President-elect Obama.

I was lucky enough to be at "Election plaza" in New York City when they announced that Barack Obama had clinched the election. I was engulfed in a very emotional crowd. People of all colors and origins embraced each other and there was not a dry eye. I felt at that time that this country contains a vital energy that does not exist anywhere else. It thrives on challenges, and, whereas our European allies love to write America's obituary on a regular basis, it is precisely at its hour of deepest crisis that it is reborn, a cross between the mythical Phoenix and "Groundhog day". If there is one country that will get out from under in this catastrophic economic era, it is the US.
Thank God the Bush era is over. One of Obama's hardest tasks will be to re-connect with our allies and other countries. But as long as the previous administration enjoys impunity, the rest of the world might not be convinced the page has turned