Inauguration Day 2013: Obama 2.0 & Congress 113

Congratulations and best wishes to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as the Obama Administration begins its second term leading America.

President Obama officially sworn-in
for second term on January 20, 2013.
(Photo: White House)

The President and Vice President were officially sworn in Sunday in accordance with the Constitution.  Today, we’ll all watch as the ceremonial events take place in Washington, DC.

I sincerely hope and pray that all of our elected officials in Washington will keep in mind that they are in DC to work—not for themselves—but, for us.

I sincerely hope and pray that the President and his team at the White House; Speaker John Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and their teams in the House of Representatives; and Majority Leader Harry Reid, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and their teams in the Senate will keep in mind that none of them will get everything they want, nor should they.

Compromise is not a dirty word.  It is—in fact—necessary and expected.  The petty partisanship of politics-as-usual is not acceptable.

The name of the game is moving America forward.  Democrats, alone, don’t have all of the answers.  Republicans, alone, don’t have all of the answers.  But, between them and various independent voices, America can flourish under the leadership of men and women who know and understand that we rise, we fall; we sink, we swim; we, as Americans, meet our fate together.

Godspeed to the Obama Administration and the 113th Congress as they work together to meet America’s challenges in 2013 and beyond.

Election Day 2012

Did You?!?

Please pass the Pepto!

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) accepts GOP nomination for vice president at
2012 Republican National Convention. Photo: Politico.com

As much as I like the drama and intrigue of politics, it really makes my blood boil when politicians twist the words of rivals.  They don't put words into each others' mouths, they conveniently disregard words that actually come out.

Last night, during his address to the Republican National Convention, vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan all but blamed President Obama for the closing of the General Motors assembly plant in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin.

“Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said: ‘I believe that if our government is there to support you … this plant will be here for another hundred years.’ That’s what he said in 2008. Well, as it turned out, that plant didn’t last another year. It is locked up and empty to this day,” said Ryan in his speech.

CNN's new Odd Couple

Kathleen Parker and Eliot Spitzer
Photo Credit: Art Streiber/CNN

Have you checked out CNN's new prime time offering, "Parker-Spitzer?"  The program wraps up its first week tomorrow night and already, some question how long the show will last.

For those of you who don't know, "Parker" is Kathleen Parker, the conservative Washington Post columnist; "Spitzer" is Eliot Spitzer, the liberal disgraced former governor of New York.

I watched half of the show on Monday, its first night, and was less than impressed.  Not so much because I think they don't have personalities-- they do.  But, they didn't appear to have mastery the TelePrompter, their crosstalk was often awkward and I didn't like the small table they sit at, almost on top of each other.  I also wasn't very interested in what they were discussing. Here are the "Opening Arguments" from Monday's show.