The Rescue of the American Image

"America can mean what it says. It can respect its friends and probe its enemies before it tries to shock and awe them. It can listen. It can rediscover the commonwealth beyond the frenzied individualism that took down Wall Street. I know, these are mere words. They will not right the deficit or disarm an enemy. But words count. That has been a lesson of the Bush years. You can’t proclaim freedom as you torture. You can’t promote democracy as you disappear people. You can’t stand for the rule of law and strip prisoners of basic rights. You can’t dispense with the transparency and regulation essential to modern capital markets and hope still to be the beacon of free enterprise." -- read more from Roger Cohen

We elected a leader that will reestablish America as the hope of the world, not the shame. The champion of peace not the harbringer of war, a helpful hand, not a bully. We have a lot riding on the success of this new president. He's up to the challenge if all of us are.