Congratulations in Order to Barack Obama and the American People

I just want to express my congratulations to Barack Obama, who was sworn in Tuesday as the 44th President of the United States of America . I had the good fortune, along with my wife, Richelle, and my three children, to attend a live broadcast held at L.A. LIVE’s Nokia Plaza. We joined Councilmembers Jan Perry and Tom Labonge, along with an estimated 5,000 people, who witnessed the swearing in on a huge screen overlooking a stage in the plaza. I have to say, as an American, I was deeply moved by the proceedings: from Aretha Franklin’s beautiful version of “My Country Tis of Thee” to President Obama’s stirring speech , calling on us Americans to “pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work of remaking America.” And while I want to again congratulate President Obama and his family on this momentous occasion, I also want to congratulate the American people for making history and showing the world that our ideals and our values are not just words spoken but actions taken. As Americans, we took a very big step Tuesday. And the best part is, we took it together. God Bless America.