The inauguration and the flu

I planned to watch the inauguration today, but what I didn’t plan was getting the flu. I rarely get sick, so it came as a surprise. A nasty one, arising suddenly in the middle of the night. But I managed to stay conscious long enough today to see Itzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma play a special composition ‘Air and Simple Gifts.’ I heard Aretha Franklin sing a hearfelt ‘My Country ‘Tis of Thee.’ And a poet read a very accessible work—the praises of the common man. It was, all told, a beautiful ceremony. And though I didn’t vote for President Barack Obama, I sincerely wish him well. To do otherwise would be to wish harm to my country.

I caught a glimpse at some point of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). I sincerely hope our new president can reel her in, and her beyond-the-realm-of-common-sense peers as well. Pelosi and company continue to push a case for prosecuting former President George W. Bush, a cause they have pursued for years, with fervor increasing two years ago when the Democrats gained control of Congress. While banking and finance slipped through the cracks and gave sweetheart loans to overseers like Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), the likes of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) who looks just like Mr. Potato Head focused on taking down a president whose decisions kept us from harm here at home. Take a look at terrorism incidents during President Bill Clinton’s tenure—they gradually increased, leading to September 11. I see nothing wrong with believing more than 3,000 American lives are worth more than a terrorist's comfort level.

Prosecuting Bush is simply political—to do in a Republican president would further cement the Democrats’ tight fist around the neck of the country. And there would be payback—a prosecution would set the stage for second-guessing the commander-in-chief for years to come. That wouldn’t make any of us feel very safe.

Obama’s speech was impressive, stressing the economy, service, personal responsibility and national security. He is the consummate orator, a definite asset to any chief executive. Whether he can maintain a balance between two warring parties is another matter entirely, because the parties are more at odds than they ever have been. The GOP is basically in shards, but working seriously to find its way back to logic, having got so tangled in social issues the party alienated many voters unnecessarily. As I write this, new leaders are emerging and I believe individuals like Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.) will restore a sense of order to a party that having lost its way has finally realized a new way is necessary.

As for the economy, I think it’s challenged for sure. But I don’t think it’s as dire as establishment media proclaim. I’ve talked to many people over the last few months, and I quiz them all about the economy. A caterer I talked to the other day put it best—“it’s a crisis of confidence,” he said. And I’d like to add to that it’s a crisis of criminality—white collar crooks are the same as gun-in-hand robbers. In the human scheme of things. Both rob you of your wellbeing, they just come at you with a different weapon.

As President Obama tackles the challenges our great country presents, I hope he will see to it that the prosecution of Bush does not occur. Politically damning a man the Democrats have made a scapegoat of, in part for many problems they themselves caused, will alienate those of us (a sizable constituency) who cast a GOP vote in the last election. I believe one of the greatest challenges our new president will face is his own congress—a party group of elitist, unethical and opportunistic vultures whose last thought on Earth is for the wellbeing of our country. The inauguration was beautifully done, a fitting tribute to a historic moment when a man with a black father and a white mother was sworn in to the highest office in our country. And he sounded as much like a Republican as he did a Democrat today. That, for him, may be the biggest problem.

And as for you, I hope you never get the flu. And I hope I get over it really fast. Technically I don't have the flu at all. I have viral gastroenteritis. You can read all about it at the CDC.

[Photos by TUSR]