Unity in Africa: Two First Families Meet in Africa = One Nation

Mrs. Michelle Obama and Mrs. Laura Bush - Angels of Diplomacy in Africa: In a continent where tribal acrimony permeates politics and neighborhoods, the joining of two stunning American First Ladies must be as educational about American unity as it is entertaining to watch. 

America looked fabulous to the world when our two stunning First 
Ladies of the United States sat side by side in Tanzania, in Africa, to speak candidly about living in the White House.  Their non-verbal message was unifying and beautiful. Their joint public appearance told the world how America is one nation.  Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Obama are two intelligent women from opposite sides of America's political spectrum.  Yet, as they were interviewed, they were both beautiful, articulate and gracious to each other. In other words, Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Obama represented all the women of America to the citizens of the world and they gave a magnificent presentation.

Michelle Obama and Laura Bush shared a stage Tuesday at the African First Ladies Summit in Tanzania. They smiled and joked while also highlighting the importance of strengthening women.

Their husbands followed in the shadow of these First Ladies by joining together in a sad Memorial for those who were killed in the 1998 Al Qaeda attack on the U. S. Embassy in Tanzania.

Americans are politically polarized by difficult social and economic issues, but at the end of the day, we pledge to be One Nation Under God.  President Obama and former President George Bush and their charismatic wives put a face on our Pledge of Allegiance and we thank them for this impressive show of national pride and unity. 

Governor Christie - Republican Regional Favoritism

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/10/11/team-perry-on-christie-northeast-republicans-are-sticking-together/?mod=WSJBlog&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

Republican persons who want to be the President of the United States, now and in the future, must learn to speak as leader of all 50 states and territories.

The badly needed rising star of the Republican party, Governor Christie of New Jersey, wrongly commented against President Obama for creating class distinction to get re-elected, but his tangential statement lacked statesmanship.  I expected more of Governor Christie than finger pointing rhetoric, all the while giving an excuse for his own unwillingness to run for the GOP presidential nomination.  "It's not my time," he said.

In other words, according to Christie, President Obama is being unnecessarily incendiary because he's putting rich against poor, or using other socio-economic discrimination factors to get re-elected.

Another example of Republican hypocrisy stirred up after Christie's statements:  Soon after Governor Christie declined his chance at the GOP nomination, he went on to endorse Governor Mitt Romney for the job. Governor Rick Perry didn't use the Christie endorsement to say anything substantial. Rather than rise above this spotlight on Romney, the Republican "wanna'be" Governor Perry accused his New Jersey colleague of "regional favoritism".  Now, there's a non-unifying statement - worse than the socio-economic marginalization projected on President Obama by Governor Christie!

When will Governor Perry begin acting like a presidential candidate who is interested in being President of the United States of America?  He's even written about Texas secession. Now, he points fingers in the direction of creating a Balkan US North East, even singling out respected members of his own political party.

Likewise, Governor Christie has no business wrongly accusing President Obama of creating class distinctions in America when the problems of "have's" versus the "have-nots" are as evident as New Jersey Turnpike's tractor-trailer trucks.

Governor Christie is an intelligent man who might want a future run for President of the United States.  Meanwhile, he should practice-practice-practice statesmanship and learn to rise above the lowest rhetorical common denominator to engage public attention.

Most important, as future presidential material, Christie needs to speak the truth.  Plan speaking, he's good at that, is not always truthful speaking.  Accusing President Obama of creating class distinctions, especially when they already exist, is just an attention getting gimmick, unworthy of Governor Christie's intelligent political aspirations.

Potential Republican presidential nominees must stop whining and start producing new ideas. Rather than creating crises, they need to propose solutions to problems.  If this lack of leadership continues to implode the GOP, I suspect the accumulated ineptness will create even worse political divides - it happened once before, creating divisions so horrible it caused a Civil War.

Not only do we endure the horrors of Democrats versus Republicans, we have the Christians suspect of all the other American based religions and now, another new dilemma, labeled "regional favoritism".

This sand throwing in the play ground is regressive behavior. Worse, divisive rhetoric is a terrible harbinger for a strong and united future for all Americans. Do we really mean it when we Pledge of Allegiance to the "United States of America"?  Our political leaders should, indeed, they must, start setting a unifying tone.