Not so long ago, right after the election was over, there was a fierce fight going on in the progressive blogosphere. It centered upon all the picks Obama made with respect to his Cabinet, and whether they reflected the progressive views of the netroots. In its most basic sense, the debate boiled down to feelings of betrayal of a progressive agenda by Obama vs. a wait-and-see attitude to determine exactly what the President-elect would do once he was President.
At its nastiest times, those who felt betrayal were accused of undermining Obama before he got started, and those who defended him were accused of being Obamabots and cultists. Neither view was correct.
But today, we can take heed with the words Obama himself said during the transition, namely, the change started with him. At the top.
Amen to that.
In less that 48 hours since being sworn in, the United States has again begun to demonstrate its true values. In less than 48 hours, we have a more open government; a government that is more "for the people" and less about special interests; a nation that does not torture; and a nation that will no longer detain "enemy combatants" at Gitmo.
In less than 48 hours. And by the stroke of a pen.
I don't think anything can complain about the speed of those changes, can we?
Moreover, we've had a halt to all Bush regulations that were in the works, so that they can be reviewed, thanks to Rahm Emanuel.
Indeed, so far, Obama has proven to be right. Change starts with him. At the top. As Obama starts down the long road to keep his end of the bargain, however, it is important to remember what he has said all along as well, that we as American citizens must keep our end too. To be the change we seek, to serve, and to mold our nation to mirror the values we know are the truly American values. The values that Obama himself talked about in his Inaugural address.
It struck me that some pundits, in reviewing Obama's speech, talked about how Obama highlighted "conservative" values such as "personal responsibility" and "hard work."
Excuse me? Since when did conservatives hold the patent on personal responsibility and hard work? Those are American values, bub. Not conservative ones.
In fact, given the last eight years, I sincerely doubt that any conservative claim can be made on personal responsibility and hard work, given the buck-passing and incompetance of the administration that just left town.
It is time for us to kick in. To remake our country, not just through elections, but through our service.
Obama has started us down the right path. Let's make sure he stays there, and let's make sure we are with him on that path, every step of the way.