It's been eventful on the political front lately. Of course, the media did the whole "first 100 days" thing, which is pretty much a useless but nevertheless regular kind of assessment that they do on new presidents. Obama passed with flying colors.

I listened to Obama's 100th day prime time press conference Wednesday night, and, like most everyone, I am impressed at his intellect, capacity to understand and comment intelligently on a seemingly infinite number of subjects, and still maintain a more or less middle class view of the country and the people.

I think for the most part the nation is sighing a huge sigh of relief that we can quit gritting our teeth and seething everytime our president shows up in public - i.e. George W. Bush.

One of the most noteworthy political events of the week was the switch of Arlen Specter, long time U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, from Republican to Democrat. He self-admittedly is doing it because he doesn't think he can win the Republican primary, and he wants to keep his senate seat.

Obama says he welcomes him and will campaign for him. We'll see. I don't know that much about Pennsylvania state politics, but I would bet that there are high ranking Democrats who feel they deserve that seat and are going to challenge Specter in the primary. I also think that Specter, even with Obama's support, and I have a hard time believing that Obama is going to put heart and soul into it, stands a good chance of going down in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary. I, for one, hope he does. Let's get some new Democrat blood in there. Already Specter has voted against Obama twice since he "switched."

So all the pundits are bemoaning the demise of the Republican party. It was only a matter of time. Their mean spirited survival of the fittest mentality is way out of place in today's world.

And then here comes Newt Gingrich, in a number of mainstream, big time media appearances, including the Today Show, a rebuttal editorial in USA Today, and the Stephanopolis, (and likely others, also) calling Obama "radical" and saying that Obama is doing long term damage to the country. And Gingrich is one of the Republican frontrunners to lead the party and run against Obama? Oh pulleeaassee.

I still don't agree with everything Obama is doing. I do still question, along with the true conservatives, whether or not we are accumulating too much debt. I still see the system relying on consumerism to prop up the economy, and I don't believe that is sustainable. I'm not convinced that war is the answer to anything. But, I admire President Obama for his sincerity, his compassion, and his intelligence. For someone like Newt Gingrich to think that he can bring him down by calling him "radical" enough times shows that he is suffering from the same delusions as, say, Rush Limbaugh.