Mr. President, pen and ink on graph paper, based on a photo
in Mother Jones, doodle © 2009 by ybonesy. All rights reserved.
Elizabeth Alexander shared her poem, Praise song for the day.
Reverend Joseph Lowery offered his benediction.
What words do you have for the 44th president of the United States?
Share your poems, blessings, hopes, wishes, advice.
redravine.wordpress.com 
nice pic of the Big O. Love seeing all the different takes on this man!
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Great Drawing, Ybonesy – it’s really difficult to render a grin, and you did it so well here.
I was watching the Swearing-in this morning and was much moved by the Music of John Williams played by the quartet with such immense enjoyment by Yo Yo Ma – he was beaming with delight as he played the beautiful variations of Simple Gifts from Copeland’s Appalachian Spring. What an appropriate piece of music for such a momentous occasion, very symbolic for our times. G
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You should send it to him.
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Words for the president?
We’re with you. We crave good leadership. I’m going to start doing my part today, while you do your part there in Washington. I’ll pray for you.
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I am an abstract painter so I think in abstract terms but I am filled with Hope as I watch and trust for the first time in a long time.
Here is my contribution:
http://artbyleakelley.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/new-guardian/
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My wishes:
I hope I rise to the challenge of being above divisiveness, that I can increase my spirit of service.
That Obama realizes his vision of leading Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together for the good of the country and the world
That within a couple of years, we emerge from this crisis stronger and better than ever.
That he inspires a world to work diligently every day to save our planet.
That people (who have it) put aside cynicism, that they believe in something.
That Obama and his family grow to be old and happy together, and he goes down in history as one of the greatest leaders in the US, having served two highly successful terms.
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I see many posts about Alexander’s poem as I check out the blogs I regularly visit. I went back and read all four inaugural poems this morning. It was an interesting study. I’ve got links to all of them if you want to check them out. (I hope that’s OK to put that in here.)
http://gardengrow.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/the-2009-inaugural-poet-and-poem/
I noticed that two of the four poems have the word bramble in them. Not a very common word, but I guess it seems like a poet’s word, yes?
My wishes for Obama —
— that he not lose sight of his vision once the day to day grind of running the country takes his time and energy
— that he not be pushed into quick fixes. The country didn’t get into its current shape in a short time, it won’t recover in a short time either
— that he will work with all – be they Democrat, Republican, Independent, whomever – to seek solutions and not be driven by the party line
— that he sees the center as a worthy goal, and not be overwhelmed by either the far right or the far left, or actually, the far-anything. Moderation is a good thing.
— that he remembers that his family, and especially his two daughters, that they are the reason he ran to be the President in the very first place, so that he could provide for them the best this country has to offer.
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Forgot to say – great drawing of Obama, yb. I love the color, and the expression, too.
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ybonesy,
Your comment on my painting (New Guardian) is so insightful and exceptionally understanding of my use of gold! Thank you!
I absolutely share your wishes for Obama and the future.
May the Hope that has been planted grow into a strong tree that feeds our humanity!
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I really liked the poem by Ms. Alexander, but I will admit to not really liking the way she read it. It seemed more like prose to me than poetry.
My hope for Obama? Where do I start?
I hope he can bring dignity back to a country shamed by ideology ~ in this is am specifically referring to the condoned torture of prisoners, and the illegal wiretapping of our citizens, by a group who obviously feels that the end justifies the means. That he referred to this in his speech gives me hope.
That he can bring us closer to a health care system that is more fair, where people don’t have to live in fear of illness or injury and what that might do to their family, economically.
That he doesn’t spend so much time being friends to everyone on both sides that he loses sight of some very important goals.
That he does indeed go down in history as one of our greatest Presidents, and that he serves two terms well and thoughtfully.
I have great hope, and I think all of these things are not only possible, but probable. Will he go as far as I would like with health care? Surely not. Will he go as far as I would like with civil rights for gays? Surely not. He will not do everything I want. I’m OK with that. I believe he can do a lot of things that a lot of us want, and that’s saying something.
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Great doodle, ybonesy. I love it. And congratulations on the payoff for all the hard work you and your friends did for him in New Mexico over the last few years. You must have been beaming yesterday.
BTW, it’s interesting to view the photograph in the Mother Jones link you provided, too. I don’t think I’ve seen him grin as big live as he does in that photograph. 8) (Though he was grinning quite a bit yesterday!). There was one moment when he and Michelle were just cracking up and it was so refreshing to see that kind of candor at such a formal gathering.
Bo, wonderful that you provided links to the 4 inaugural poems. I want to check them out later when I get more time to head over to your post. I might post your blog link in the comments in the Elizabeth Alexander post, too, if you don’t mind. It seems like it would be great to have them there as well for our readers.
J., I halfway agree with you about the way she read the poem. I was thinking that, too, yesterday when she started reading. But I was so into the individual words and phrases, that it didn’t bother me. I like all kinds of poetry, including poetry that is more prose-like. But I also like to hear the verbal breaks that actually make a group of words and sentences sound more like poetry. Still, all poets read their work differently and it’s changed over time.
Last year, I listened to a set from the library of all the recorded history of poetry, and modern poetry is read completely differently than the poets of yore. I imagine things are still evolving and changing as to what defines poetry and how people will read their work. I’d love to see a copy of the poem to see where the breaks actually fall on the page in the way she has written it. I noticed a lot of the online news transcripts were written in paragraphs and didn’t seem to have the poetic breaks at all.
All that aside, I loved seeing her up there, I loved the poem, and, even though I don’t know her, I’m so proud of her for having the courage to write a poem like that and get up there and read it. Well, it was kind of strange, but I felt like I knew her a little bit from the research on the piece from Monday and from our poetry group a few weeks ago. Somehow that made me feel closer to her. It makes a huge difference to study a writer’s life, and put their body of work in the context of that life, and the time the person lived or lives. For me, can’t have one without the other.
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ybonesy, here are some of my hopes and wishes for President Barack Obama:
-Don’t lose sight of your world Vision, no matter how unsettling it gets in the days to come
-Create a U.S. Cabinet position — Secretary of The Arts and Culture — I was listening to Quincy Jones talk about this last night and he has some wonderful ideas on how to go about doing this. He also said we are one of the few countries who does not have a position like this. A sad statement. And why don’t we? The Arts Matter!
-Come to the realization that Equal Rights and freedom for ALL, also means Equal Rights for the GLBT community — including the basic human right to marry when you are in love with another person. Regardless of personal or religious beliefs, EVERY person deserves the freedom to marry whomever they choose, whomever they love. It’s a basic human right.
-Always remember who you are, your roots, your humble beginnings. You are now the most powerful person in the world. Never forget where you came from.
-Keep checking in with First Lady Michelle and your two beautiful children to help ground you to what is important, to what matters in this world
-As Emma Goldman references in her 1931 autobiography Living My Life, keep dancing the way you did at the 10+ Inaugural Balls last night. We’re all dancing, too, and we want to continue to be a part of your democratic revolution.
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QM, yesterday felt so good, and I was incredibly emotional all through the Inauguration. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I and many of my friends and family invested so much energy into this race. It’s kind of like the relief that pours out after realizing what we—everyone who worked on this campaign and everyone who went out to vote—accomplished.
And last night, celebrating with those friends who worked on the campaign, there was much more joy and serenity. We commented on gowns and suits (Obama’s suit seemed to be a thin, elegant cashmere), whether gloves matched clothing, how we felt when the First Couple walked, how we felt when we saw the helicopter leave. It was just fun and silly and happy.
One person remarked to me that she didn’t like the delivery of the poem, although she thought it probably had to be delivered that way in order to break through the din and enormity of the audience in the Mall. Myself, I liked the delivery. Often I feel that writers, when they read their works, fall into a voice that sounds very similar from one writer to the next. They get their “poetry reading” voice on. Elizabeth Alexander’s voice was so not that, not terribly forceful, not affected, but kind of ordinary given the circumstances. And it seemed to fit the ordinary-ness of the poem.
I loved reading the transcript of Praise song for the day, both last night when I linked to it in this post, and this morning on Bo’s post. I realized there was a line, when she talks about the noise, where I misunderstood (or maybe I didn’t, but I heard it differently in the re-reading than I did when I watched her on TV). Seeing the actual words helped them to sink in and gave me even greater appreciation for the simplicity of the poem.
BTW, I read the transcripts for the other Inaugural poems that Bo links to in her post. I found Frost’s poem to be kind of hard to understand. I had to kind of keep track in my head the lines in the beginning when he talked about land and people. I felt kind of clumsy as a reader of that poem, like not that the poem was clumsy but that I was kind of too simple to follow it.
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I thought of your comment, QM, about Obama and his wife cracking up—I read today a kind of funny essay about how America elected a pair of “Lovebirds-in-Chief.” 8) Lots of wonderful and genuine affection between those two. Adorable!
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yb, I love your drawing! Is that Democrat Blue face?
So many other comments convey the words I would have written to Obama.
I enjoyed the poem. J didn’t much care for it though, but I don’t think he listened as closely as I did.
I also wanted to say that QM touched on a few subjects that I also had in mind. Secretary For Arts and Culture.That would be wonderful! Equal Rights and Freedom for ALL! The truth is that subject seems to be the most overlooked. Everyone SHOULD have the right to marry the person they love, just as I did.
And, a big kudo to you & all of those that went door to door or walked the streets, or manned the phones, etc.,to get the words of promise & hope out there! I was thinking about you yesterday & it must have been wonderful to know that you helped make it happen.
When the helicopter took off, my first thought was a one finger wave. Instead, I simply waved good-bye for good.
Lastly, my words would be to the American people. Be patient. We didn’t get into this mess overnight & it will take some time to recover. We all need to do our part. D
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Dear President Obama,
Hug your daughters every day that you can. They may not know it yet, but they have sacrificed a lot to have their dad be the President of the United States.
If you keep hugging them, they will be more likely to think that it is worth it. Also, you will be a great and loving example to the rest of us.
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Very perceptive of you, diddy. Yes, it’s the Democratic blue. Actually I wanted to do a red-white-and-blue face, but I did the inking very quickly last night after the Inauguration party and just didn’t have time to test how the different colors would work. (Not to mention, I rarely like to render a person’s face an actual face color. Prefer reds, blues, hot pinks.) 8)
There are some wise words of advice, some very worth hopes and wishes in this post. By putting them down, we’re helping set intention. A powerful thing to do.
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I will readily admit I did not vote for Barack Obama, our 44th President, which will not be a popular admission here. I believe I may be the only one.
My wish for President Obama, in all sincerity, is that Americans, regardless of how they voted and despite their personal beliefs, rally behind this man and give him the support he needs to turn this thing around for each man, woman and child…and for the good of the country I love.
I believe him to be a good man, an intelligent man with an eagerness to do great things, both out in the world and here at home. I hope the other people in power will either stand with him or get out of his way and let him do what needs to be done. My greatest hope is that he proves me wrong and all others like me…
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Yours may be the most generous wish of all, H. I join you in this hope. I honestly do.
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Heather, I appreciate your honest comment. Like you and yb, I hope for the same and that a large divide will not form between the parties as time goes on. I’m glad you left your thoughts here because it speaks to almost half of the country who did not vote for Obama but voted for McCain. And almost half of the Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton during the Democratic run-off between Obama and her; I was one of them. I wasn’t a big Obama fan during most of the last few years. And it took me a while to warm up to him and his style of leadership. In the final race last November, he most closely aligned with my hopes and wishes for our country and the world.
This week, however, I did feel a great deal of pride and hope and was happy and joyful to sit in community with others while history was being made. It’s hard to explain in a few words, but what I felt most this week was not so much for him as an individual, but the whole circle of people and Elders who have formed around him, and those in the world who feel renewed hope because of him. It remains to be seen if he can deliver his vision in practical terms. But that’s always the case for those who dream big. I really want him to succeed. And I like the youthful energy he brings to the White House.
I also have to say, he’s inspired me to want to do more to help other marginalized peoples such as equal rights for the GLBT community and support for GLBT youth, whose families and communities often turn away from them, rather than coming together to support them the way people support each other in Civil Rights movements such as Martin Luther King’s.
Thanks again, Heather, for speaking up. I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
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[…] I know it’s only the third week in January, but today is feeling like a yellow kind of day. Maybe it’s the unusually warm temperatures we’ve been hitting here in the Rio Grande Valley (which actually cause us to grumble for the way the heat tricks the fruit trees into blooming and then wham, a hard freeze). It could be that gold-yellow dress the First Lady wore for the Presidential Inauguration. (Did you like it, by the way?) Maybe it’s the feeling of fresh starts. […]
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Good news! According to Gloria Goodale, staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor, Barack Obama has the first-ever presidential arts platform! Alnog with increased funding for the NEA, the 3 top priorities are:
Expanding public/private partnerships between schools and arts organizations
Creating an Artists Corps
Publicity championing the importance of arts education
To view the platform go to:
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/additional/Obama_FactSheet_Arts.pdf
I wish for him success, because it will mean success for the whole nation.
Also, may he return to and keep true to the highest ideals and ethics which America used to be associated with.
May his family never have to suffer from the stress and strain that will come with his job.
YB, thank you for this great post; I think Obama should have a copy!
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Oops, should have checked for typos in the last line…sorry!
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Oh, oliverowl, how exciting! I love the idea of an Artists Corps. I wasn’t expecting action so quickly on the Arts measures and am delighted. I’ll check out your link a bit later when I have more time (oh, I got the typo). Thanks for letting us know about this!
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Great news, oliverowl.
As far as Obama getting a copy, I’m not sure if you mean of the post or of the doodle. I’m hoping that if I ever see Obama again in a speaking engagement, I might ask him to autograph the doodle. Wouldn’t that be cool?
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what a great drawing! 🙂
Words for the new President:
Please keep your promises.
Please use your presidental power to heal, not kill – get us out of Iraq ASAP.
You’ve given me hope in my government again. I’m praying for you
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Thanks, Grace.
(Hey, I just remembered to re-add you to our blogroll. Glad you’re blogging again.)
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ybonesy, I definitely think you should ask Obama to autograph your doodle if you ever see him again at a speaking engagement (and I think you will!).
Hey, I wanted to come back to this post and add that we got an email from an artist friend who has gone to Colombia to study historical color systems and painting. She was a big Obama fan over the last few years. Here’s what she said about Inauguration Day, “I hear that we have a new president. Here they say he is a great hope for the whole world. On Tuesday cities on the Colombian coast declared a civic holiday and celebrated the inauguration in the streets.”
I thought that was wonderful. We have another friend who was in Grenada over the Inauguration. And two other friends who were in the Dominican Republic. Haven’t talked to any of them yet. It’s amazing how the world has responded.
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Love it.
I hope… we can be patient as a nation. I hope- he is the good man this nation believes he is.
I hope he and his family remain safe.
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Today, going about the business of living, I notice how often I feel a quiet sense of gratitude to have leadership in Washington I hold in high regard. I can relax, knowing who is at the helm. I can take care of my corner of the world, instead of obsessing about someone I can’t control. While Obama does his job, I do mine. It’s so much better than before.
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Teri, it’s been interesting to listen to the NPR political coverage of Obama since the Inauguration. I’ve been noticing what a casual style he has. It’s striking the difference between him and George Bush. From an administration that was so secretive to one with a much more open style has been really refreshing. There is a lot of media spin around him, too, but I’m not too tuned in to that except on the local evening news. Their two girls have made front page news a few times — the whole thing about the dolls. Strange.
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Obamanos!!!!
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On a walk today I saw a man dump a huge TV set into a trash can behind an apartment building. It looked fishy, so I just stood there and watched him. When he saw me, he panicked. He said, “Are you mad at me? Am I doing something wrong? I just saw this trash can here and I’m dumping it for a friend.”
I calmly said I was memorizing his license plate, and asked if he lived in the building whose can he was using. He said he didn’t, and practically begged me not to report him. I told him there was a recycling center behind the nearby grocery store, and he fished the TV out and promised to take it there.
Now, I have no idea if he will. But I knew I was doing my part to stand there and talk to this guy about proper disposal. There was no screaming, no violence. Just a lot of back-peddling on his part.
President Obama, you do your job with the big rollers in D.C. I’ll do my part, too.
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Thank you, Terri, for holding this one man accountable for his actions. If we support each other to do the “right” thing in just that way, calmly as you did, it WILL create REAL change.
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Those TVs (and computers) have some very bad stuff in them, so really glad you stopped the guy from simply dumping it.
Did you see how the Citibank folks stopped plans to buy the little corporate airplane after getting bailout money? A little thing, perhaps, when you look at the total amount of the dollars that would have been spent, but a big thing really. Symbolically, morally. How can these guys even do that sh*t? I mean, even someone without integrity would walk through the consequences of making such a purchase and realize that they shouldn’t make it for the ruckus it would create among public perception.
Anyhow, for some reason your telling the guy to not dump his TV reminded me of Obama telling the Citibank folks to not buy the plane. 8)
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I hadn’t heard about the plane; did Obama really tell them not to buy it? Do people (like those at Citibank) just have such an over-active sense of entitlement?
On my same walk today, I saw a huge courier truck parked on the street with the engine running. The driver wasn’t anywhere nearby. Now I know there are things I don’t know about big rigs like that (I believe it takes more gas to start and stop them than to just keep them running for periods of time, for instance), but this one was emitting terrible clouds of blue, stinky smoke out the muffler. At first I thought it was on fire.
I memorized the company name and went home and called it in. The woman I spoke with was reasonable, and I told her as we try to clean the environment, I hope they will do their part and get their vehicles serviced. She said she’d pass it on to the manager of Operations.
It took two minutes. I didn’t have to get nasty. Just reported observations about their equipment.
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Ok, my chance to chime in!
First of all, good for you Terri, on the guy dumping the tv! All of us need to do our part about things like that.
Also, good for you for having reported the trucker that allowed the engine to continue to run. Having been in the Transportation Industry most of my life, I can assure you that what this driver was doing is not condoned. Most everyone I have worked for in the past have had devices installed into the engines re: the idling. Unfortunately, there are ways to over-ride this. They will shut down automatically. This is a collaboration between the builders of big rigs & the fact that we need to conserve energy. Diesel fuel is always more expensive than the gas we put in our cars. Trust me, trucking companies have a way of tracking all kinds of things. Safety Departments with-in the company & the D.O.T. do a good job overall of keeping an eye on these sort of issues. However, there are times that require private citizens to get involved. I cannot believe there is a trucking company that doesn’t appreciate comments from the public. It helps get the weeds out of the garden, so to say. Any one who notices any trucker violating any such rules of the road, should get the name of the Co., a number off the truck or trailer, & notify the Safety Dept. immediatiately. Most trucks are monitored via satellite, so location is important, as it helps narrow the search for for the bad egg down. I can’t tell you how many calls I received over the years & turned over to our safety Dept.. They are all appreciated. But, I want to add that for every 10 drivers doing the wrong thing, there are 90 more out there doing the right thing in order to provide a roof, health insurance, & food on the table for their families.
In addition, even Truck Stops are beginning to do their part to help with the emissions in the air we all breathe.
Keep in mind, if you got it, a truck brought it. Also, for many truckers driving in extreme weather conditions, their truck is their home away from home. They must sometimes idle in order to stay warm in winter, or comfy in the heat of summer.
You did the right thing Terri, & I applaud you! I myself have in the past reported things to various trucking companies, including the ones I was working for. Some for the good! I would also encourage folks to report the good, as well as the bad.
Oh, and Obama, he makes me more hopeful everyday! D
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diddy, wow, you are a wealth of information about the trucking business. It seems like you have a lot of energy and passion for it, potential for a great essay, too. It’s good to know that the trucking business is working on the environmental aspects of their industry, too. I’m heartened just knowing that.
Teri, you seem energized and taking full responsibility to do service toward helping the planet. It takes guts to hold people accountable like that, a kind of environmental citizen’s arrest. 8) Did you see that blurb on the local news a while back on citizen’s arrest? I think it was on Good Question or something. They happen a surprising amount in our Twin Cities.
Sometimes when they have those big drives for people to drop off outdated electronics here in the Twin Cities, the lines are all the way down the street. People have so much electronic junk around and have no idea where to take it or how to dispose of it. I wish it were more clearly pointed out. Maybe there is a website or something that tells people where to dispose of certain items. I wonder if the city has a list.
I know cell phones and glasses frames can be reused and they are collected at places like Lunds. I like the idea of recycling things to others who might not be able to afford them. Or a lot of times, artists can use old electronics in their art work, studio, or video work. There’s got to be a better system of disposal. Maybe it will get to the point where an electronic recycling truck comes around the way they do for plastic and paper. Wouldn’t that be nice.
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Teri, ABC News reported that Obama and his administration did blast Citibank for the $50M plane, and that the company consequently cancelled plans to get it. Here’s a link to the ABC News article: Under Fire from Obama Administration, Citigroup Drops Plane Plan [LINK].
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alittlediddy makes a really good point. For every one person doing something wrong, nine are trying to get it right. Yesterday I was Citizen Whistleblower. Today, I’m on the lookout for two people I can commend.
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Teri, it is important to report those who are in violation. With big rigs, start with their safety dept., though. On the other hand, if you see one driving recklessly, phone the police & then make a follow up call to their company. One note, the truck & trailer #’s will not be the same. Either one can be traced. I have been out of the industry for 3 years now, but they are running down the highways with the rest of us & are usually 80,000 lbs.. That is the legal limit, some weigh less, but not by much. In the past I have received both good & bad calls about drivers. More bad than good, sorry to say.
On the subject of recycling electronics, etc, I don’t think most people know what to do with them & some just plain don’t care. Perhaps there is a way for us to get the word out to local government or perhaps our trash companies to better enlighten us?
I wish I had the solution. D
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[…] to my heart is a Birthday Tribute and Wreath-Laying Ceremony at 8am EST at the Lincoln Memorial. President Barack Obama has been invited to commemorate the 16th president at the Memorial erected following Lincoln’s […]
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Did anyone watch Obama tonight on Jay Leno? Awesome! I suppose I am ahead of most, living on the east coast. He was so impressive & very entertaining. I’m wondering how others felt. First time ever that a President who is currently in office has ever done a talk show like The Tonight Show. He has been dealt a bad hand, yet I have the upmost respect for his intentions to put America back on the right track. Keep the faith! D
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diddy, we watched it late last night. He’s kind of a funny guy. Also he’s so relaxed compared to what has come before. The contrast always surprises me. Though I like his candor, he sure is getting a lot of flack for it. I admire that he takes responsibility. Things sure seem to be polarizing again though, between Democrats and Republicans. Could be a long four years. I remain hopeful.
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I missed it, unfortunately. I’m glad he’s getting out there. There’s so much turmoil right now that it’s important our president is visible. I’ll check out the rerun, diddy, and let you know what I think.
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You know, I understand that it will take a long time to fix this mess we are in. I really enjoyed the interview & as we should all know, he can’t fix it alone.
I guess he is in trouble about some remark re: his bowling skills & the Special Olympics. A remark I didn’t even notice. Did you QM? The press will pick everything apart, but truth is I have a lot of faith in him & believe him to be very sincere about the problems he has been dealt, but both parties need to get their acts together. D
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[…] checking stats every twenty minutes, no perusing political blogs to see what every little move of Obama’s is being scrutinized, no wasting oodles of […]
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ybonesy, I immediately thought of you when Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday. Only a few U.S. Presidents have had that honor. Hope carries the day. He’s well on his way to fulfilling your last hope and wish for him. Nobel Peace Prize says a lot about world belief in his abilities to lead and bring the world closer together.
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Hey QM, did you notice my tweet on this? There have been skeptics who say that it’s too early, what has he done? But the way I look at it, awarding President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize was like giving it to those Americans who put him in office, for electing someone who’s restored our standing in the world. It is a huge achievement, which we brought about, to have an individual in office who by his nature listens, negotiates, considers, understands. That is really the achievement, to be able to walk in this world and be proud of who we are.
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ybonesy, yes I did see your tweet on this. So happy to see it. (You’ve been rocking on Twitter BTW.) I agree with you. I felt proud that we have a President that is thoughtful, listens to the rest of the world community, and believes in negotiation and compromise. I’ve read all the hoopla from the skeptics and they’re entitled to their opinions, too. But I’d rather focus on the positive than the negative. No one is ever going to be perfect. I choose to focus on positive effort for the good.
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I agree with ybonesy on this one. I see it as a prize for all Americans & hope it shows that the rest of the world still has faith in us. I’ve seen comments elsewhere that a lot of folks view this as a joke & undeserving. I feel that I’m among a minority on this, or are negative people just more outspoken? At least now I know I’m not alone on this one! D
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[…] Mr. President: Yes you can. Give peace a chance. My message to you. […]
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[…] checking stats every twenty minutes, no perusing political blogs to see what every little move of Obama‘s is being scrutinized, no wasting oodles of […]
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This week, our new DFL governor in Minnesota was giving a speech about funding that was unpopular with the Tea Party members who had assembled to protest. When he was done speaking, in a surprise move he handed the microphone to the Tea Party and let them voice their opinion.
It was a tangible effort to work together, one that was welcome.
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Teri, wasn’t that the best. I loved that Governor Dayton did that. I was listening to MPR this week and they were talking about how Dayton has the opportunity to stand up and be his own person in office. He’s got plenty of money and doesn’t owe anyone anything (except the voting public) for helping him get elected. In a sense, he’s got nothing to lose by following his conscience and doing the right thing. I wish him well.
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[…] & Nikki Giovanni (On Poets & Presidents), Presidential Poetics — Elizabeth Alexander, President Barack Obama […]
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