Obama and Warren Sitting in a Tree ...

Listen my Liberal ... Progressive friends that are outraged about Barack Obama asking Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration ... Take a Chill Pill!

Please, your reaction to what Obama has been doing these past few weeks is shameful and not representative of true Progressive values. We are the party of understanding, empathy, compromise and most important, open-minded thinking ... willing to entertain any issue as rational people.

It is sad to see the reactions of some in the blogosphere … the ravage outrage, even before Obama has taken his oath, is depressing. This is the type of reaction that I would expect from the other side … since their party is known to be close-minded.

The issue at hand that has attracted the media’s attention about the outrage on the Left is that Rick Warren will speak at the inauguration.

According to CNN, “Liberal groups and gay rights proponents had criticized the president-elect on Wednesday for choosing Warren, who opposes same-sex marriage and abortion rights.”

John Amato adds, “What Rick Warren represents is something that is dark and ugly in American culture. He is given a huge platform to disparage groups of people to the media under the guise of his religious beliefs.”

While I do not disagree with his assertion, I do disagree with his objection to include Warren in the inauguration due to these reasons. Just because Obama has asked someone to speak … he has changed his point of view or it reflects his endorsement of that person’s agenda.

Remember how the Right attempted to create an issue out of Reverend Jeremiah Wright? Now, you are doing the same by crying foul.

Amato notes, “The Left in this country has been tormented and assaulted for eight years under Bush, conservatives and religious-right leaders like Rick Warren.”

Does this imply that we on the Left should reciprocate the action of the last 8 years upon conservatives? The American people made it quite clear that they are tired of the divisive angry politics that continue to prevent us from reaching the greatness will can accomplish.

We are like two siblings fighting and bickering on a road trip. Someone has to grow up and I am happy that it is we on the Left that are taking the first step.

Let us not forget that Obama has invited other speakers of different backgrounds and viewpoints to speak.

Justin Gardner nails as he asks:

"However, Democrats should remember the platform Obama ran on during the primaries: unity and change.

And so we have to ask ourselves, what’s the most logical, pragmatic way to make that happen?

Is it…

1. Keep on playing the same old politics, invite people who only agree with you to the table and expect different results?

OR

2. Make sincere gestures to groups like the evangelicals via Warren so
   we can collectively start focusing on worldwide issues like poverty,
   global warming and the HIV/AIDS epidemic?"

Would you have voted for Obama had you known that he would ask Warren
to speak at the inauguration? The answer is quite elementary my dear …