Fresh Starts, the Presidential Inauguration

Good morning from the pink and orange coffeehouse. Today is a day of new beginnings and fresh starts. President Obama takes oath of office (well, an ersatz oath, the Constitution requires the president to be sworn in on the 20th of January*) and a new two-year session of congress begins. Today Ted and I talk about our hopes and dreams on this day which is uniquely suited for that. This is a day to press the "reset" button and start fresh. Will the folks in Washington be able to put this contentious campaign season behind them and move forward in the best interest of the nation? Click on the “MCAN Climate Minute” picture to the right to start the recording in a new window. There's plenty of reading you can do while waiting for the pomp and circumstance, here are a few things we've been reading over the past couple of days. A concerned grandmother has rewritten the President's Newtown speech to orient it toward climate change. This is a speech we'd love to hear the President make. The National Journal puts high stakes on this year's State of the State speech, scheduled for February 12th. Will he draw a line in the sand on climate, or miss the opportunity? Politico has a nice collection of opinions on what the President might say (or not) or do (or not) on climate change. Rachel Maddow talks about "Organizing for Action," the reboot of Obama for America as an issues-based non-profit. Well, that's it for this week. Grab the kids, sit them down in front of the TV or radio and let yourself get goosebumps as the Brookline Tabernacle Choir performs the Battle Hymn of the Republic. This is a day for all Americans -- let's see how long we can stay "Americans" before we start falling back into division... As always -- remember, for these reasons we have discussed, the United States must place a price on carbon. * Well, specifically the 12th Amendment. Here's a little inaugural trivia for you: the last two Presidents to be inaugurated on a Monday after a private swearing-in on a Sunday were Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower in 1981 and 1953, respectively. The next "fake" swearing in will be in 2041.