America's new president, Barack Obama

Barack Obama began his victory speech Nov. 4 by proclaiming the greatness of America. "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, " he said, "who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

All of America hopes, however, that Barack Obama's presidency is notable for reasons other than his race, that he goes down in history not just as the nation's first black president but as an undeniably successful one.

Today's inauguration stands to be an even louder affirmation of America's great promise.

Fittingly, the president-elect has invited some Americans whose bitter experiences with segregation may have turned them into the doubters Mr. Obama addressed in his acceptance address.

He has invited the surviving Tuskegee Airmen, the successful but unappreciated black World War II pilots who escorted bombers into an occupied Europe. He also has invited the nine black students who endured mob violence to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957. Ruby Bridges, who at age 6 braved a gantlet of bigots to integrate William Frantz Elementary in the 9th Ward, is also expected to be at the inauguration, as a guest of Sen. Mary Landrieu.

Those guests will comprise a living timeline of America's move toward freedom, equality and full participation -- a timeline that will be amended today when Barack Obama becomes the first man of African descent to assume the presidency of the United States.

One of the Tuskegee Airmen, 82-year-old Lt. William Broadwater, told the Washington Post, "Now we feel like we've completed our mission. This inauguration will be the ultimate result."

It is, indeed, an opportunity for America to celebrate itself, an opportunity to remind ourselves and the rest of the world that while this country has never been perfect, it has held fast to a set of ideals that moves us in that direction.

Our country is at war in Iraq and Afghanistan and on the domestic front is dealing with a recession that some fear could worsen into a depression. Our state, like so many others, is facing an enormous budgetary crisis and, on top of that, is being washed away by an encroaching Gulf of Mexico. Our community, almost four years after the levees failed during Hurricane Katrina, is still recovering from that cataclysmic event and still asking to be better protected from future storms.

The challenges facing the new president are multiple, severe and urgent, but he will need to be equal to them all. He does not have the luxury of easing into the job or failing at any of these tremendous tasks.

Coastal Louisiana's needs are pressing, and the president-elect has given strong signals that he's heard them and intends to act. During a New Orleans campaign stop, he decried the ineptitude that defined FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina and committed to helping protect this area from future flooding.

"I promise you that when I'm in the White House I will commit myself every day to keeping up Washington's end of this trust, and I will make it clear to members of my administration that their responsibilities don't end in places like the Ninth Ward -- they begin there."

The work is vast. Thousands of homes still need to be rebuilt, a replacement for Charity Hospital in only the early planning stages, and the public schools are in the midst of a transformation that will take some time to complete.

Despite its notoriously inauspicious start, the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina improved dramatically once President Bush created a Gulf Coast recovery office and appointed Donald Powell to its top position. Mr. Powell was succeeded by retired Marine Gen. Douglas O'Dell, who has been crucial in helping local officials communicate with federal bureaucrats and vice versa.

It is important that the new president keep the Gulf Coast recovery office open and that its top position be filled with a person he listens to, trusts and respects. He may find that Gen. O'Dell meets all those qualifications, but if there's another dynamic leader who's more likely to have the new president's ear and confidence, that's the person Mr. Obama should appoint to lead the recovery office.

Going back to the days when he was campaigning, Barack Obama has both acknowledged his importance to black Americans who celebrate him as a historical first and promised to represent Americans of all stripes. He promised to be inclusive, and his appointment of a Cabinet both racially and ideologically diverse suggests it's a promise he means to keep.

During his Nov. 4 speech, he said, "And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too."

This country is experiencing tough times and will likely be facing them well into this new president's administration. If Barack Obama can pull this nation together and help us overcome those challenges as one, not only will he be exhibiting the qualities of a great president, but we'll in turn be demonstrating why America is the envy of the world.

Source : http://blog.nola.com