Give McCain a role in administration

While Barack Obama's victory in the Nov. 4 election appeared to show that the great majority of U.S. citizens supported him and his mantra of "change," it also underlined the deepening of divisions within the nation.

At both of the candidates' rallies the mere mention of the opposition caused people to boo. This, I feel, is not how either candidate wanted their supporters to act in respect to one another, and it is not how they should treat their fellow citizens who exercise their democratic rights.

As the 44th president, one of Obama's top priorities needs to be reviving the sense of unity that Americans once shared and is now lost between negative campaign ads and the inability of the parties to work together for the benefit of the nation. During their campaigns both Obama and John McCain pledged to be bipartisan leaders and to reach across the aisle for the good of the country. Obama's ability to accomplish this may be how we judge his presidency, because at this point one party cannot solve the problems of the economy, global warming and national security. Instead, there need to be solutions that are best for the United States and those can only be accomplished through cooperation. As the president-elect is putting together his cabinet I encourage him to set a precedent of bipartisanship for his administration. This would mean nominating a Republican to a high-ranking position who would be willing to contribute to an Obama administration. My recommendation: Sen. John McCain.

Nick Iwanicki

Glen Ellyn