With Malice Towards None...

Two items for the day.

First, Hillary Clinton is likely to be (has already been?) offered the job of Secretary of State in Obama's administration. By all accounts, there are no anticipated hiccups in vetting, and she is inclined to accept the offer.

Yes, this is the same First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton who had such a contentious primary battle with Obama. I think it's a very prominent position, and I'm actually pretty excited about the choice.

I think that she can probably do a lot more there than she could've as Vice President, anyhow.

It also means that Obama has a willingness and a personal security to bury the hatchet and bring people on board based on their merits, and not biased by superfluous factors like a past campaign.

Item number two is the reports out that Sen. Lieberman will likely retain his seat in the Democratic Caucus as well as his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee.

I think it's safe to say that a not-so-small portion of the Democratic Caucus wanted Lieberman's head to roll. The fact that it will not, I think it's also safe to say, is due in large part to the subtle hints dropped by the President-elect and his surrogates.

I can't be certain why the Democrats fell in line. But I think it bodes well for the kind of clout Obama can reasonably expect to wield when he assumes office for real.

More importantly, while it's true that the Democrats don't need Lieberman anymore to pass legislation, they aren't at the fillibuster proof mark yet, so every friendly senator helps. Moreover, if anyone thinks that Lieberman doesn't know that Obama sent an olive branch when he could have by rights had him crucified, they are fooling themselves. I think if Lieberman has half a brain, he knows that he's now more beholden to Obama than 90% of the rest of the Congress. And beyond feeling indebted, I think Lieberman, like myself, will admire the strength of character in a man who reaches out to those who have formerly fought (diligently) against him.

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, ...let us strive on to finish the work we are in, ...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

"Yes We Can."

Mental Ejaculation.

I had thought that I would put in a whole detailed bit after Barack Obama won the election, and about how gracious McCain's speech was, and how much fun election night was spending it with friends and celebrating an historic moment, and how I've come to terms with the fact that sometimes you're supposed to put "an" in front of h words even though it's weird, and doesn't work for a lot of h words like an hangover, an hat, an hippie, an halloween party, an hill, etc. But, at this point, I am just in a weird mood and don't have the energy for the eloquence I envisioned on Tuesday.

Don't get me wrong, I am unbelievably excited about Obama's victory, and I can only hope that the next four years do not disappoint. But I am way to unfocused to make it the sole focus of this post.

No, instead I have a sloshing of thoughts ranging from dreams in which I nearly fall to my death in a free falling elevator car to emoticons that may or may not carry the essence of someone to returning to this general feeling of listlessness.

Nah, maybe not listlessness. Maybe just boredom.

At any rate, there's too much work. I couldn't get focused today. Papers to write. But I can't really complain, I know lots of people who've got it worse.

Is there such a thing as writer's block when you're not trying to write anything? Mental block? That's kind of how I feel. I know, I know, there are wise guys out there who will point out, you're writing a blog right now, but if you're thinking that right now, you've missed the point that I'm not expressing myself well enough in the first place, and you're going to have to compensate for it yourselves.

Get the right vibes from this.

At least there are still things I'm looking forward to...

...Despite what the horoscopes say.