A brief story that warmed my heart and hopefully yours in these troubling days of division...
I was in Milwaukee for work and about to catch the train back to Chicago. Normally I would walk the few blocks from my hotel to the station, but I had the flu so I called a cab. A few minutes later a cab pulled up...one of those minivans which I hate, and the driver, a man of Middle Eastern persuasion, was kind enough to let me sit in the front seat.
He had the radio on and it was tuned to Rush Limbaugh. I was a little surpised that this guy was listening to this. I asked him why he listens to Limbaugh and his answer revealed that despite our ethnic differences, we had something in common.
He said he listens to Limbaugh and Sean Hannity because he wants to know what McCain and Palin are going to throw at Barack. He said all the Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers stuff was on Hannity and Limbaugh before it was part of the campaign and he feels he can stay ahead of what's happening. I mentioned that this guilt by association stuff can be dangerous for the Republicans if we start bringing up the Alaska Independence Party and G. Gordon Liddy. We talked about this for a few blocks.He was very knowledgeable about the politics and issues of this race and of course he was an Obama supporter.
I told him he knows more about what's happening in American politics than many native born Americans and I asked him where he was from. He replied that he was from Sudan and had been here for 15 years, and that his uncle had been Prime Minister,so politics were in his blood.
At the end of the brief trip we shook hands warmly. We shared the sentiment that we hoped Barack would win and we ended with a mutual: "Yes We Can"
Not an earth shattering diary but it left me with a wonderful feeling of being connected to this man as American citizens, proud of my country, and proud, as always of the Junior Senator from Illinois.