Now this puts the “trick” back into “trick play”.

The smoke from last night is starting to clear, and it looks like we’re going to have a Democratic president, 56 Democrats in the senate, and 256 in the house. The last time there was a Democratic mandate like this was 1993. We must take advantage of this opportunity by getting DC congressional representation. (After all, we may not get another chance this good for another 16 years).

Last year, HR 1905 passed the house, and then stalled in the senate as S 1257, failing to meet cloture by 57-42. With an even larger Democratic majority, the house is likely to pass it again if asked. The problem is the Senate. Last time 8 senate Republicans supported the bill:

*I’m assuming Coleman will win the recount since he’s winning right now. If he doesn’t he’ll be replaced by Al Franken, who will probably support the measure.

So we have 56 Democratic senators, plus the 8 Republicans. Even without Robert Byrd (who had no vote the last time), that’s 63 yes votes in the senate – enough to gain passage.

I bring you the most obscure magazine ever – Orbital Debris Quarterly. The magazine for people who really care about orbiting space junk.

Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk.

Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run.

Obama’s running so we all can fly.

–Jay-Z, at an event in Philadelphia. (Text, audio about 4 minutes in)

 

I think Leon Wieseltier said it best when he commented that Obama was not the seed of the civil rights movement, but its flower. It is amazing to think that barely a generation after Martin Luther King marched on Washington, an African American has been elected to the highest office in the land – not, as Mike Huckabee points out, because of his race of even in spite of it, but with indifference to it. I wish Obama’s grandmother had managed to live just a few more days to see what happened today. I can’t possibly imagine what it must feel like to see the child you once raised chosen to be president of the United States.

Listening to Obama’s acceptance speech I am reminded of the first thing that attracted me to him – he speaks not in sound bites and one liners, but in a more traditional (and less media friendly) oratorical style. His sentences are sometimes long and involve multiple dependent clauses, but they have the ring of sincerity and reflect the deliberate thought that goes into what he says. He gives off the look that he was born to lead, and he has the ability to inspire like few other politicians do. More than any other contemporary leader, he makes me proud to be an American. Let’s see what the next four years brings.