A New Beginning Awaits: January 20th

Tomorrow our country will begin the long road back to respectability that the American people demanded overwhelming on November 4th. Hope is back here in the United States with the realization that righting the blunders of the last 8 years will take hard work and sacrifice. Not only on the part of our new President and his administration but also on us the American people.

What made this country great was the resilience and ingenuity of the American people to meet every challenge, not by going out and shopping, but by working hard and striving to do better. The people of the World War II generation sacrificed for the war effort, not only by serving in the military but also here at home.

President Kennedy challenged all Americans to give back to the country which had made it possible for all of us to dream the impossible dream and live that dream. Unfortunately, the last 8 years have shattered that dream and has turned us into a nation of self-indulgent hedonists who really are not concerned with the consequences of our actions as long as I get what I want and the hell with everyone else.

The President sets the tone for the nation. Roosevelt told us that we had nothing to fear but fear itself. Kennedy called us to serve to make our country better. Tomorrow I believe that President Obama will do the same: he will challenge us to sacrifice and work hard to make this country the best that it can be. He will challenge us by setting the tone that the American way is not to have things handed to us but its to put your nose to the grind stone and work through a tough situation. He will inspire us to take responsibility and to do our part in improving this country.

As Americans we need to take the challenge and not complain but show the resilience that our forefathers have exhibited. Tomorrow is the beginning to restore the lustre to the stars and stripes. Tomorrow is the beginning to restore the pride of being an American, not by putting a magnet on your car, but by showing through our actions that we are a country who cares about the most vulnerable, that cares about our environment and that cares about our neighbors both within our borders and around the world.

I await tomorrow believing in my heart that Barack Obama is the right person at the right time to lead this country. I pray for him and his family and for this country. The road will not be easy but together we can succeed. God Bless our new President!!!! God Bless the United States of America!!!!

Bush and the Media Need To Be Held Accountable

http://www.truthout.org/011509J This article is the first that I have seen which not only holds Bush accountable but also places blame on the mainstream media. Their failure to ask questions, their failure to push the Bush Administration is enough to make old time correspondents like Walter Cronkhite shake their heads in disgust. Maybe they were afraid that Michael Powell was going to pull their license. Or maybe they were afraid that they would end up like Dan Rather: fired and outcasted by CBS. At the end of the day, the mainstream media failed us just like our government did. They turned into the propaganda arm of the Bush/neo-con agenda. They are as big a disgrace as Bush and his cronies. Whatever happened to the days of Woodward and Bernstein.

There truly needs to be a push to break up the media conglomerates. Let's go back to the way it used to be. You only can own one AM and FM station. You can't own a newspaper and a radio and television station. We need regulation!!!!!

Some Random Thoughts On A Cold January Night

While being hunkered down on this cold January night, some random thoughts:

* It's really incredible hearing and reading lefties criticize President Obama for reaching across to righties. Hello, Obama's original message was there are no red states or no blue states but the United States. That's why he won by such a big margin!!!

*The Caroline Kennedy bashing is really unbelievable. Here is a woman who doesn't need to run for office. She is not beholden to anyone. Yet, the average joe wants experience. November 2008 was a vote for change not experience but here in WNY we are always way behind the curve.

*There is plenty of debate over whether anything should be pursued against high ranking Bush officials for war crimes and abuse of power. While I agree that the Obama Administration has bigger concerns, I still believe that people need to be held accountable in order for our country to move forward and to begin the process of improving our standing around the world. This can't be swept under the rug!!! A special prosecutor needs to be appointed reporting to a non-partisan committee is necessary.

*The Fighting Lefty is a big fan of The John Restaino Show but I take exception to the latest blog. I am a Catholic and I do not condone extreme anti-abortionists. I also believe that the Church's position is off-base. In fact, I think that you will find that a majority of Catholics in the U.S. do not agree with the Church's position on abortion or contraceptives. The emphasis should be placed on preventing unwanted pregnancies. Outlawing abortions will not prevent them. I think linking Catholics with extremists is off based.

*And finally what are the odds of George Bush saying I'm sorry tomorrow night?

Politics Of The Past Confront Obama

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/11/2009-01-11_give_presidentelect_barack_obama_the_bal.html This article hits it on the head and is the reason why us lefties need to be ready to FIGHT!!!!!

One More Reason For Kennedy

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/opinion/07dowd.html I couldn't have said it better!!!

Bush: The Audacity Of Hype

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04rich.html?em January 20th can't come fast enough!!!!!

Colorado Gov. Picks School Supt. to Replace Sen. Salazar...Hmmn and Supt. Has No Political Experience!!!!

The Denver Post is reporting that the Governor of Colorado is appointing the Supt. of Schools for the City of Denver to replace Senator Ken Salazar who is being appointed Secretary of the Interior by President-Elect Obama. And guess what, the supt. has never held public office!! Through a spokesperson for the Governor, Governor Ritter indicated that with the recent election of President Obama it is clear that people want change, they want new ideas and they don't want your typical politician. Interestingly enough, the Colorado political establishment is questioning the move. Sound familiar???? And why not the national outcry about this???? Gvernor Ritter understands that the political climate has changed. Too bad the political dinosaurs in Colorado and here in New York can't see that!!!