Reflections On The First Inauguration of Barack Obama

On the morning of the 57^th Presidential Inauguration, I am filled with some of the best memories ever of the first inauguration of Barack Obama.  A friend of mine had connections high up in the White House, so we got tickets right on the West Lawn, close enough to actually see the president being sworn in.  It was the absolute coldest day of the year, but no one cared because history was being made.  What struck me most that day was that major celebrities were treated the same as everyone else.  They had to go through checkpoints just like we did, they didn’t get special seating, nothing.  In fact, I was sitting right next to “Sting”, the musician, and Billy Baldwin, Forest Whitaker, Common, Tracee Ellis Ross, Beyonce' and Jay-Z were literally only feet away.  In fact Forest Whitaker bumped into me trying to film on his video camera.

It was a day of pride for African-Americans, and it showed on every last one of our faces.  I remember in the blocks-long walk to the Capitol making eye contact with people of other races and ethnicities, and having them smile, and nod at me, like they knew how big this was for black people and how far the country had come.  I also remember walking down the street passing people on the way to the inauguration, and shouting “Barack Obama”, and having them shout, “Barack Obama” back at me.  There was a sense of pride in the air that’s hard to explain…(never felt it before, and will probably never feel it again), and it showed on EVERYONES’ faces…now imagine that look on almost two million people.  It was just electric!

So as the president begins his second term, and final four years in office, I wish him much success in achieving his agenda (I am committed to helping him do that), and that he and his family are kept safe from harm.

The 2009 Inauguration was the experience of a lifetime, but I appreciate the fact that this time around, I will be watching it from the comfort of my home on my family room couch.

Mitch McConnell and other Congressional Ilk

Now that the “Fiscal Cliff crisis is over, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has begun talking trash about the “Debt Ceiling”, saying that President Obama is “In for a fight whether he likes it or not.”.  I try to be really careful in who I label a racist, because some people are not racist, they’re just stupid.  Mitch McConnell is a racist through and through.  Among his other rants against the president, he was the one who said, “The single-most thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”.  Instead of doing the business the people of Kentucky elected him to do, McConnell has spent his every waking moment obstructing the president over the last four years, and has no shame for his hating.  I have no respect for someone who will throw this country “under the bus” solely for the purpose of ruining the president, and doing so because he is a black man.  And NO, I’m not giving him credit for his role in working with Vice President Biden on the Fiscal Cliff.  Some folks want to credit him with getting the bill passed, when he was actually a major player in holding it up.

I’ll be calling McConnell’s office AGAIN today to let him know exactly what I think of him and what he’s doing.  By the way, his number is (202) 224-2541.  I’ll be doing everything I can with my contacts in Kentucky, and I do have them, to unseat McConnell in 2014.  Ashley Judd, the singer and actress is considering a run against him, and is polling only four points behind.  I have literally been harassing her on Twitter to run for his Senate seat.

There is no place in government for the ilk of Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Lindsey Graham and some others.  It’s time for them to go.  Their attempts to hold on to an America that doesn’t exist anymore is pathetic, and their contempt and efforts to smear people of color are totally offensive.  A lot of people don’t give much thought to elections when we are not electing a president.  It’s time to do so…these elections are just as important.  The lesson here…vote in EVERY election.