Are You Doing What You Set Out To Do?

On the day before the vote for health care reform, President Obama made his final argument for passage before the Democratic members of congress.  He spoke to the Representatives about why he and they had become politicians, and why they had become Democrats.   He talked about all the town meetings and compromises, the long hours, and the time spent away from thier families. 

Whether you agree with the Health Care Reform bill or not, I think the following quote from our President to members of congress is powerful and shows his passion for his job:

"And maybe there have been times where you asked yourself, Why did I ever get involved in politics in the first place?...But you know what?  Every once in a while, you have a chance to vindicate all those best hopes you had about yourself...And this is one of those moments.  This is one of those times where you can honestly say to yourself, Doggone it, this is exactly why I came here."

I found this a very power full quote.  How about you?

Congratulations Mr. President!

After watching all the brouhaha about President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and sitting here shaking my head again at the divisiveness in our country by the vocal minority, I decided I must weigh in with an entry (I usually leave the political entries to Beth, she is a tad more vocal on this than I am LMAO :o). So here I present a bit of background, and my opinion.

When Alfred Nobel died on December 10, 1896, it was discovered that he had left a will, dated November 27, 1895, according to which most of his vast wealth was to be used for five prizes, including one for peace.

The prize for peace was to be awarded to the person who "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding of peace congresses." The prize was to be awarded "by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting."


To read more of the history of the Nobel Peace Prize, link provided courtesy of Sheria :o), who in her entry reminds us that President Obama has been talking of his philosophy of peace and dialogue for more than three years now, starting with his campaign. It was Sheria's entry that inspired me to make this entry, so thank you friend.


At the bottom of the history link, is a summary. I think this statement helps sum it up: "Different kinds of statesmen were awarded the Peace Prize, some for addressing global concerns, others for helping to solve regional crises, still others for the general principles they espoused. The human rights category was added to the list and gradually became perhaps the most numerous one."


An another quote: "...the Norwegian Nobel Committee has increasingly come to use the Peace Prize not only as a reward for achievements accomplished, but also as an incentive for the Laureates to achieve even more. This may be said to reflect the growing courage of the committee members or, perhaps more accurately, the increasing stature of the Nobel Peace Prize."

Peace has never been defined by the Nobel Committee, which I think is fitting as it means different things at different times. Regardless of how the minority in our country feel about President Obama, the world has hope that he can be true to his words and help bring about change. It is that hope, and President Obama's consistent rhetoric and demeanor, that in my opinion, has made him a worthy recipient of this noble honor.

Tiger, on a Different Tour :o)

I am a huge Tiger Woods Fan, and on his recent newsletter, he had the following to say about meeting the President and touring the White House. Pretty Cool :o)

"I recently had a chance to meet with President Obama in the White House. I would love to be able to play golf with him and just talk. Maybe one day we can do that. He's got a lot on his plate, but is a very down-to-earth person, especially for someone who is the leader of the free world.

I got a tour of the White House. What I especially enjoyed was learning about its history and details about all the different rooms. It was pretty neat stepping back in time. I also enjoyed talking with the Secret Service agents."

To follow Tiger, go to his website by clicking here.

Thank You Mr. President, Both Of You :o)

Regardless of your political affiliation, today was a historic day. President Bush has been our President for the past eight years, and while we can agree or disagree on his legacy, he was the leader of our country during the 9/11 tragedy, and he showed remarkable leadership at that time. So, Thank You President Bush, as President Obama stated today, for your service to our country.

I had the chance near lunch to be in my car and hear the introductions for the inauguration today, and it was truly historic, regal, and epic. On the way home, I got to hear the entire speech, and tonight on T.V., got to see the Lincoln Bible, the incredible new first family, and this moment in history will be forever ingrained.

So, I say, thank you President Bush, and welcome President Obama. I voted for both of you for the same reason, to keep the United States of America the best country to live in, and to be proud of. You both showed immense poise and grace during the past several months as this transition was made, and you are both to be commended.

Hope and Change mean different things at different times, and I look forward to the next four years.