For a President Elect who claims to sympathize with and is going to improve the floundering economy Barack Obama and his people are sure willing to waste a lot of moolah. As msnbc.com said, "Unemployment is up. The stock market is down. Let's party."
Despite the fact that the US economy is in dire straits, the Obama party is going to be record breaking, estimates reaching around $150 mil. I would be willing to shrug it off and say alrighty, it's his party he can blow a hundred million dollars if he wants to if it wasn't for the ridiculous hypocrisy surrounding this 'little' gala.
As you may remember, four years ago the Democrats, reeling from Kerry's failed bid for the Presidency, decided to call President G.W. Bush out for throwing an inauguration party. They whined and they moaned, stomping their feet in a tantrum, insisting that he must be frugal when throwing the party. Hmm, those practical people are making so such demands of President Elect Obama, and this is going to be a party to rival P. Diddy's.
Dems asked Bush to "show a little less pomp and a little more circumspect at his party." The Democrat camp insisted that excessive celebration would be inappropriate while our nation was at war. Well, dear Democrats and dissenters alike, THE NATION IS STILL AT WAR. And unemployment is ridiculously and terrifyingly high, Obama convinced Congress to release the second half of the bailout to try and rescue the banking industry...so this is the perfect time for a legendary gala, right?
The inaugural committee raised upwards of 40 mil to cover a fraction of the cost, Beyonce, U2 and Bruce Springsteen are set to entertain and there are to be a whopping 10 'official' inaugural balls.
Think about this...the economy is down the toilet and Obama has been preaching change since he first hopped on the campaign trail and he isn't exactly setting a good precedent in this respect. I'm all for changing up the govt, but I cannot approve of throwing a rock star party with Obama as the center piece. He is going to be the President of the US and people are treating him like the second coming and no one is wagging their finger at him for blowing off epic amounts of money, a chunk of which we the taxpayers will be responsible for.
His presidency is going to be historic, and his inauguration party is going to be equally historic...setting records for blowing off money. He won, he's the President and the media is madly in love with him. Barack Obama has all of this going for him, does he also have to throw his lot in with the movie stars by throwing a star-studded event?
Not only is it going to be a night for entertainment, the cost of security and transport...all of which is going to be placed on the taxpayers shoulders, will make the bill for this gala astronomical.
Obama's committee say that they will be "mindful of the times," and that they are "not worried people will see the FOUR DAYS of festivities as excessive." Hmm, why on earth would we say that four days of partying like we're trying for a reincarnation of Sodom and Gomorrah is excessive? "It is not a celebration of an election. It's a celebration of our common values." Well, it's well-timed, and I don't think anyone's buying that nonsense.
Change we can believe in...I hope President Obama starts practicing what he preaches after his overindulgent celebration. Another person from his camp said that the administration are "trying to be reflective of the climate," but it certainly doesn't sound like it. We could be on the brink of an economic depression and we are definitely in a state of crisis, this is neither the time nor the place for a $150 million dollar party.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28707475/
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I'm neither a Democrat nor a Republican but I do have to agree that the amount spent on the party was excessive, particularly when I consider about the current state of the economy. And truly, I wish Presiden Obama had realized that himself, even without thinking of it as a political move. Being President carries the obvious responsibilities to a)set good examples and b) do what's best for the country. Obama's inauguration festivities seem to suit neither category. Think of all the other much more beneficial causes all that money could have gone towards. And if American citizens have to pay for it through taxes, especially when so many are currently struggling financially, that's just inappropriate and quite frankly unfair.
But I don't think Obama and his supporters are soley to blame. I think that a party of this magnitude and expense would be inappropriate at any time. When there are people and animals starving in many areas of the world, including in this country, and fortunate people are blowing ridiculous sums of money on festivities it's just simply not right. And there were people starving when Republican leader's held huge parties too.
But I also think this excessive spending was a reflection the stereotypical American materialism. Huge parties have always said "I'm rich and powerful," and plenty of people indulge in them, not just the President.
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