A credit to America

There will be millions out there with "I told you so" signs, but this from your humble correspondent in September after a visit to the US and Canada, and who still has Juneau, the capital of Alaska, etched indelibly in memory:

"Obama is the likely winner because of McCain and because the smart money from donations will allow him to spend big, particularly to get people to vote. At 72, McCain would be the oldest first term president in history, and will be linked with many aspects of the Bush administration of the last eight years, particularly economic performance and Iraq. He has been Mr De-regulation for years, putting him in a difficult spot now given the financial markets crisis.

Palin,with limited experience, and all that in Alaska where standards of governance are, to be polite, way behind what's acceptable even in the Washington of George Bush, is already starting to lose steam and is still to face the sort of forensic examination that all candidates must endure at the hands of the media. Some of the problems arising from husband Todd's involvement in government affairs may mean even greater concern about "two for one" than those that arose for the Clintons. Palin can handle herself publicly but the McCain team and its supporters will be on tenterhooks as the campaign rolls on- an implosion may occur at any time."

The rest as they say....

It's a great credit to America, and inspires new hope in the rest of us.

Obama is on the record with big plans to improve accountability and transparency. Update: Matthew Moore in the Sydney Morning Herald on 8 November and Pro Publica both provide a broader account of President -Elect Obama's commitments in the FOI field.

Let better government roll.