History tonight...

My goodness what a cool time to be alive, to think of all the things I have experienced this lifetime. All I can say is that I hope to live a lot longer to see how this story unfolds.

Yes for sure we are going to have a new president - and it looks like our native son, Senator Obama. Who would have thunk! Its amazing what a determined person can do in 22 months. Now I guess the real work begins..

If it is indeed Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States beginning 12:00 noon, eastern standard time, on January 20, 2009.

The next important question is, " What he can accomplish thereafter?"

Each of Obama's major initiatives – affordable health care, high-quality schools along with early-childhood education, an end to oil dependence along with a cap-and-trade system that reduces carbon emissions, a more equitable tax system, and a withdrawal from Iraq – would be difficult to achieve on its own.

Together they comprise one of the most ambitious presidential agendas in my living memory and perhaps US history. But is it achievable?

Not even a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress – not even sixty Democratic votes in the Senate – can easily overcome the obstacles.

First are the corporate and financial interest groups that will lobby intensely to preserve the status quo or get a disproportionate share of whatever the government is handing out.

Pharmaceutical companies, insurers, and giant hospital chains will seek control over any health-care initiative.

Teachers unions, textbook publishers, and state and local education interests will want to take over any educational reform.

Producers of coal, ethanol, and nuclear power will try to dominate the energy and environment agenda.

Military contractors will want a say over defense policy.

Wall Street will seek to retain control over its massive bailout.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff will demand that defense expenditures remain high, however quickly the Iraq War winds down.

Fiscal conservatives – including a newly-enlarged group of “blue-dog” Democrats – will fret over the ballooning budget deficit brought on by slower growth and the enormous expense of bailing out Wall Street.

They’ll want to put any new spending initiatives on hold.

Business groups, Republicans, libertarians, talk-radio hosts, and the Wall Street Journal and Fox News will emit a constant and consistent cacophony of bilious rage over anything resembling a tax hike on the rich or big corporations.

Obama’s agenda may and can survive all this – if a deepening economic crisis focuses the public’s attention and mobilizes its support; if Obama communicates to the public clearly and compellingly why his agenda is necessary to the future; and if his vast campaign network of volunteers and networks transforms itself into a movement to take back politics from the lobbyists, naysayers, pork peddlars, and moneyed interests that normally run things in Washington.

In other words, if Obama wins today, the only real way WE win the contest is by staying actively involved in our government. We need to stay involved from our local municipal taxing bodies to the biggest national campaigns - we have to keep them all honest.

Truth is, the real contest begins with ALL of us tomorrow.

Til next time...