Thank you, Mr. President

  To: U.S. President Barack Obama

  From: An American Expat living in London (and the side of a hill in Italy)

  Thank you for being you. You don't know how much easier you've made it for me to be me. 

  Not that long ago -- and for eight long years -- being American was just bad news over here.  

  Everyone pretty much hated President Bush -- and all his policies. And they felt railroaded into following U.S. positions, like supporting the war in Iraq, that they didn't agree with. At all.

  Now I could be exaggerating, I know. I was in the States during that time. And I'm sure there was the odd well-paid banker in the City -- London's now-credit-crunch-ravaged financial district -- who supported our former president. All I know is that whenever I  ventured across the Atlantic over the past few years -- to my side of a hill in Italy or here -- that's what I got. 

   And all I could do was agree. You're right, I would say -- sadly, solemnly. He can't string two words together. The war in Iraq has brought so much misery. And they didn't have weapons of mass destruction. You're right, you're right, you're right! But it's not my fault! And I don't want to answer for him! I would want to scream from the top of the tower of London.

   To tell you the truth, Barack, it was all just getting old.

   But now, my dear new president, you've changed all that. I can't even tell you how much.

   Now, instead of poking fun (or biting sarcasm), the Brits say they WISH they had someone like you, a Barack Obama, to pull out of their hats (where DID you come from, really?) in their time of need.

   Their prime minister, Gordon Brown, has got poll numbers that make Bushes look good after a never-ending scandal of member of parliament after member of parliament fiddling on their expenses. Considering the fiddled money comes from the heavily-taxed British taxpayer -- and the British taxpayer is suffering mightily here in a deepening economic recession -- the Brits are now nicely pissed off at their government. 

   And there you are, Barack, over on your side of the Atlantic, seemingly trying to fix things with compassion rather than letting your mates steal it all, I guess.

   Gordon Brown's been on YouTube lately too, in a bid to reconnect with his admiring public. He just came off weird. And everybody panned it.

   You, instead, Barack, my new BFF, floored everyone over here with your recent Middle East speech in Cairo. People are actually quoting bits of it to each other -- like what you said about our daughters contributing as much as our sons.

    You're giving people goose bumps over here, Barack. And boy do you know how to string two words together. Especially after that last guy.

     And then there's the Italians, who know how to appreciate a good-looking man in a nice-fitting suit.

     And that's you, Barack. You just look great in your suit. Even by Italian standards.

     And who do the Italians have to compare to you anyway? Their aging, permanently-tanned prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, who's wife just filed for divorce, citing her husband's persistent admiration of young women? 

     Compared to you, placing your hand protectively on the small of Michelle's back to guide her, taking her out on "date" nights in Washington, listening to her advice? Oh, and by the way, she's just adorable, Barack. We can see why you love her so much. 

     And Barack, above all, it's just so special that you're the first black president. It's just all good. 

     So yeah, everyone, that's right, I'm American. No shit, Sherlock. Heard it in the accent, huh?

     And yep, Barack Obama. Yeah, that's our new president. 

    Got anything to say about that?