Welcome note from Bush to Obama

British satirist Rory Bremner describes welcome note from Bush to Obama: “Welcome, Mister Osama, you might find some helpful things here. I’m afraid the Middle East is a bit of a mess, the economy is screwed and I’m afraid that Afghanistan is not looking too good. But on the plus side, Laura’s put some flowers on the kitchen table.” Watch this video.

Inspiring words from the 44th US President

The former Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo, once said: "You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose".

Best lines from president Barack Obama's inaugural address - if you'd ask me...

“...and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”

And my favourite quote - “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”

Congratulations, citizens of the USA and the rest of the free world! It looks like we have a bright new American leader who is able to inspire his people in these difficult times. May God bless, guide and protect him, his wife and their daughters.

Obama's victory and Jesse's tears

I did't write about the newly elected president of the United States yet. I know that many of my fellow Christians in the USA were supporting the Republican candidate John McCain, but I am excited about the choice that the majority of the American voters have made and I have high expectations of president Barack Obama. I pray that the change that he has promised to bring, will be a change for good.

In our country about 90% of the people were 'supporting' Barack Obama, but according to Dutch on-line news bulletin NIS they often have the wrong idea about Obama's views on several important issues:

Obama is against same-sex marriage, but 62 percent of the Dutch believe he is in favour of this. No less than 78 percent wrongly believe that Obama wants to abolish the death penalty, and 90 percent failed to believe that the statement "We will kill Osama bin Laden" was made by Obama. And three-quarters think that Obama wants to reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan, while in fact he wants to send more troops there.

Another observation... I saw some TV images showing the Rev. Jesse Jackson tearing up, right after he had heard that Barack Obama was elected 44th president of the United States. I think that this emotional reaction says it all. His tears tell the story of the suffering and the joy of the black people and I fully understand his emotional reaction. Asked about the reason for his tears, Rev. Jackson explained the next morning that he was thinking about "...the martyrs and murdered whose blood made last night possible. I could not help think that this was their night." source

Another racial barrier has been removed and finaly a black man has reached the highest elected political office in the world. Race shouldn't be an issue in politics, but in real life it unfortunately often still is. I am happy that the Americans decided to elect an intelligent, eloquent and inspiring new leader, and the fact that he is a black man (well, more or less) is a bonus! Only half a century ago black people were totaly excluded from positions of power in the USA and many other parts of our world, but now Obama shows that this really belongs to the past. I hope and pray that president Barack Obama will be able to inspire people of all colours, faiths and backgrounds, that he will lead his country out of the current economic and politcal crises and that he will make some wise decisions in both domestic and foreign politics. May God bless, guide and protect him.