George W. Bush may have left the building, but the the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives isn’t going anywhere. It’s just being reinvented. In the middle of the presidential campaign last summer, Barack Obama surprised a lot of people from both parties when he announced that the faith-based office not only …
The Maryland Republican is the new chair of the RNC after six rounds of balloting. His initial reaction: “This is awesome.”
UPDATE: Change the GOP can believe in? From Steele’s acceptance speech, going on now: “For those of you who wish to obstruct, get ready to get knocked over.”
There’s been a lot of huffing and puffing this week about a provision to expand access to Medicaid-covered family planning services. First it was Republicans, who grew faint at the idea of voting for a stimulus package that contained such a provision (not that they rushed to vote for it without the provision). Then it was Democrats, who …
On a completely apolitical note, if Obama can really succeed in importing a little Midwestern hardiness to this city where people carry umbrellas–umbrellas!–in the snow and cancel school with one inch of snow on the ground, THAT will be change I can believe in.
There’s been a lot of debate about Michelle Obama’s decision to spend her time in the White House as mom-in-chief instead of returning to professional life or taking on a prominent portfolio in her husband’s administration. But I haven’t seen much mention of the fact that Jill Biden went back to work yesterday. The longtime educator will …
Today is January 22–also known as the anniversary of Roe v. Wade or the March for Life Day, depending on your ideological tilt. Which must mean it’s the day the incoming president signs an executive order dealing with the Mexico City policy, a ban on federal money to NGOs that provide abortions abroad, and does away with any goodwill …
The president and vice-president, along with their wives and the Clintons, attended a national prayer service at the Washington Cathedral this morning. I know what you’re thinking–good Lord, enough with the religion already! Can’t we manage a strictly secular transfer of power in this country? Which is why I urge you to watch the …
Over at the Inauguration Liveblog yesterday, Mike and Jim (read their very first posts) were discussing the fact that television coverage of the event was focused almost entirely on the historic first of a black president being inaugurated. But while that’s certainly what drew a lot of visitors to Washington this week and it’s the theme …
A few faith-based thoughts on Inauguration day:
— Joseph Lowery just made everyone forget about Rick Warren. And in a good way.
— Obama’s shout-out to “non-believers” was, as far as I can tell, the first such acknowledgment in an Inaugural address. It’s not unusual for him (see his 2006 speech at the Call to Renewal gathering) …
I see from the Code Pink stickers slapped on countless jackets outside that the old Sixties slogan has been re-tooled for these more sexually responsible times: Make Out, Not War.
The city of Washington has mostly done a fantastic job accomodating at least a million visitors for the Inauguration, but what on earth were they thinking making people pay to ride the Metro today? Unlike many subway systems, riders have to insert tickets upon entering and exiting the system–a trial for visitors to figure out on a good …
One more thought that came from watching Obama at the Lincoln Memorial concert yesterday: A year ago, I was at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to see Obama speak. He was about to take the pulpit at Martin Luther King Jr’s old church, on the day before King’s birthday, and the whole experience seemed just a little too much for him. I …
Reading this NYT story about Obama’s relationship with John McCain post-election, it strikes me that Obama–alone among virtually every politician I can think of–does not appear to hold grudges.
The ability to forgive and forget is probably a necessary character trait if you’re going to try to follow through on promises to end …
