President Elect Obama has named a large percentage of his Cabinet already including some surprises.  I really didn’t expect Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.  I think it is a smart move, however.  Get the Clintons inside the tent.  I was also a little surprised that Larry Summers was not named to Treasury.  The reason circulated was that this was due to his insensitive remarks about women and our ability to do math and science made while he was President of Harvard. (He also managed to offend many who taught in the Henry Lewis Gates’ Institute for Black Studies.)  If this is true, it shows a surprising sensibility which bodes well for the Obama administration.  On the whole, I feel good about the fact that he is surrounding himself with smart people and expects them to express differing points of view.

Bob Herbert wrote in his column today

Will this new Obama team, as brilliant as it appears to be, begin addressing on day one the interests of those who are not rich and who have not had the ear of those in power?

I think that question hits the nail on the head.  It will be difficult to turn things around after 8 years of benefit only for the rich and powerful and only an illusion for the rest of us.

And what is up with those kids in Mumbai?  They never bargained for a the lives of any hostages or made any political statement or demands.  What did they want?  What cause did they think they were advancing?  It seems to me that they just wanted to act out some violence like in the movies.

Our tree is up although not yet decorated.  I have cards to address and presents to wrap.  Time to try to occupy one’s mind with something other than the current sorry state of the world with hope for the future.