Three Cheers for President Obama!

Change has come to Washington.

Without too much fanfare, in one of my company’s media rooms, I witnessed history being made. Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44^th President.

Listening to commentary from radio and television a bit later, the ‘forecasts’ started ringing in.

Some political commentators surmise that its all downhill, what with such high polling numbers and expectation to boot, a President cannot possibly remain in favor of a nation for that long. Others, on Jim Lehrer’s news hour, said that it will mostly be up hill: both in terms of a struggle to 'save the nation', but also the Presidential poll numbers. In essence: the hype as usual.

I propose that it doesn't matter: up hill, down hill.... its just really up to the hill. When it is all said and done: the legislature have the people’s mandate to make the laws. The executive obviously sets an agenda, but at the end of the day, the house and senate leadership decide how much of this agenda will end up in the form of legislation.

Today is a day of celebration: tomorrow it is back to work. The inauguration, which CBS estimates the tab at 140 million, is one grand party in the most trouble economic times in at least 30 years, if not the Great Depression.

Hey: I only wish I was part of the big inaugural bash.

P.S. Hooray for no more Bush. Maybe he'll put his shoe-dodging skills to god use.