Obama Inauguration & Hypocrisy

[zombienerd]

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

[Standing Wolf]

WTH is wrong with this country?

It's just your average socialist workers' and peasants' paradise.

[longeyes]

This will be remembered as the administration that reintroduced both the periwig and The Sun God.

[lone_gunman]

Laura Bush just unveiled the new Whitehouse China she ordered...  it cost about $500,000.

[zombienerd]

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.

[Boomhauer]

Laura Bush just unveiled the new Whitehouse China she ordered...  it cost about $500,000.

Was that not paid for with private funds?

[Nitrogen]

Meet the new boss; same as the old boss.

[MicroBalrog]

Meet the new boss; same as the old boss.

If Obama is just like Bush, doesn't it mean Bush was just like Obama?

[Manedwolf]

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.

[KD5NRH]

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.

[El Tejon]

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.

[MicroBalrog]

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.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

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.

[Ben]

The Clintons stole White House china when they left,

Ha -- I forgot all about that little fiasco!

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

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

[Manedwolf]

Mane, you need to tell me right now that you are making that up.  Plllleeeeeaaaasssseeee be making that up.

I wish I was...

[RevDisk]

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  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.

[Monkeyleg]

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.

[zombienerd]

  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)

[Manedwolf]

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.

"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

Brace yourself. It might be a bit bumpy.

[Perd Hapley]

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.   

[Manedwolf]

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.

[grampster]

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.

[RevDisk]

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.

[FTA84]

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?