What an appropriate analogy! Let's hope sanity will replace the bigotry of the last eight years. Obama does sound like a man of the Enlightenment, even though he has to pay lip service to the current generation of bigots.

Far too people realize that many Founding Fathers were free thinkers. Without their influence the Constitution and Bill of Rights and with it the Unites States of America the way we know it would never have taken shape.

It's probably a safe bet that Carolyn Kennedy is better qualified for high office than Sarah Palin.

But that is not the point. To become a member of the Senate, a person has to earn the right to such an honor. In our society nobility may make it easier to climb the ladder but it does not give a free ride. Ms. Kennedy needs to earn her way into the Senate. The name Kennedy alone is not enough. What has she done to earn that right? Were she holding some elected or high government office there would be no argument. But some work in the trenches is in order for her to be truly acceptable. At a minimum she needs to run for the office, not enter through the back door. By the way, the same applied to Palin. From Mayor of a small town to Governor of Alaska to Vice President in less than four years was a bit much to accept. And Palin is correct: The media have been much too easy on Ms. Kennedy.

Wouldn't boxers make an excellent study group? Remember Muhamad Ali?

Death or injury by friendly fire can not be avoided and it is puzzling that the Army would want to cover these incidents up. These are even more likely with our tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. That practice has cost the lives of countless innocent civilians and friendly soldiers in both current conflicts and of course also casualties among our own troops.

More sinister is a phenomenon most often reported from Vietnam but also from earlier wars. In Vietnam we called it "fragging". Victims were usually young officers or noncommissioned officers who were killed by unhappy soldiers - most often by a fragmentation hand grenade thrown into a tent at night. Hence the name. Haven't heard anything like this happening in Iraq or Afghanistan. Doesn't happen or is it covered up? I hope it's the former!

The tail is wagging the dog again.

There better be provisions that this money better be paid back with interest or else Obama will have betrayed those who trusted him even before he was sworn in. In addition, there better be provisions that any bank that accepts this largess will limit executive salaries and eliminate bonuses and dividends until all debts have been repaid and the bank starts again earning money.

If these conditions aren't me, Obama will never again get my vote.

How much lower can FOX News scoop?

But what can you expect!

It'll be interesting to see how FOX News and especially their main hatchet man, O'Reilly, will treat President Obama. Will they still be the cheering section for the Government as they were for the past eight years?

The Man is off and running, just as we expected. I well remember a few new Administrations that were virtually not functioning for several weeks with even key appointments left vacant for months.

To call the four key players in the Mideast nightmare within hours of taking office shows where his foreign policy priorities are. Too bad Israel responded by firing at Palestinian fishermen because they had strayed too far from shore in their won waters.

President Obama, are you listening?

Congress, are you paying attention?

Is it a coincidence that many of those who deny global warming also believe that God created the earth and all living creatures in one week some 5 thousand years ago? And believe that end-times are near, therefore making efforts to save the planet unnecessary?

I thought Conservatives are supposed to conserve what we have. Conservatism right now seems to stand for ripping off Nature, taking advantage of the weak and making the rich ever richer.

Sorry to say, President Obama, but you are walking on a slippery slope. Don't fall into the same trap as President Johnson. Many of his lofty goals fell victim to fighting a not winnable war in Vietnam. As sad as it is, the war in Afghanistan is equally not winnable. It has become a battle for control of the country by various tribes, and the Pashtun are the largest. In addition, many of them live in Pakistan. That means the war against the Pashtun/Taliban by necessity involves Pakistan. In the end, Pakistan too will be destabilized. And that country as nuclear weapons.

True, our engagement in Afghanistan has brought rights to their women which the Taliban had denied them. That is very noble but is it worth your Presidency? We went into Afghanistan to deal with Osama bin Laden. That was the mission at which President Bush failed. You will also fail if you don't change the approach. Please find a different way to deal with him.

It was utter stupidity on our part to refuse Hamas the recognition it deserved after winning the elections in Gaza. The rest of the world even recognized Hitler after he was elected Chancellor in 1933. And he wasn't even elected by a majority of the German voters but by the Reichstag, their parliament.

Obama now has a chance for a new beginning and we can only hope that he (and his Secretary of State)will take advantage of it.