Many politicians weren't paying attention

We've just come off of an election season in which the victors were those who encouraged hope.  They spoke of the future, of what is possible.  They tempted voters with what it might be like to live in an America in which politicians did more than just bicker like 4-year-olds.  They spoke of working together with all belief systems, with all philosophies to form that more perfect Union.  One candidate even spoke of our Union not being red and blue states, but the United States.

So who won?  It was those folks.  What seemed improbable became a reality.  When people are hopeful, when people are inspired, when people feel they are part of something - they act.

It strikes me that it seems many in Washington haven't learned a thing from this past election cycle.  Or if they did, they didn't pick up on the important pieces.

On January 30, the Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele their new Chairman.  Their first-ever African-American leader.  It's a wonderful thing to see some minority leadership in the Republican party; I praise them for this.  It is wonderful to see Americans from all walks of life be embraced.  However, I think it's the only thing Republicans learned from the last election.

All that stuff about working together and moving forward as one nation - I think they missed that.  

Here is a comment from Chairman Steele during his acceptance speech:  "We're going to say to friend and foe alike, we want you to be a part of us, and to those of you will will obstruct, get ready to get knocked over."

Yes, I can see how that is inviting and hope inspiring?  It's reminiscent of a certain someone who said, "you're either with us or against us."  We saw  how well that sentiment worked.

Now I would add that there are many democrats would also didn't get the message of unity.  Our own leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, are perhaps hurting more than helping the President these days.  These politicians who have been in Washington forever (on both sides of the aisle) that seem so out of touch with real Americans are going to be the biggest road block for President Obama.

So, to Chairman Steele, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Reid - we don't want fighting, we don't want bull-headed, irrational arguments.  We want action.  We want progress for the United States.  Please put aside your personal desires for power and get something accomplished.  The past election was won on a theme of unity and hope.  Found out what that means.

First openly gay world leader

I woke up this morning to this story on CNN.com.  Pretty sweet.

(CNN) -- Iceland's political parties have reached an agreement that will give the country its first female prime minister and the world its first openly gay leader.

Johanna Sigurdardottir, 66, will lead the government when it is sworn in at 6 p.m. (1 p.m. Eastern) on Sunday, her political advisor Hrannar Arnarsson told CNN via e-mail.

A former flight attendant who entered politics via the union movement, Sigurdardottir was minister of social affairs and social security in the outgoing Cabinet, which resigned Monday.

Iceland has been in political turmoil since October, when its currency, stock market and leading banks collapsed amid the global financial crisis. The island nation's Nordic neighbors sent billions of dollars to prop up the economy, as did the International Monetary Fund in its first intervention to support a Western European democracy in decades.

But weekly demonstrations -- some verging on riots -- finally forced Prime Minister Geir Haarde and his coalition to resign en masse on January 26.

The country's president turned to the Social Democratic Alliance party to form a new government, and they selected Sigurdardottir to lead it.

She has been a member of Iceland's Parliament for 30 years, and was in her second stint as minister of social affairs. She started her career as a flight attendant for the airline that became IcelandAir. She was active in the flight attendants' labor union during her 11 years with the airline, according to her official resume.

She briefly led her own political party, which merged with other center-left parties to form the Alliance party.

Sigurdardottir would become Iceland's first female prime minister, although not the North Atlantic nation's first female head of state -- Vigdis Finnbogadottir became its fourth president in 1980.

Sigurdardottir lists author and playwright Jonina Leosdottir, 54, as her spouse on her ministry Web site. She has two children from an earlier marriage.

Her prime ministership may be short-lived. The government she is forming is only due to last until the next elections, which must take place by May and could be held in April.

But a leading British gay and lesbian rights group welcomed her appointment as a milestone.

"It really does matter. It is helpful" to have an openly gay prime minister, said Gary Nunn, a spokesperson for Stonewall UK. "We are trying to foster the ambition that young people can be anything they want to be."