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Within the past 24 hours two events occurred while not perfect, set the stage for change in the coming decades. President Obama brokered out a deal between rich and poor nations to at least start a framework for future climate change agreements. Copenhagen will be looked upon as a mixed bag at best, but the events there clearly showed what I had been stating all along. America, while still the premier power on the global stage is quickly being eclipsed by China and other "up and comers" who want to have a place on the mantle. China flexed it's muscle, not giving into the transparency other nations wanted, dug in it's heels and held out. While they can afford to do this short term, long term stubbornness will be futile because their vast resources will be under stress forcing them to change. At least President Obama laid the foundation, but he is beginning to realize that for all the change he is seeking there are others who still want the status quo. Which brings us to....

The 60th vote by Sen Nelson (D-Neb) sealed the deal for the health care reform bill to finally become reality. Yes, this bill too is not perfect and much had to be sacrificed to get it to pass, but again, this is the first step in a long process. What is important is that President Obama reached a point where other presidents failed. For all their blather, bluster and bluffing, Republicans have to relegated their leadership to reading the bill page by page in order to slow a fast moving freight train. At this point who really cares what they do. The party has become one of an irrelevant bunch of faces average Americans could care about. No one is listening and the public had relegated them to junk bond status.

A couple of weeks ago the naysayers kept crowing that President Obama has not accomplished a thing. To them I say: READ ON, READ ON!!

Photo: Indian Space Painting
Artist: Howard Daum (1918-1988)
Oil on Canvass