The rhetoric and political rancor is over...time to roll up our sleeves

...My friends, we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly....

... I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences, and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that...

...Tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Senator Obama -- whether they supported me or Senator Obama, I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president.

And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.

Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history, we make history.

Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America...

That was excerpts of the graceful concessions speech from the candidate of my choice last night. As no surprise to anyone here, I was a Republican McCain supporter that is disappointed that Sen. McCain could not ever really articulate his message. In fact I find it ironic that the very reason that McCain looked so stiff and old and inarticulate on TV...was due to the experiences that he has had to this point in his life that qualify him to be President. While at the exact same time, the very thing that made President -elect Obama seem so attractive and so charismatic was the enigmatic quality of his record, his experience (or lack thereof) and his overall magnetism that has captured the imagination of so many voters this year. That being said...It is time to put the political rancor and campaign rhetoric behind us and roll up our sleeves (for real...not because the handlers like the way it looks for the photo ops) because we have some real challenges ahead of us.

Today I feel proud to be a part of a party that is not deploying thousands of lawyers around the country filing frivolous lawsuits and contesting every election that is close. We teach all our kids that losing gracefully is called good sportsmanship. Losing gracefully provides one with the ability to reflect on why one lost, to possibly learn from the mistakes and move forward. Hatred and mis-placed bitterness only causes the lessons of losing to be lost.

I look forward to supporting my new President as he takes office in the coming months to lead our nation. I would like to encourage all who might be tempted to NOT repeat the rancorous despicable behavior of some on the left that have participated in toward our current President George W. Bush. "Impeach Bush", " NOT my President", "Stolen Election", etc...etc... The aggressively advanced doctrine of hatred toward our sitting President in a time of war (or any time) is un-American and should not be tolerated. Obviously I support our First Amendment Rights, but I am speaking more in the vain of what is "Profitable" not what is "Permissible".

Don't get me wrong. I am certain that I will have opportunity to disagree with specific policies and will abashedly speak out on those issues or topics. However, as for the venomous hatred that has so oft confronted My current President. I choose to not take part in the agenda of bitterness and personal attacks.

I think that the around the world the ideal known as the American Dream has never shown more brightly, that America, as Ronald Reagan so eloquently said, "...is a great shining city on a hill..." and to that point...electing the first African-American, son of an immigrant-- to the highest office in the land-- is proof that in our nation, the greatest nation on the face of the earth, anything is possible.

I look forward to seeing the Change that will soon occur in the campaign promises that have been made and the the reality of what can be delivered.

I look forward to my $1000 tax credit that N. Pelosi has just promised this morning...I will use it.

My thoughts are pretty well summed up by Dennis Miller, as heard on his live radio show today, (I paraphrase) "... Senator Obama is now MY president, and as such...he can expect my support...Keep us safe and lead us well..."

(Note: as I write this...I am in bed sick with a fever...I reserve the right to retract my statements when I end this current altered state...and go back to my regular altered state. - Hillenblog)