2009

There seems to be a consensus that 2009 was not that great of a year.  There are obvious things to point at: a struggling economy that had ripple effects from Wall St. to Main St. to the coffers of the Sierra Club; two wars that are still dragging the U.S. down in the muck; and terrorism still a major concern thanks mainly to all the great recruitment efforts initiated by George Bush.


But I feel compelled to rise to the defense 2009.  Most of that argument will come from my narrow self interested point of view, but not all of it.


First and foremost, we saw Barack Obama become president of the United States.  From electing the first African-American president, to Americans choosing serious grown-ups interested in governing over ideologues primarily concerned with wedge politics who think wars are easy, Obama's 2009 inauguration should not be taken for granted.


Remember, Obama's only been in office less than a year; in the run up to the election folks like Frank Rich opined that by the end of the summer, months before the actual election, many Americans acted - and reacted - as if Obama was already president.  I wonder if that sentiment it to blame for some of the impatience many on the left feel for the president.


Like many leftists, I'm not happy about his decision to stay in Afghanistan until 2011 or the final shape of the Senate health care bill (as most of you know, I support a single-payer, Medicare-for-all style plan or at least all kids 0-6 and folks above 55).  


However, as I blogged last month, the Obama Administration is poised for a good year. Hiring will pick up next year, Guantanamo will be shut down, and Congress will have passed both a health care bill and a climate and energy bill. Best of all, grown ups will be making these decisions.  


Finally, 2009 was not all bad politically.  Congress passed a stimulus bill that though too small, did stabilize the economy and has it poised for a come back in 2010.  Congress passed and the president signed a wilderness bill that protects more than 2 millions acres of public land.  Obama initiatives on clean cars and regulating global warming pollution will pay huge dividends.  And the House passed bills on climate change, financial reform and health care.


The fact that grown ups are in charge in the White House also gives me optimism about fighting terrorism, air line security, etc. (I would love Rs to try to run on national security; if they do it gives Ds a chance to talk about Bush again and what the previous administration did; do Rs really want voters thinking about Bush as they go to the polls in 2010?). 


Perhaps I am giving the administration too much credit, but I think there are real reasons to have faith in the Obama White House.


Now, on to my narrow self interest.  A little more than a year ago, prior to the election, I remember feeling a great deal of anxiety.  The election, the chants of 'drill baby drill' ringing in my head (and the demise of the drilling moratorium), and Ariadne graduating from Aidan and applying to new schools were the three main causes of that anxiety.  Oh, and Tyler Hansbrough was hurt.


But man, things turned out pretty well.

• Ariadne did well on her admissions tests, was accepted at all three of the schools she applied to, and has had a fantastic first trimester at Edmund Burke School;
• Obama won, and inauguration day was incredibly inspiring and fun;
• We finally passed the wilderness bill after almost 18 months of work, and I got to go to the White House for the signing ceremony;
• Evan made the jump to the majors division of Little League, and held his own against 13-year old pitchers;
• Evan also won the AHEPA award for best student in the St. Sophia Greek School;
• Carolina won it's 5th NCAA basketball championship behind perhaps the greatest Tar Heel of all time;
• The women's soccer team continued its unequaled dynasty with another championship;
• We went to Greece this summer;
• The Nats signed Stephen Strasbourg;
• Greece and the U.S. qualified for the 2010 World Cup;

That's a pretty good list heading into 2010, a year that frankly may have trouble matching up a 12 months from now.  

Then again, Ds gaining seats in Congress in the 2010 midterm elections, unemployment going down to 5-7 percent, and wars ending probably outweighs winning a national championship.  When all that comes to pass remember the groundwork was laid in 2009.