Job Well Done

In roughly twelve hours President-elect Obama will be sworn in as our nation's 44th commander-in-chief.

It will be a historic moment and we will witness a tradition that goes back to our nation's roots: the transition of power from one president to his successor.

Ideally, we should be putting politics aside tomorrow so we can savor the moment and marvel in the genius of American democracy. But rest assured, the Beltway will be as toxic as ever.

Fueled by the media's onslaught of attacks, President Bush's critics will not be granting him a reprieve in his final hours. His legacy will be challenged by his opponents and his record scrutinized until the last moment.

This country owes a debt of gratitude to President Bush; a man who stood up for freedom and democracy before the ash had even cooled at Ground Zero.

His initiatives on the African continent, which were drastically unreported in America, resulted in millions of saved lives and massive improvement in the overall quality of life for the people.

A tyrannical dictator who advocated segregation, hatred and even murder was removed from power. The corrupt and villainous Taliban was disbanded and women were granted new freedoms. And at this very minute, brave members of the Armed Forces continue to fight for the principles of liberty in an area of the world far too familiar with oppression.

When President Bush becomes citizen Bush, I hope he exits his former residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue knowing that there is a large presence in this country, what Nixon might call the "Silent Majority", who thank Mr. Bush for his service to this nation.