Cleaning House

After taking the oath of office and replacing Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford famously said, "Our long national nightmare is over." It's staggeringly ironic that this particular phrase seems to be enjoying a renaissance these days as more than a few people apply it to the unequivocal failure that has been the presidency of George W. Bush.

But while equating Bush to Nixon is fast becoming cliché, what may really put the last eight years into devastating perspective are the words of the man whose road to the White House was paved by the Bush administration's arrogance, incompetence and treachery: Barack Obama.

Here's what our new president had to say about the kind of government we can expect in the months and years to come this morning on NBC's Meet the Press. Read it and marvel at how far in the opposite direction the pendulum is about to swing.

"Oh, well, you know, we have thought about this because part of what we want to do is to open up the White House and, and remind people this is, this is the people's house. There is an incredible bully pulpit to be used when it comes to, for example, education. Yes, we're going to have an education policy. Yes, we're going to be putting more money into school construction.

But, ultimately, we want to talk about parents reading to their kids. We want to invite kids from local schools into the White House.

When it comes to science, elevating science once again, and having lectures in the White House where people are talking about traveling to the stars or breaking down atoms, inspiring our youth to get a sense of what discovery is all about.

Thinking about the diversity of our culture and, and inviting jazz musicians and classical musicians and poetry readings in the White House so that, once again, we appreciate this incredible tapestry that's America. I -- you know, that, I think, is, is going to be incredibly important, particularly because we're going through hard times. And, historically, what has always brought us through hard times is that national character, that sense of optimism, that willingness to look forward, that, that sense that better days are ahead.

I think that our art and our culture, our science, you know, that's the essence of what makes America special, and, and we want to project that as much as possible in the White House."

Let me repeat that: art, culture, science, jazz for God's sake.

It's astonishing how far this country had to fall to be able to finally rise so high.

The nightmare's almost over.