100 Days- No Regrets!

Early in 2008 I decided to support Barack Obama for president. It was not an obvious choice. As a woman and mom I was attracted to Hillary Clinton but the more I listened to the debates and watched Barack Obama navigate the campaign it became obvious that he had the temperament and the intelligence to be the leader we need. Dreams of My Father is one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. It is a remarkable story about families, cultures and self discovery and it is honest and elegantly written. When I put down the book I was certain of two things. First, I wanted my children to read the book and second, for the first time in my life, I wanted to work in a campaign.

One hundred days into his term I have no regrets. My life and expectations for the future have altered in the past eight months but my certainty that Barack Obama is the right president for these difficult times has not changed. I believe he is atransformation leader in a time that calls for transformation.

My strong desire for societal transformation may seem strange. Like many of my generation, the early 50-somethings, I am lucky. We were too young for Vietnam, we benefited from opportunities made possible by the Civil Rights and Feminist movements and have, for the majority of our adulthood, enjoyed low interest rates and soaring stock values which allowed us to travel, shop and dine in a manner once reserved for the super rich. But the legacy we are leaving our children and grandchildren is shameful.

Our self-absorbed consumptive practices have contributed to planetary peril. Our low tax, big spending ways made our social entitlements unsustainable long before the stimulus bill. Ignorance of science and history has left the masses susceptible to manipulation of fear mongers, hate groups and corrupt leaders. Our culture of desire celebrates the Gordon Gekko philosophy, greed is good and it is rare to hear religious or political leaders inspire people to work for the greater good.

In his inauguration speech, which I like more every time I read it, President Obama described the transformation we need:


What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

I am glad we have a president who reminds us of our duty instead of deriding the role of government. I will pay my taxes without complaint because that it is the way I support armor for tanks in Iraq, surveillance technology for soldiers in Afghanistan, hot breakfasts for poor children, health care for those less fortunate than I, steel beams so bridges won't fall down and engineering fees so levees don't break.


Through the stock market's roller coaster ride, the dismal reports of job losses and home foreclosures, the threats from Iran and North Korea, the alarming situation in Pakistan and the sickening affirmation that our worst fears about CIA torture are undeniable, through it all, Barack Obama has been the leader I hoped he would be. With no regrets and belief that we are gradually building a better future for our children and grandchildren I am glad Barack Obama is our president.

There will be a lot of commentary about Obama's first 100 Days. Here are links to some of the most thought provoking, from both sides of the political spectrum:

Conservative David Brooks and more liberal mark Shields discuss Obama's approach to the torture memos and his first 100 days here.


Reagan biographer, Lou Cannon, writes of the similarities, both good and bad, between Reagan and Obama here.

My favorite blogger and commentator Andrew Sullivan does not opine on the first 100 days but discusses the difficulty decisions ahead for Obama here.

Nothing Is Better On A Warm Spring Day......

Gavin Newsom, the politically ambitious San Francisco mayor, once again proved that he is not afraid of smashing barriers in areas once considered taboo. Today he announced that his office was issuing an edict to decriminalize the consumption of edible cannabis. Medical marijuana has been legal since Prop 215 was passed in 1996 but usage and possession for non-medical purposes has remained technically illegal. The state's extreme budget woes have prompted discussion of legalizing all forms of cannabis. Fearing that former supervisor Tom Ammiano was scoring political brownie points by pushing legalization in Sacramento Newsom announced his bold move today.

San Francisco has a long history as a culinary capital so it is only fitting that our fair city launch the legalization of edible marijuana. Many of our star chefs and world renown restaurants will inaugurate new dishes that incorporate the slight blueberry flavor of ganja into old favorites. We look forward to new adventures for the palate and the mind.

Our family debated where to sample the new San Francisco treat. We thought we would try the new version of It's It but did opted instead to visit Mitchell's, a family favorite famous for unusual and tasty flavors. Mitchell's offers free samples and I welcomed the opportunity to give the kids their first experience in a small amount and while under my supervision. Claire, always a the picky eater, declared that the odd color(green tub pictured above) was unappetizing. JW, always ready to take a risk, gobbled down her sample and his own before enjoying a double dip of his old favorite Ube, or purple yam, pictured above. I was going to ask him his opinion of Cannabus and Cream but as soon as he climbed in the back seat he went sound asleep while listening to Michael Franti's Ganja Girl on his iPod.

I don't smoke and wine is the only mood altering substance I imbibe but I am grateful to Mayor Newsom (see his news conference here) for his latest burst of creativity. What a great way to celebrate the first day of April!