The president said he understands the sergeant who arrested Gates is an "outstanding police officer." But he added that with all that's going on in the country with health care and the economy and the wars abroad, "it doesn't make sense to arrest a guy in his own home if he's not causing a serious disturbance."

In his inaugural address, President Obama proclaimed "an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics."

It hasn't taken long for the recriminations to return -- or for the Obama administration to begin talking about the unwelcome "inheritance" of its predecessor.

Over the past month, Obama has reminded the public at every turn that he is facing problems "inherited" from the Bush administration, using increasingly bracing language to describe the challenges his administration is up against. The "deepening economic crisis" that the president described six days after taking office became "a big mess" in remarks this month to graduating police cadets in Columbus, Ohio.

Hope. Change. Whatever.

Apparently they believe only suckers pay them.

On January 20th, President-elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office using the same Bible upon which President Lincoln was sworn in at his first inauguration. The Bible is currently part of the collections of the Library of Congress. Though there is no constitutional requirement for the use of a Bible during the swearing-in, Presidents have traditionally used Bibles for the ceremony, choosing a volume with personal or historical significance. President-elect Obama will be the first President sworn in using the Lincoln Bible since its initial use in 1861.

My reading of Mr. York's commentary is that he's mocking Obama's hubris:

Obviously, I buried the lead. It should have been "Obama Joins Distinguished Predecessors Harding and Carter in Choosing Bible Used By A Previous President." (OK, Eisenhower too, but just half.)

Me, I think Obama is paying tribute to a man who did a pretty good job in handling the worst crisis this country has ever faced. The Emancipation Proclamation was a pretty big deal. York needs to lighten up.

Byron, if it helps, remember that Lincoln was the first Republican President, too.

If those staffers are right and Palin was this bad, what does the vetting and selection of Palin say about McCain? Nothing good. If these McCain staffers are this vindictive and mean to a women they were support to help, What does it say about the McCain? Nothing good. I say this as a McCain voter, I’m glad Obama won.

In the comment before Heather's someone repeated a rumor that ex-Romney people were behind the smears of Palin. That's the first thing I've read that makes sense, although it wouldn't have to be Romney people; anyone with a dog (other than Palin) in the 2012 race might be motivated to bring the pretty pit bull down.

Which of course is why the Republican Party is in the mess that it's in; the establishment had gotten so comfy that it lost sight of some minor issues like doing what's best for the country first.

The creeps doing the back stabbing better have something to fall back on. First guess: most will take media jobs. "And here's our pet Republican, who will now parrot our party line."

Losers.

He wasn't my guy in the race. As a matter of fact, my vote was much more "against" Obama than it was "for" McCain. And I don't expect to be soft on Obama during his Administration.

But my fellow citizens have chosen Obama, and the system of government that I hold in awe has once again produced a remarkable change in management without harming the fabric of society.

My countrymen. My country. My President. It's a package deal.

The best thing possible for this country would be for Obama to become a great President. So that's what I'm hoping for.

Good luck Barack. Do good and be well.

Wow.

We went at 11:30. I figured that was safely in a quiet period, before a lunch rush but well after people would be at work.

The line was still 40 minutes long.

The kids handled it well. Hunter was in one of our umbrella strollers, and Aden was riding high in our new Kelty carrier. I think they did handle it well because the mood on the line was very upbeat. I heard a dad with a kid in a stroller behind me talking on his cell phone about it, and he said he was cautiously optimistic about Obama winning.

I hope he's typical, if Obama happens to lose. Otherwise, a lot of people are going to be extremely angry if we end up with another 2000 scenario, where Obama wins the popular vote and loses the Electoral College.

I hadn't really thought that possible until today. And I still think it's unlikely; I think McCain has to win Pennsylvania to have a shot, and if my neighborhood is typical of black urban turnout, then metro Philly is going to swamp the central and western part of the state.

But if McCain manages to win, I can see how a big Blue Coasts turnout could easily give Obama a comfortable popular vote margin.

That would be serious icksville.

As much as Obama worries me, if he wins the popular vote, I hope like hell he wins the Electoral College as well.

“Big-L” (as in the party) Libertarians seem to attract an uncomfortable mixture of conspiracy theorists, isolationists and pacifists. The Libertarian Party is the political equivalent of a Star Trek convention

That's unfair. To Star Trek conventions.

(Click on the thumbnail for the full story.)

Oh, and here's the link to the eBay auction.

Not a problem!

Here's what you do:

Well, the House of Representatives today showed that it's not an either/or proposition.

I was asked about an ad I’d never seen, reacting merely to press reports. As I said right then, I knew there was nothing intentionally personal in the criticism of Senator McCain’s views which look backwards not forwards and are out of touch with the new economic challenges we face today. Having now reviewed the ad, it is even more clear to me that given the disgraceful tenor of Senator McCain’s ads and their persistent falsehoods, his campaign is in no position to criticize, especially when they continue to distort Barack’s votes on an issue as personal as keeping kids safe from sexual predators.

Obama also made Biden write on the board 50 times "You're my daddy, O."

HT: The Corner

Basically, for the 30th Anniversary of the first IVF human birth (that's "Test Tube Baby" to the uninitiated) she posted a screed that basically says "yeah, but it was still the wrong thing to do."

Well, my babies wouldn't be here without it. And if my wife and I had adopted two perfectly cute babies from WeSellBambinostan, the two human beings going to sleep in their nursery still wouldn't be here.

Basically, I don't think the Pope, let alone Ms. Lopez, has the right to tell anyone how they bring human souls into the world. Or who deserves the chance to nurture those souls. I know a few gay couples and a few "single by choice" moms whom I believe will make damn fine parents, and it's a chance they're getting because of assisted reproduction.

What takes her whole screed from tragic moralizing into political farce, though, is this little throw-away graf:

He also glosses over issues of regulation. The IVF industry, and the market for assisted reproduction, is highly unregulated — an issue, among others, that the president’s bioethics commission took seriously in a report a few years ago. He, further, doesn’t even mention the word “adoption” — an option all too often disregarded, but a generous, beautiful, needed option for infertile couples.

Last I checked, it was part of Conservative dogma that the government shouldn't be in the business of regulating how we live our private lives.

But wait, I guess that only applies when it comes to things like how much we can bequeath tax-free to our children, provided those children were the get of a legally married man and woman who conceived during sexual congress in the missionary position only. With the lights out.

And no porn in the background, either, you degenerates.

Guess it goes to show political junkies are all about controlling others by the short hairs. Right or Left just differentiate each other by how literally that truism should be interpreted.