Obama is 'someone who looks like us'

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WASHINGTON DC: Mystical powers were being attributed to one of the most popular and beloved presidents in US history, Barack Obama, Wednesday.

"He is divine," said Yemi Wodneh,an American of Ethopian origin. "He has come to cleanse the universe. I read many years ago Marx said capitalism is pregnant for change, which is inevitable. And I laughed to myself when Obama came with a message of change [how true it was]."

Obama, one of the most popular western leaders in the world today – with a Third World touch around him because of his color --, repeated his “Together, We Can” plan of action and asked his supporters to stand by him as he would ensure good education and health care for all.

"You achieved what many thought was impossible," Obama told supporters, asking them the crusade of change that was launched during his elections could be spread far and wide in the world.

A black manager at the CVS pahrmacy in downtown DC was extremely happy a president who cares for the poor is in power. "We finally have someone who looks like us," said Mrs. Lucy. She was also delighted one of Obama's first steps was pay freeze for White House staffers.

"Long live Obama, Viva Obama, We love Obama" resonated at the Armoury Stadium were Obama and Biden came with their spouses, two days in a row.

“We know the country is in deep trouble,” Biden told a crowd attending a Southern Ball at the Armoury Stadium. Pointing to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said the US will chart a new direction in foreign policy.

“We witnessed history today,” Biden said about the country's first black president, but added he and Obama believed in making history not just witnessing it.

Paranoia about a terrorist attack undermined otherwise jubilant day long celebrations of America's first black president Tuesday.

As many as 58 different security agencies from across the nation descended onto Washington DC, with the US capital presenting the look of Moscow during Soviet times. “Seems like we are under siege,” a university law professor said, requesting anonymity, as handsome soldiers from the National Guard from New York were seen posted battle ready at the gay district around Dupont Circle and other areas in downtown DC.

Most police officers who came from outside were seen misinforming the public. “Go to the Le'Enfant Plaza metro,” New York Metropolitan Transit Authority police department officers – some of the rudest in the country --, who were manning the entrance to the Federal Triangle metro station, told people scurrying to return home.

But Le'Enfant metro station too was allowing people people just to exit, but not to enter. In any case it was not easy to go from one station to another as the streets were heavily fortified.

People, who reached the parade venue in the early hours of Tuesday to bet the crowds, found the temperatures drop drastically and wanted to return to their hotel rooms or homes, but policemen had blocked the entrances of the most crowded metro stations as a security measure.

Some felt the extremely military style security was necessary. Obama has earned the ire of Al Qaeda terrorists by his determination to go after them even if it meant direct military operations inside Pakistan, where Al Qaeda headquarter is housed. Thousands of global terrorists have Pakistan their home afer being routed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom following the 911 attacks.

But the threats are far more serious at home as at least one-sixth of Americans still adhere to White Supremacist ideology, believe in male chauvinism and ultra-right Christian teachings and hate Obama in the same way like Al Qaeda terrorists do.

Under eight years of Bush misrule --, the country a Super Power was fast heading towards becoming a Super Pauper --, but 44th president Obama and Vice President Joe Biden hammered the theme of reversing the tide.
 
Like many posh gatherings and parties, there an event at the American Museum of Natural History across the road on Constitution Avenue and workers going there from the Federal Triangle metro station could not reach the site as the avenue was blocked for security reasons.
 
 As the teeming millions from black, Latin and Asian ghettos reeling under naked capitalism from across the nation converged into DC in a show of support to Obama, it was all round chaos.
 
Countless people suffered from hypothermia in freezing cold because of the inhumane security arrangements.

Major roads became pliable for buses only, while quite a few metro stops in downtown were shut down completely adding to the bottlenecks and commuter woes in freezing temperatures.
 
“It's a mess,” said Zack Stokes, 19, a freshman from Vermont, who was stranded at the Federal Triangle metro station close to the main parade ground. “We came here for celebrations, but find ourselves stuck in a coffee shop.” Luckily, there was a Oriental run coffee shop, hidden from public view, thronged by hapless visitors.

Quite a few metro stations, like Mount Vernon Square and Smithsonian, that could have eased the commuter woes were completely shutdown.

 To buy time and calm down the angry crowd, one New York officer came and said there was an accident inside the metro and it was unsafe to allow people inside. Minutes later another senior officer A.T. Keohan arrived on the scene and solemnly announced the metro station would not be letting public until very late in the evening.

Obama and Biden renewed their messages of hope and a better tomorrow for a nation reeling under unbridled recession and joblessness.

It's not certain how Obama will deliver what he promises as US public debt stood at a whopping more than 10.6 trillion dollars on his inauguration day, with $6.3 trillion debt held by the public and $4.3 trillion debt in intra-governmental holding, according to the US Treasury Department's Treasury Direct.

Likewise, the U.S. trade deficit stands at $40 billion and is growing.

Cynics say they have seven reasons to insist Obama will face huge challenges.