On Thursday, January 15, 2009 my father and I traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the Senate confirmation hearing before the armed services committee for my Morehouse College best friend and groomsman, Jeh Charles Johnson. We sat on the front row with Jeh’s immediate family. Jeh an Obama democrat, top fundraiser and senior foreign policy advisor during the campaign and me a Troy King republican agree to disagree on certain issues, but never the less remain the closest of friends. If confirmed Jeh will serve as the top lawyer for the military, General Counsel for the Department of Defense working directly for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. When Senator John McCain walked into the Senate hearing room we winked and nodded at each other. I had already told Attorney General Troy King that we would be attending the hearing. At the conclusion of the four-hour hearing Jeh treated us all to lunch at B Smith’s in Union Station with President-elect and Mrs. Obama’s Harvard law school classmate and fundraiser Melvin Williams. As I sat there with these close Obama friends and democrats I realized just how far black folks have come politically. We can be loyal to opposing parties and  just like white folks, can still be friends.