Yes. We did.

Barack Obama is today inaugurated as the forty-fourth President of the United States.

As a candidate for US Senator, he received my first-ever donation to a political candidate. I was lucky to meet him just a few days after he won the election.

In January 2007, I was there with friends in Springfield, Illinois, when Senator Obama made his announcement that he would be a democratic candidate for the presidency. For the first time, I was inspired to give money to a presidential campaign. And I gave more than once.

On Election Day 2008, Iwas there in Grant Park when the election was called in his favor. It was an incredible moment.

Today, I'll be watching the ceremony on TV with friends here in Chicago. And I believe my friends there in Washington, D.C., will stay warm from sheer joy and inspiration.

Good luck, President Obama. Yes, we did.

NOTE: when I bought this matrioshka in St. Petersburg, I didn't realize that there were no Republicans inside.