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.

Reviewing My Mid-Century Mark

Last year at this time I thought the best thing about being 50 was that it was better than being dead. I know- disgustingly negative. Shame on me!

So I am happy to report that my mid-century year has been great- even though I have never upped my daily mileage (3), significantly increased my speed. (4 miles an hour- pathetic) or discovered a magic wrinkle remover.

Simply put I have made time for what is really important.

A friend of mine participated in a Facebook project that asked people to list the 10 most significant things in their personal lives during 08. Reading her list prompted me to make my own. Making the list turned into a joyful task. There is much to be thankful for.

1. I accepted a job that I love because it reflects my values. I also treasure the people with whom I work. I took a huge salary cut and this is not a step up on a career ladder but I have no regrets. Indeed I am ecstatic!

2. I began researching the lives of woman who started progressive schools. This has reawakened my love of history and helped to strengthen my progressive philosophy.

3. I stopped worrying about my son's extreme dyslexia. I put together an individualized learning program for him and engaged instructors who are highly gifted in their fields even tho they are not "official" teachers. He is much happier although managing his time and persisting with difficult tasks are still growth areas for him. He has plenty of friends, is physically fit and is figuring out his strengths and passions.

4. My daughter was accepted to a wonderful high school and is extremely happy. I did not make this happen but it is going on the list because her happiness brings me great joy.

5. I allow my son to take risks and make mistakes. He has come home drunk (once) and high.(at least twice) We talk and impose consequences but I do not go crazy with rage, worry or disappointment. He will make mistakes. We will survive. He is learning and making better choices.

6. I have stopped attending a Lutheran church - even on holidays. I have been a Lutheran for 18 years because I wanted to keep the family together at church. I never attended on a regular basis because I have never agreed with much of the religious and political dogma embedded in the Lutheran denomination. I have never, ever accepted the social conservatism of the Lutheran church which is demonstrated in policies and statements that endorse discrimination against women and homophobia. The promotion of of the Republican party does not belong in church. I am also deeply upset by anti-scientific thought. Life is too short to keep silent about important things like human rights and rigorous scientific thought. God is not a Republican or a Democrat. Rejecting dogma is not the same as rejecting faith.

7. I worked in my first presidential election. I made over 600 phone calls for Obama and articulated my thoughts in personal essays. We celebrated Obama's victory with friends and enjoyed several spontaneous dancing in the streets celebrations throughout the city. I almost cried when I saw a runner waving the flag as he dashed down Castro and when I heard the crowd on Fillmore break out into a spontaneous chorus of God Bless America.

8. I reconnected with old friends through email and Facebook. This is lots of fun and prompts reflection and laughter.

9. I started giving money to panhandlers. I have let go of the need to control what they do with the money. It isn't really giving if I have to control how it is spent. I still carefully research donations to charities to make sure their goals and means are aligned with my values but giving on the street is a whole new way of giving.

10. During the last three days of the year I became the legal, financial and health guardian for my father who is incapable of caring for himself. I have no idea how this is going to work out- I don't see a happy ending. I could not do this without Bill, Joel, JW and Claire.

Obama and the CIA

Spies and covert operations do not strike me as progressive subjects but after a long break from blogging my thoughts about the election I am ready to write and post again. Doing so might be a life preserver for my sanity which is seriously in danger since I became the legal, financial and health guardian for my dad, who is now living in my home. More on that later.

Like everyone else I arched an eyebrow when President Elect Obama announced his selection of Leon Panetta to head the CIA. I agreed with DiFi who is not crazy about the choice. The LA Times quotes her as saying,

"I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director," Feinstein said. "My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time."

But then I read my favorite blog, Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish. The Dish is a great resource, doing what the best blogs do, surveying the web for news, commentary and humor, and dishing it up in well written, concise posts that keep me coming back for more several times each day. Today in this post Sullivan reports that the Panetta appointment has the support of neo-cons, Richard Perle, Chariman of President Bush's Defense Policy Board, and of Douglas Feith, who was Undersecretary of Defense for Policy under GW. Sullivan links to Ben Smith's post in POLITICO and to Michael Ledeen's opinion in NRO.

The take away quotes:
from Ledeen:

I always liked Panetta. He served in the Army and is openly proud of it. He seems to be a good lawyer (oxymoronic though it may seem). He's a good manager. And he's going to watch Obama's back at a place that's full of stilettos and a track record for attempted presidential assassination second to none.........I think it is a smart move.

from Perle:

Panetta is'a very smart, very capable guy with a lot of experience - I think he's the right sort of person to take a shot at improving the place.

Perle is a big critic of the CIA also said,

It's going to take somebody from outside to right that ship, if it can be done.

from Feith,

possible implication of appointing somebody from the outside is that the president recognizes that there are serious problems at the CIA and he wants somebody who is not a part of those problems,

Once again our President-Elect is demonstrating intelligence, political courage and skill in consensus building. Fingers crossed that water-boarding and illegal renditions are over. Then we can, once again, be authentically proud of the American tradition of dedication to human rights. Cool.

Why Did You Vote Today?

Here is a great blog post from TPM. It is really worth your time.

It starts out:

I have a confession to make.

I did not vote for Barack Obama today.

I've openly supported Obama since March. But I didn't vote for him today.....

Please follow the link to TPM

#30 Becasue It Is Time

Hell- it is way past time........

Yesterday I was calling Florida voters for the Obama campaign. I reached an elderly woman in Florida and when I asked her if she was planning to vote and if she needed a ride to the polls she said,

"Honey, I made my doctor let me come home from the hospital so I can vote. I waited my whole life to see this. I would crawl if I had to because I am voting for my grandbabies. I am taking them with me too and they will know for sure, for the first time, that they can do great things in this country. I sure am gonna vote honey cuz I really do love this country. And you must too so thank you for calling but I gotta get back to my show"

Please vote.

Vote To Unite

I have never cared so much about an election. Clearly we face many serious problems and I firmly believe Obama is the best candidate to speak honestly, listen to the diverse viewpoints of all Americans (even those who revile him) and take difficult but necessary actions. Throughout my career I have worked to create a better world--as Carmelita Hinton said- "to further a civilization worthy of the name." This short video is a visual montage of why I care so much about this election. I know I'm not alone.