And the re"butt"als begin

Hardline Republicans are reacting to Obama's speech much as I expected them to react, though for pity's sake - have an original and helpful idea at some point. You're boring me, fellas. However, Andrew Sullivan had this to say, from a CNN story:

Andrew Sullivan, a conservative who supports many of Obama's policies, said the speech touched on spiritual and human differences.

"At its heart, the speech sprang, it seemed to me, a spiritual conviction that human differences, if openly acknowledged, need not remain crippling," he wrote on his Atlantic.com blog. "It was a deeply Christian -- and not Christianist -- address; seeking to lead by example and patience rather than seeking to impose from certainty."

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I found that fascinating. Have many of us have become so superficial and 2-dimensional that we're not capable of really hearing what Obama is trying to say? He clearly has a new vision not only for America, but for the world, and one based on mutuality instead of exclusivity. He wants to explore new possiblities of moving forward, not rehashing worn-out ways that most obviously have begun to break down. Why is this a bad thing? Is it because he's black? Because he's young? Because he's a Democrat? Because he's a lawyer? A politician? A liberal?

Can we begin to let the labels slip away and actually LISTEN to what he has to say, to respect that he's smarter than most of us by a mile, to lay down our prejudices and Old World views JUST FOR A MOMENT and listen? Can we put aside our politics and bullshit and open to his words, then discuss with an eye towards a unified, healthy and productive future?

As he quoted from the Koran today, "Be conscious of God and speak only the truth." Let us move forward together, even if we disagree, but please in the name of any and every God of all religions - let us move forward.

And if you're interested in reading some really scary conservative crap, check out this link:

http://antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com/2009/06/obama-declares-war-on-israel-quotes.html