In his victory speech on election night, Barack Obama said: “Change has come to America.” We had no idea that the change he was talking about would go beyond restoring the US’s shattered international image and possibly putting an end to the films of Michael Moore. Obama’s (whose drinking prowess we weighed up here) presidential victory has resulted in the kind of groundbreaking change that means you being able to whistle down the bar for shooters at four in the morning, ordering from a bartender who alternates between loathing you for your drunken Napoleon-in-the-field routine and knowing that the he can reupholster his car with the money you’re dropping in tips.

The change we’re talking about is coming only to one district (though from one packet of crap that you bought from the back of a comic book do glorious sea monkeys grow) bars in Washington D.C. will be able to stay open 24 hours a day during the period around Obama’s inauguration. From January 17 to January 20, the morning after Obama’s inauguration, bars will be able to serve food all night long and alcohol until 5am, which is about right anyway, as it’s preferable to be smoking something herbal while greeting the sunrise — that or a pre-dawn coke-binge (if you choose the latter, and need a soundtrack for it, click here).

DC city councilors actually passed emergency legislation to get this done. This has restored our faith in city councilors somewhat, a faith that has been sapped through years spent in Toronto. There emergency legislation is only passed when the snowbanks start competing with the CN Tower for skyline prominence and the guys who drive the plows shake down city hall. Toronto city council has, for example, repeatedly vetoed requests to extend bar closing hours by a lousy couple of hours during World Cup time.  They would also veto requests to have fun officially recognized as a desirable part of life.

For letting Americans get over an eight-year-dry spell with one big bender, we salute the city councilors of Washington D.C.

And staying with politics, though going from an international interest level of 10 to 2, one wonders if Stephane Dion will celebrate his pending ascension to the PM’s chair with a wine and cheeser in Montreal. Canadian politics are getting interesting again, though nowhere near to the degree they did during the recent election (check out our Campaign Blooper Reel here).