Not that I blame them

From today's Kennebec Journal:

A group of local residents who've held weekly vigils for peace and democracy for the last six years is calling it quits, due to a belief President-elect Barack Obama will "right many wrongs."

[snip]

"We have hope that President Barack Obama will restore a moral compass and legality to the United States of America," Clement said. "We have hope that torture will no longer be allowed in our name, that illegal wiretapping and spying on American citizens ceases, that people are not held without a right to trial, that Guantanamo will be closed and that empire building by illegal invasions of sovereign nations will no longer be permissible."

As the article notes, they've been at it for six years, which is a long time. Plus, it is cold out there. (It shows how Maine has warped my mind when highs in the mid-20s sound relatively balmy.) So I totally understand their plan to pack it in for a bit, even if I'll miss having a friendly-looking group of people to wave to on my drive home from work. But hopes about Obama notwithstanding, people with a progressive worldview need to remain vigilant.

On the one hand, let us not get started on foolishness like this:

Congressional Democrats are firing a surprising number of unexpectedly sharp brushback pitches at President-elect Barack Obama and his staff over policy plans and personnel picks, making him look embattled during what was to be a triumphant debut week in Washington.

As Steve Benen notes, there's not a lot of there there in this piece (which, frankly, isn't all that unusual for Politico these days). The man hasn't even taken the oath of office yet, so I think we should all chill out before we start making determinations about what kind of job he's doing.

On the other hand, let us not pretend that Obama will be pure as the driven snow, and will answer our every little prayer. I have been disappointed before, and relatively recently, too. (Though I can see past both decisions, and don't hold any grudges.) I haven't marked through "self-appointed gadfly" on my mental list of self-images just yet.

And it looks like the peace vigil folks are keeping this in mind if Obama doesn't live up to their expectations:

And if he doesn't?

They'll be back.

Good.

Update: OK, see, this is what I am talking about. There's vigilance, and then there's being totally humorless and ridiculously ideological:

Not that he was planning to attend, but Barack Obama should know that my sister's inauguration night party -- the one for which she was preparing Obama Punch -- has been canceled. The notice went out over the weekend, by e-mail and word of mouth, that Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation had simply ruined the party. Warren is anti-gay, and my sister, not to put too fine a point on it, is not. She's gay.

[snip]

The party's off.

Oh, for crying out LOUD! This gives me a headache. I realize that we're meant to congratulate the guy's sister for her moral clarity, but canceling one's party in protest just makes her look like a martinet. (h/t Obsidian Wings.)