THE OBAMAS DO TV

Earlier tonight, the Obamas did an interview on '60 MINUTES' which was delayed by a football game that probably made half of America miss it (and that, of course, was the half that should have seen it). You could immediately see the great affection and respect between this couple, how she keeps him grounded ("since when did you find it soothing to wash dishes?" she asked him when he mentioned that at one point), the low key sense of humor they both have, the seriousness with which they are raising their daughters to be "who they are."

Maybe, above all, the interview demonstrated how much Obama likes and respects women. When the reporter kept trying to make mother-in-law jokes (Obama's mother in law may be moving to Washington with them), Obama said "the way this interview is going, maybe I should give you some pointers about YOUR mother in law," and "my mother-in-law likes her own space without much going on - there is always something going on at the White House. I would never tell her what to do, but I'd love to have her there." Michelle's mother obviously helped them with the kids throughout the campaign and has the same kind of dignity and comfort in her own skin that her daughter has shown throughout this campaign.

The way Obama is rolling out himself, his family and his presidential plans gives us more information and insight into the process than any president I can remember. It's lovely to hear a man so able to put several words together in an intelligent sentence and who appears to wear the mantle of brilliance lightly. And the icing on this big fat cake is that he's ultimately committed to involving his countrymen in the page by page (if not the line by line) of becoming its 44th president. No secret agendas; no drama. With an owner as up front as this, that new First Dog, whatever it turns out to be, should be trained willingly in record time.

Only 5 days since I started this blog and - bingo! - Obama is talking to Hillary about being Secretary of State. Could everyone handle this? Can Bill keep himself under control while Hillary wields this kind of power? Can Hillary handle Bill overstepping himself with a foreign leader? Can Barack stay clear of the combined Clinton axis (not an axis of evil, but perhaps an axis of entitlement)? Stay tuned. We've only just begun.

Almost One Week

It has been almost a week since Barack Obama became the first Afro-American elected president of the United States. The campaign was so long the election seemed almost an afterthought, however momentous historically it might be considered by most.

When I talk to friends -- working, middle and upper middle class folk - they are already concerned that Barack is practicing cronyism in his choices of staff, cabinet members and advisers. This is on the tail of his hiring Rahm Emanuel, a well-known Chicago congressman and former member of the Clinton administration, to be his chief of staff. Now Emanuel has a rep for being a terrier with a bone - he doesn't take no for an answer and gets in peoples' faces until they say yes. He is a perfect bad cop to Obama's calm, good one, a longtime Democratic supporter, a guy who takes Judaism seriously, and someone who might scare people enough they will think twice before going up against him. Some say this is completely contrary to Obama's mantra of coalition and support - I say it will keep his early days structured and disciplined, and that Emanuel will protect the Obama presidency from any caveat such as those that plagued the Clinton administration. And let's face it: effective is sexy.

Of more concern are the rumors surrounding his choice for Secretary of State -- Christopher Dodd and John Kerry. There is simply something about Dodd I do not trust; Kerry seems to me to be too weak to handle such a broad, internationally-important post. There are lots of issues yet to be addressed about their respective relationships with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Sure, Obama owes them for jumping off the Hillary bandwagon, but wouldn't an ambassadorship or something more local suffice? In my mind, no one would be better for Secretary of State than Hillary - she knows the world from her time in the White House and from her stint as a Senator from New York. I think we should start sending Obama notes to this effect -- I have already sent mine.