Picture of the Day, 1/7/09

In news of "pretty cool if you ask me", outgoing President George W. Bush held a lunch at the White House for former Presidents, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and President-Elect Barack Obama. The event was historic because it marked the first such get-together since 1981.

What I'd Like to Leave Behind in 2008

In 2009, I would like to leave behind the fear, self-doubt, self-hate, insecurity & lack of self-confidence that plagues us as Black people. For the first time, on January 20, 2009 we will have a competent, capable Black man as President--one who won the election with a majority of almost every voting segment [African Americans (96%), Jews (77%), gays and lesbians (71%), first-time voters (68%), Latinos (67%), Asians (63%), voters under 30 (66%), union members (59%) and women (55%)]. I can remember on so many occasions prior to November 4 hearing other Blacks and Black leaders talking about how Barack Obama couldn't possibly win, wasn't Black enough, acted too White, would be assassinated, our votes wouldn't count anyway, and many other reasons why Blacks should not support him. On a local level, we heard similar questions when Colonel Daryl Jones ran for Lt. Governor of Florida with Jim Davis in the 2006 election.








In 2009, I want my people to learn how to support each other whether shopping at a local Black business, voting for strong Black politicians, or re-building institutions of the Black community. We saw in this election how powerful a united Black vote is in bringing Change to our country. There are many more battles to fight and if we can arm ourselves with courage, confidence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, etc. we CAN change our lives for the better, reverse the cycle of poverty, educate and inform ourselves, build wealth for our next generation, and more. In short-we can change our world and make a positive difference in the lives our our people!

T'was the Night Before Inauguration (Poem)

One of my subscribers to my e-magazine, TheListbyKeto sent me this awesome poem previewing Barack Obama's inauguration as 44th President of the United States. It was too good not to share!

T'was the night before inauguration and what to my dismay
The market was tanking, I lost my 401K!
The stocks were hung, in downfall they stuck
While Bush did nothing, a truly lame duck

The republicans were nestled, their heads in the sand
With visions of defeat of the republican brand.
And Cheney with his gun, his heart a pace
Looking for someone, to shoot in the face.

When out on the house floor, there came such a clatter
I sprang to the internets to find what's the matter.
Away to my screen I ran with a flash
Hoping the market, didn't crash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Showed me someone I needed to know.
When what to my eyes, I paused, with a comma
But a vision of hope, It was Barack Obama!

With excitement and conviction in each of his steps
I wondered what he and his elves, would do next.
More rapid than eagles his appointments they came
And he whistled and shouted, and called them by name.

Now Emanuel! Now, Daschle! Now Richardson and Biden!
On, Clinton , On Napolitano, and Gates, no sense in hidin'!
To fix the economy, our reputation and more.
And to stop the killing of this unnecessary war.

As Obama stood still, the republicans they trembled
Remembering 8 years of a disaster they had assembled.
They've broken our banks, and doubled our debt.
They scared us to death with weapons of threats.

They squandered a surplus, They started a war.
They shredded our constitution, littered on the floor.
They attack our unions, our immigrants and those who are gay.
They claim to be Christians, yet on the sick they prey.

We may never recover from this hole they dug.
But we will climb to the top with an American tug.
The republican party has destroyed all that matters
They deserve nothing more but to hold the damn ladder.

It would be even funnier if it were not true.

But his voice did change, along with a smile.
Thinking of the bills that soon would be filed.
Protect those who are old and young alike
Restore our honor and our military might.

Protect our planet, and clean our air.
While creating a surplus we can leave to our heirs
Fix our economy, and health care for all.
And honor those who fought, and those who fall.

Obama sprang to his feet, to his team he gave a shout.
The challenges seem impossible, hard work needed no doubt
But I heard him exclaim ere he talked and ran.
Hey! It's not just a slogan, YES WE CAN!

Electoral College Officially Votes for Obama

On Monday, December 15, 2008, Electoral College members met together in their respective states and confirmed by vote Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. In Florida, 27 electors met to give the state's votes to Barack Obama. In each state and the District of Columbia following voting, electors must sign at least six certificates of voting which are then submitted to state officers and judges. The results of November 4 election generally indicate the way the electors will vote although only a few states have laws that bind their electors to vote exactly the way their state voted on election night. Based on the results of the election, the Electoral College was expected to affirm Barack Obama by a vote of 365-173 from a total of 538 electors. The last part of the process is on January 6 when Vice President Dick Cheney affirms Obama as President before a joint session of Congress .

Obama Introduces National Security Team

This morning, in a highly-anticipated press conference, President-Elect Barack Obama formally announced his national security team consisting of the following persons: Secretary Of Defense: Robert Gates, Secretary Of State: Hillary Clinton, National Security Adviser: Marine Gen. James L. Jones, Secretary Of Homeland Security: Janet Napolitano, Attorney General: Eric Holder, Ambassador To The United Nations: Susan Rice. Of course each of these nominees has to undergo Senate confirmation in the next Congress before assuming their new offices.

As NBC political commentator Chris Matthews pointed out, it was obvious by his choices for these critical positions that Obama not only prides himself on picking highly competent, thoughtful professionals who have a history of effective and pragmatic leadership, but he also took care to highlight the diversity of his upcoming administration by nominating three women and two African Americans to fill two-thirds of Obama's national security team. Also, certainly by including long-time friends as well as Hillary Clinton, a signifcant foe during the Democratic Presidential primaries and a Republican hold-over from the Bush administration, Obama signaled that he can effectively "reach across the aisle" to unite competing political ideologies as well as diverse viewpoints in US government. Barack Obama also demonstrated that he is a strong enough leader to provide strong leadership by picking other strong leaders who may not all share his views, but are capable of carrying out his domestic and foreign policy initiatives without being yes-men and spineless sycophants--problems which plagued the inept Bush-Cheney administration on issues from Hurricane Katrina responsivenes to who is actually responsible for decisions on the War in Iraq.