First Time

2009-01-19 - 12:12 p.m.

An historic week here in the United States.

First, happy Martin Luther King Day. To really help put the man's brilliance into perspective, compare him to the civil rights leaders we have today - Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

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Then, the inauguration of our first black president.

The party has already started in DC, and has been going on for awhile. Everybody who's anybody is already there, pumping up DC's economy.

Me? I'm staying home. I'll probably be asleep during the whole thing tomorrow.

Yes, I know it's an historic event - a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But I know how it will turn out. Everyone who likes Obama (and some who don't) will love it, calling it "stirring", "uplifting", and so on. Those who hate Obama will nit-pick it, looking for any words that they can spin to make Obama look bad.

I think I'll wait to see what Obama DOES, as opposed to what he SAYS.

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Libertarian radio host Neal Boortz has this to say:

This is perhaps the most impressive thing about a presidential inauguration. To this extent at least, our Constitution works. We're the most powerful nation in the world and every four years we change leaders (eight years at a minimum). We do so peacefully and with the full input and participation of the people. None of that nonsense that's going on in Russia; no Hugo Chavez here trying to become president for life.

Amen.

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Media hypocrisy time.

Four years ago, George Bush spent about $50 million for the 2005 inauguration. About $160 million is being spent for Barack Obama's. Granted, most of this is paid for by private donations (see who contributed the most here), and the security is paid for by taxes - and it should be.

The media came down hard on Bush, saying that it was an unneeded extravagance during wartime.

This year, despite the war AND the economy? Not so much.

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Here in California, the budget situation is so bad that there may will be a delay in issuing tax refunds, along with welfare check and student grants. Since there is no budget, the state simply doesn't have the money. So IOUs will be issued to the people.

Gee, I wonder if I could do that to the IRS.

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Speaking of money, a study in Great Britain shows that, when it comes (sorry) to the female orgasm, size DOES matter...that is, the size of the man's bank account.

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Well, despite the fact it's MLK Day, I have to work.

Be seeing you.

Brin aka Bindyree - 2009-01-20 07:52:51 -
Since it was worth mentioning here, why don't you go ahead and provide the amount of money that the government spent on the 2005 inauguration versus private donations. The government is spending 47 million on Obama's inauguration and the rest is covered in private donations, like you said.

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Bob - 2009-01-20 14:16:49 - http://shadowgm.diaryland.com
Funny, I don't hear any of the 'costs too much' crowd talking about the $350 billion spent on bank executives' Christmas presents. And the same charge of extravagance was levelled against the Dems for Paul Wellstone's funeral.

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Dave - 2009-01-20 18:14:17 -
I did some checking. Proportionally, about 1/3 of the 2005 inauguration was taxpayer money - which is about the same for this inauguration.

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