Proud This Year

This year on the Fourth of July, we have a new President.

Yes, I voted for him and, yes, I approve of most of his policies so far. Oh, he has put his foot wrong a couple of times - I'd like to see more of the bipartisanship he promised in his campaign; he could speed up the demise of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell;" and I'm a little concerned that he's tackling too much too soon (although, what choice did the Bushies leave him?), but overall I give him a solid A-. After all, he is working hard to bring us out of economic depression, to close Guantanamo, and he has already greatly restored America's standing in the world. A couple of notable nut cases in other countries are still spewing hatred toward us but most of the legitimate governments in the world seem to be happy that he's in charge.

I like his family, too. He followed through on his promise to get the kids a dog and they actually do seem to be taking care of Bo themselves. Mrs. Obama is a lovely, warm, committed person who charms everywhere she goes. I don't know much about the girls - and that's a good thing - but I know Michelle's mother is there for the kids to stablilize what might otherwise be an upsetting loss of time with their parents. And, bless their hearts, the Obamas do go to soccer games and spend time with their children.

So, this year, I'm again proud to be an American citizen. I always did vote my conscience, fly the American flag, honor my service heritage and be glad to live here but, this year, I'm actually proud of the guy in charge. It feels good.

Happy Independence Day - now, let's go get that hot dog, watch a parade, and oooh and ahhh over some fireworks!