New Broom

It is over, at last, and we have a new Chief Executive getting settled into his formidable job. We are trusting that he will select an administration attuned to the realities of the country and the world which will help us get well again as Americans.

First and foremost we must, together with President Obama, start the intricate process of resetting our runaway economy so that our workers can get back on their jobs, and thus by paying their fair share -- along with the billionaires -- we can reduce the terrible deficit and mounting national debt. We need to prioritize the "must" list of social programs and also end the Iraq war with honor. High on that list must indeed come the recognition and gratitude towards those who served like the champions they have become. We refer to the members of the armed forces present and past, for whom we need to enact strong programs that will treat them fairly and with the justice they deserve.

For those who will stay on active duty as career servicemen and women, we recommend deploying most of our troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan, being very attentive to the ongoing needs of their dependents, by reducing additional tours of duty. We need to re-cast our thinking about the care and our responsibilities towards the veterans' agenda. This growing group of people who have laid their very lives on the line for the rest of us will be knocking on many of the old doors unopened or unheeded by bureaucrats so often in the past. A new broom indeed!

We look towards the celebration of Veterans' Day this week with a new feeling engendered by the recent historic election of Barrack Obama. We have caught the feeling that here, at last, is a person who relates to our needs and yearnings. He will put his superior intellect, along with his big heart, in wielding this wondrous new broom which will catch the dust of indolence and inaction too long tolerated by a fractious congress. Bring them home with honor -- they deserve this at least. Then treat them as we would be treated ourselves.