In another sign that Barack Obama is more forgiving than I am--or more politcally savvy--or likely both, he has drafted megachurch pastor and mega-selling motivational author Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation on Jan. 20. Warren was a strong supporter of John McCain and was viewed by many as having sandbagged Obama at the forum Warren held at his Saddleback SoCal church during the campaign. But Warren is also the leading evangelical personality these days, and this could officially mark the passing away of the Billy Graham era, as son Franklin is not likely to be getting many such gigs--though don't count out a White House invite to the son of America's pastor, in light of Obama's clear effort to reach out to evangelicals, who have not returned the love. But all is in flux, and while I'd love to have seen a rabbi or--God forbid--a Catholic priest, give the invocation, Obama is truly smart and showing a genuine determination to govern and lead from the center. (As to when Obama will reveal himself as the anti-Christ,his critics here will likely have better intel.)In any case, Damon Linker thinks it was a smart move, Andrew Sullivan is disgusted, and Steve Waldman has the best case on behalf of Rick.For me, I'm just happy we'll have Aretha Franklin,Itzhak Perlman,Yo-Yo Ma, and a benediction fromthe Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, dean of the civil rights movement and co-founder with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.Not a bad mix.