President Barack Obama

The fighting that has erupted between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip will push up the Middle East to the top of the Obama agenda, at a time when President-elect Barack Obama would prefer to focus almost exclusively on the U.S. economy.

Barack Obama will be seeking to improve the public image of the United States in the Arab and Muslim world, which has severely deteriorated during the Bush presidency. He must also demonstrate traditional political support for Israel. His public stance on the issue of Hamas firing rockets from Gaza into Israel elicited the following comment from Barack Obama:

“If somebody was sending rockets into my house, where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that,” … “And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.”

Will Obama be able to show that he can be a balanced American president in addressing the Arab-Israeli conflict, or will he be perceived as too pro-Israeli by the Arab world? The fighting between the Israelis and Palestinians has truly come at a challenging time for the incoming Obama administration.

Malia and Sasha Obama have already endeared themselves to millions. Their poise and youthful grace are attractive, and will become even more so with the glare of television and Internet publicity. Michelle Obama will likely become the most famous woman globally. With hard economic times looming, many Americans will look to their new First Family for hope and inspiration, and possibly diversion.

Barack Obama has already established himself as a political brand name. Now it will be Obama First Family as a worldwide celebrity brand, with many millions across the globe seeking news and information on Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama, along with the 44^th American president, to satisfy their fascination with this new universal celebrity foursome.

On January 20^th, 2009 Barack Obama will be sworn-in as 44th president of the United States of America. The inauguration will feature Obama being sworn with the Bible that Abraham Lincoln, 16^th president of the United States, used when he took the oath of office in 1861.

Barack Obama has often expressed his admiration for Abraham Lincoln. His identification with Lincoln likely explains why he has decided to be sworn in with the Lincoln Bible. Currently, the Bible that was used in the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln is part of the permanent collection held by the Library of Congress.

Barack Obama will be taking office at a time of historical challenges for the United States, not unlike the times in which Abraham Lincoln came to the presidency. Obama has also referred to how Lincoln incorporated his political opponents into his Cabinet, a policy which has been replicated by President-elect Obama.

Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the 44^th president of the United States on January 20^th, 2009.President-elect Obama has chosen Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church to deliver the invocation at the inauguration. This decision by Barack Obama has sparked controversy among some of his liberal supporters.

Much of the criticism of Barack Obama for having Pastor Rick Warren preside at the inauguration has come from the gay and lesbian community. As an evangelical minister, Rev.Warren holds to traditional biblical views regarding homosexuality, which leads to a perception among gay Americans that he holds discriminatory views towards them. Commentators and spokespersons within the lesbian and gay community have called on Obama to rescind his invitation to Pastor Rick Warren.

President-elect Obama has indicated that he chose Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation despite his strong disagreements with the evangelical minister on many issues, including gay rights. Obama has stated that his will seek as president to bring together Americans from across the political spectrum, including those he disagrees with. It is unlikely that Barack Obama’s comments regarding Pastor Rick Warren will end the controversy, however, this decision may improve communication between the Obama administration and evangelical Christians, who traditionally support the Republican Party.

Recently retired Republican Congressman from Illinois, Ray LaHood, has been nominated by President-elect Barack Obama to become his transportation secretary. LaHood is the first Arab-American, and second Republican, to be named by Obama as his Cabinet picks.

Barack Obama has indicated that his administration will invest much of the vast economic stimulus package being planned on transportation infrastructure. For that reason, many believe that LaHood will hold an important position in the Obama Cabinet.

Ray LaHood has served in the House of Representatives for 14 years. He would be joining Defense Secretary Robert Gates as the second GOP Cabinet Secretary in the incoming Obama administration. Ray LaHood has been conspicuous in efforts to reduce partisanship in Congress, a factor that may have appealed to Barack Obama.

Time magazine has made it official; it has named the United States President-elect, Barack Obama, as its annual “Man of the Year” Barack Obama was awarded the title of “Man of the Year,” according to Time magazine, “for having the confidence to sketch an ambitious future in a gloomy hour.”

It is being reported that President-elect Barack Obama has selected Senator Ken Salazar from Colorado to head the Department of the Inferior. If accurate, Salazar would be the second Hispanic to be appointed to a cabinet post by Obama.

Senator Salazar, who is also a rancher, has served as a Senator from Colorado since 1999. According to sources within the Democratic Party, Barack Obama will name Salazar to head the Interior Department, completing the selection of the energy and environmental policy team for the incoming Obama administration.

The Interior Department has jurisdiction over the nation’s national parks and other large areas of public land. The department establishes policy for oil and gas exploration and drilling, mining and other resource extraction. Salazar has been a critic of the Bush administration in these areas of policy regarding public land use. His selection further demonstrates how Barack Obama will be a very different president from Bush.

President-elect Barack Obama, in his weekly radio address, indicated he would be nominating Shaun Donovan to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Donovan is currently head of New York’s urban housing agency. He had taken a leave of absence to campaign for Barack Obama.

Obama made his announcement on Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet broadcast. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been accused of failing to get rid of racial discrimination in the nation’s housing and lending markets. Obama has hopes that Donovan, as Secretary of HUD, would strive to assure that housing is affordable for all Americans and end remaining racial discrimination in housing.

President-elect Barack Obama has issued a call for the Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, to resign. The demand for the resignation of the governor of Obama’s home state came after his arrest on charges that he tried to sell the vacant Senate seat of Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Blagojevich has the authority as governor to pick the replacement for the seat held until recently by Obama.

The FBI investigators indicated to the news media that telephone intercepts revealed that a man who was interested in taking the seat had offered Governor Blagojevich campaign cash. Federal agents have been quoted by a major media source as naming Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. as the man who offered Governor Blagojevich the money. He is the son of noted civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.

Revealed in the transcripts of telephone conversations that have been released by the FBI on Tuesday are statements by Blagojevich indicating that an individual referred to by officials as Senate Candidate 5 would “raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him a senator.”

Asked by the media whether he was Senate Candidate 5, Congressman Jackson said, “I don’t know”. He went on to say that he had been asked by the authorities to “share with [federal investigators] my insights and thoughts about the selection process”. However, he insisted he was not a target of the investigation.

Federal prosecutors stated that Barack Obama, who is not close to Governor Blagojevich, was not involved in the alleged illegal conduct.

Barack Obama’s official spokesman told the press that the President-elect wanted Blagojevich to resign.

“Under the current circumstances, it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois.”

“No one will ever doubt that this former Army chief of staff has the courage to stand up for our troops and our veterans. No one will ever question whether he will fight hard enough to make sure they have the support they need,” President-elect Obama went on to say. He added that, “We don’t just need to better serve veterans of today’s wars. We also need to build a 21st century VA that will better serve all who have answered our nation’s call.”

In his statement to the media, Barack Obama mentioned that General Shinseki, who served two combat tours during the Vietnam War, was injured and lost part of his foot. Obama said of Shinseki, “he understands the changing needs of our troops and their families. And he will be a VA secretary who finally modernizes our VA to meet the challenges of our time.”

General Shinseki present at Obama press conference