powerful Appropriations Committee.

He campaigned with swagger in the heart of Texas.

In conservative African-American churches he has stood on the pulpit and encouraged inclusion of gays.

There is an old Arabic saying "Keep your friends close - hold your enemies closer."

I am not suggesting that Rahm Emanuel is an enemy, only that Obama may have the courage to follow his own counsel.

And it is worthwhile to remember that even during the Clinton administration Emmanuel was banished from the inner circle at one point for being a bit too aggressive. He says he has learned from his experiences. Perhaps one of the lessons learned was how to know his limits.

It is still worth remembering that even Yitzhak Rabin could not please the most radical elements in the Israeli national movement. Certainly no USA president can. But I remain convinced that progress can be made. For now regulating the economy should be priority.

Like father, like son...

New jobless claims today soared, and unemployment has risen to the highest levels seen in this country since the second half of 1992 (the final months of Dubyah's dad's term as president). I swear that family is nothing but f*ck ups.

Video from the G20 Summit: World leaders no longer forced to pretend they like Bush

Wow! That video says it all TOFSU.

It's not Emanuel's "partisanship" I'm worried about. It's his history of torpedoing Dems who are too liberal for his taste.

Defense Secretary Gates to STAY ON under Obama! wow, real CHANGE!

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15986.html