Change: "What you're hearing is... a rousing ovation"

By GottaLaff

CNN's Rick Sanchez is saying how happy this crowd was about the change that has finally arrived:

"What you're hearing is not polite applause, it is a rousing ovation from career diplomats. The man says he was going to make changes and that they would be swift, and that's what he has done today."

This is one time I agree with Rick Sanchez. Everyone in the room is swarming around President Obama, who just finished speaking, and he is beaming.

Smart Power.

George Mitchell Under Consideration for Middle East Envoy

By GottaLaff

This one seems obvious:

George Mitchell, the former Senate Democratic Majority Leader, is under serious consideration as the Middle East envoy for the Obama administration, Obama officials confirmed on Monday.

Mitchell is highly regarded as a negotiator for his work in the successful Northern Ireland peace process, and his selection would put a clear stamp on the Middle East as a top priority. [...]

The Mitchell plan for the Middle East helped form the basis for the international "road map" plan that helped guide Middle East diplomacy throughout the Bush years.