When We Do It Right

Bill Clinton (and Democrat George Mitchell) brokered the historic Good Friday Accords which got these people to stop killing each other. We never fired a shot. But we reach out to parties that were connected to terrorists (on both sides).

And now, a day that I never thought would happen. For those of you less informed Paisley and McGuiness sharing power is akin to Arafat and Sharon joining together to rule Israel.

From CNN:

Power sharing begins in N. Ireland

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- Northern Ireland's major Protestant and Catholic parties joined together Tuesday to form a power-sharing government, marking a "new era of politics" and an end to three decades of sectarian conflict in the province.

Protestant Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley was sworn in as the Northern Ireland assembly's first minister and key player Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein will take on the role of deputy first minister.

The two men bridged the sectarian divide and took oaths of office in front of a quiet assembly room with members foregoing applause out of respect for a recently deceased assembly member and colleague from Paisley's DUP, George Dawson.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern attended the swearing-in ceremony at Stormont, home to the Northern Ireland assembly, near Belfast. (Watch the long path Northern Ireland took to get to this point )

Paisley, 80, and McGuinness, 56, arrived within minutes of each other Tuesday morning and both set an optimistic tone.

"It is a special day because we're making a new beginning," Paisley said. "I believe we're starting on a road which will bring us back to peace and to prosperity."

Paisley's deputy McGuinness, said he was "increasingly confident" that the new government would work, saying it was a "good day."

"The happenings here today are surely going to represent a fundamental change of approach with parties moving forward together to build a better future for the people that we represent," he said.