The New Beginning

Not quite his soaring speech on race during the campaign, but solid nevertheless. Impressive that he didn't once utter the word "terrorism," or any of its derivatives, and he slid out of taking a position on Jerusalem by saying it will be a home for "Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together."

A small Bushism by pronouncing hijab "hajib," but Obama makes up for it by saying "Pakistan" with a local's emphasis.

What I noticed most of all, however, was what happened behind the president. Did anyone else see it? The flags switched places.