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Main Forums => Politics => Topic started by: zombienerd on January 17, 2009, 02:47:54 PM

Title: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: zombienerd on January 17, 2009, 02:47:54 PM
Four years ago, the press slammed G.W. Bush over the $45 million spent on his Inauguration party.  They complained that this money could be better spent on armoring Humvee's, Helping Tsunami victims, or lowering the deficit.

Fast forward to today, press reporting "Obama showing America how to party" with his $120+ million inauguration party, the most expensive EVER in the history of the USA.

This kind of hypocrisy makes me sick to my stomach.  With the economy down, and plenty of "better things" to be spending money on, he's practically tripling Bush's numbers, and they're applauding it in the media... WTH is wrong with this country?

Link to numbers: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/13/2009-01-13_obamas_inauguration_is_most_expensive_ev.html
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Standing Wolf on January 17, 2009, 02:54:02 PM
Quote
WTH is wrong with this country?

It's just your average socialist workers' and peasants' paradise.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: longeyes on January 17, 2009, 06:27:13 PM
This will be remembered as the administration that reintroduced both the periwig and The Sun God.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: lone_gunman on January 17, 2009, 09:00:01 PM
Laura Bush just unveiled the new Whitehouse China she ordered...  it cost about $500,000.

Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: zombienerd on January 18, 2009, 01:01:07 AM
Laura Bush just unveiled the new Whitehouse China she ordered...  it cost about $500,000.

That makes my head hurt too...   I don't get why the freaking politicians are feeding the pig...  We need smaller government right now, not bigger... Obama's plans to borrow 30 billion (may be off on that number) to start new government jobs is one of the stupidest ideas I've heard in 20 years.  Sure, let's borrow MORE money we know we can never pay back...  Let our kids deal with it.

We really need to start over...  Disband everything, start from scratch.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Boomhauer on January 18, 2009, 01:09:55 AM
Laura Bush just unveiled the new Whitehouse China she ordered...  it cost about $500,000.



Was that not paid for with private funds?

Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Nitrogen on January 18, 2009, 01:11:47 AM
Meet the new boss; same as the old boss.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: MicroBalrog on January 18, 2009, 02:03:35 AM
Meet the new boss; same as the old boss.

If Obama is just like Bush, doesn't it mean Bush was just like Obama? =D =D
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Manedwolf on January 18, 2009, 02:32:36 AM
Apparently, one of the stops on his tour today that had lots of people adoring him, they had someone have the crowd do exercises before he came out.

The appropriate imagery made me sort of facepalm. All they needed was a sing-along, too.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: KD5NRH on January 18, 2009, 05:41:05 AM
Was that not paid for with private funds?

I would expect there's some sort of a budget, and that if it wasn't wasted by this administration, the next would get to waste it on something even less useful.

Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: El Tejon on January 18, 2009, 11:52:04 AM
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Apparently, one of the stops on his tour today that had lots of people adoring him, they had someone have the crowd do exercises before he came out.

Mane, you need to tell me right now that you are making that up.  Plllleeeeeaaaasssseeee be making that up.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: MicroBalrog on January 18, 2009, 08:20:09 PM
Apparently, one of the stops on his tour today that had lots of people adoring him, they had someone have the crowd do exercises before he came out.



Welcome to my world. Down here we STILL have people who hold annual head-standing in memory of Ben-Gurion.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Headless Thompson Gunner on January 18, 2009, 09:02:49 PM
Laura Bush just unveiled the new Whitehouse China she ordered...  it cost about $500,000.
I heard that the Bush's were paying for that hina themselves. 

 I remember thinking that made for a nice contrast between the Bush's and the Clintons.  The Clintons stole White House china when they left, the Bush's bought nice expensive new stuff before they left.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Ben on January 18, 2009, 09:39:00 PM
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The Clintons stole White House china when they left,

Ha -- I forgot all about that little fiasco!
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: cassandra and sara's daddy on January 18, 2009, 09:47:12 PM
you oughta read the book by the butler who talks about lbj looting   and we won't discuss the lake we built on his ranch   big enough for him to water ski on   with a secret service chase boat as well. i think it was cater who wanted the pool at camp david  and they had to spend a ton to reinforce the shelter under it cause no one would suggest putting the pool a lil more over there
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Manedwolf on January 18, 2009, 10:14:48 PM
Mane, you need to tell me right now that you are making that up.  Plllleeeeeaaaasssseeee be making that up.

I wish I was...
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: RevDisk on January 19, 2009, 12:46:50 AM
I heard that the Bush's were paying for that hina themselves. 

 I remember thinking that made for a nice contrast between the Bush's and the Clintons.  The Clintons stole White House china when they left, the Bush's bought nice expensive new stuff before they left.

GAO says that rumor was mostly false.  Link (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02360.pdf)  There was some minor vandalism (some people removed the W key from their keyboards) and some stuff went missing during the entire length of the Clinton administration.  Nothing in the report says they stole the WH China and the report is fairly detailed.


Anyways.  Re Obama inauguration, can't say I'm surprised.  I'm endlessly fascinated by folks' hypocrisy.  So long as it's covered by private funds, to each their own.  You'd think Obama would want to send a message about service by having an austere party and donating the rest to something mildly useful.

If you ever want to truly "get" the language used by politicians, management fad types, et al, I recommend a good book called "Feast of Bones" by Daniel Bolger.  There's a part in the book where a desantnik officer is going before a board of officers and he has to do the whole communist-is-wonderful spiel so they don't ground him for political unreliability.  I won't ruin it, but it was the best tutorial on political doublespeak I've ever read.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Monkeyleg on January 19, 2009, 01:02:17 AM
Keep in mind that Obama's ego is so large that it takes seven SS Chevy Suburban's to haul it around with him. This isn't an inauguration, it's a combination coronation and The Second Coming. Looking at it from that perspective, $120 mil is nothing for something that only happens every two thousand years or so.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: zombienerd on January 19, 2009, 01:34:49 AM
  So long as it's covered by private funds, to each their own.

That's the problem... 47 Million is coming from Taxpayer's coffers.   That's more money from the taxpayers than GWB used in total (of which only 16 million was taxpayers)
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Manedwolf on January 19, 2009, 11:34:05 AM
Keep in mind that Obama's ego is so large that it takes seven SS Chevy Suburban's to haul it around with him. This isn't an inauguration, it's a combination coronation and The Second Coming. Looking at it from that perspective, $120 mil is nothing for something that only happens every two thousand years or so.

The day after will be worse.

Quote
"Obama also plans a flurry of executive orders, including some on Wednesday. These orders are a way presidents can force change in government without having to go through Congress. The early Obama orders are likely to range from the mundane to the profound – from routine bureaucratic proclamations about continuity of government, to a declaration calling to begin the closing of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/01/19/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4734588.shtml (http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/01/19/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4734588.shtml)

Brace yourself. It might be a bit bumpy.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Perd Hapley on January 19, 2009, 11:50:18 AM
As I was staying in a hotel this weekend, I actually got to watch some television news.  Round-the-clock coverage of Tuesday's inauguration, on SATURDAY?!  Since when did Americans care that much about the pomp and circus pants surrounding something as yawn-worthy as an inauguration?  That in itself is scary. 

People won't stir themselves to vote, write their congress-critters, or go to city council/school board meetings.  Please don't tell me they're going to waste their time watching all this inauguration coverage.   =(
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Manedwolf on January 19, 2009, 12:03:00 PM
As I was staying in a hotel this weekend, I actually got to watch some television news.  Round-the-clock coverage of Tuesday's inauguration, on SATURDAY?!  Since when did Americans care that much about the pomp and circus pants surrounding something as yawn-worthy as an inauguration?  That in itself is scary. 

People won't stir themselves to vote, write their congress-critters, or go to city council/school board meetings.  Please don't tell me they're going to waste their time watching all this inauguration coverage.   =(

Many were demanding it be a holiday.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: grampster on January 19, 2009, 12:15:58 PM
The voices told me this morning that the reason that there is so much security in DC is that They are going to round up all the liberals who are attending the innauguration who will then be sent to Cuba and Haiti.  Bush will then announce a coup and he will become King George the Final. 
At least that's what I think They said. =D
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: RevDisk on January 19, 2009, 01:46:51 PM
That's the problem... 47 Million is coming from Taxpayer's coffers.   That's more money from the taxpayers than GWB used in total (of which only 16 million was taxpayers)

Wait, what?   I can somewhat understand security coming out of the govt coffers.   Not saying I like it, but it is a valid role of government to provide security for government type events.    But, you could rent two or three divisions of light infantry for the Inauguration and probably end up less than $47m.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: FTA84 on January 20, 2009, 09:21:36 AM
As I was staying in a hotel this weekend, I actually got to watch some television news.  Round-the-clock coverage of Tuesday's inauguration, on SATURDAY?!  Since when did Americans care that much about the pomp and circus pants surrounding something as yawn-worthy as an inauguration?  That in itself is scary. 

People won't stir themselves to vote, write their congress-critters, or go to city council/school board meetings.  Please don't tell me they're going to waste their time watching all this inauguration coverage.   =(

I saw this also.  Actually, I noticed the one worst thing.  On CNN, they were so eager, they were waiting outside during one of the coldest streaks this winter for an event 4 days away.

I suppose it is all to be expected though, imagine if you (the MSM) were the ones who put together a 1 1/2 year (or maybe 8 year) campaign to the someone elected.  Wouldn't you start partying on Satuday?
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Ben on January 20, 2009, 09:51:24 AM
It's become almost comical now that an incoming administration that prides itself on helping the downtrodden and the "community" will have had the most expensive inauguration ever, and the same administration, that is the hero of the "greens" will have had an inauguration with the largest carbon footprint mankind has ever known. The only thing to make it complete would be to have smudge pots to keep people warm, and maybe 3-4 less outhouses.
Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: Boomhauer on January 20, 2009, 09:55:59 AM
Ya'll clearly don't understand...

You see, leftists and environmentalists are saints. They can do whatever they want- drive SUVs, fly in business jets, have redwood decks and hold giant resource gobbling gala...they aren't harming the environment.

But you, mere unenlightened peasant, you are killing the environment if you don't use the funny-looking curly lightbulb.

Title: Re: Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy
Post by: longeyes on January 20, 2009, 11:40:27 AM
Bush was just a man.

Obama is a god.