NYT: 'Pony Up' and Then 'Party On,' Inaugural Officials Say

[kskiska]

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

(snip)

Between Christmas and the start of the new year, official Washington traditionally sleeps in. But last week two pockets of the capital were humming: the State Department, where officials were trying to coordinate aid to the tsunami victims in Asia, and the fifth floor of the old Department of Education building on C Street, headquarters of the inaugural committee, where 450 paid staff members and volunteers buzzed about concerts and balls.

(snip)

In either case, the organizers were ready with an answer to critics who questioned the price tag on the merriment, which is similar to what was spent for the inaugural in 2001. A presidential inaugural, they said, has never been canceled, even during world wars. Mr. James, who has staged events for both President Bushes, went back and checked. "The celebrations went on, that's the lesson we learned," he said.

(snip)

In either case, the organizers were ready with an answer to critics who questioned the price tag on the merriment, which is similar to what was spent for the inaugural in 2001. A presidential inaugural, they said, has never been canceled, even during world wars. Mr. James, who has staged events for both President Bushes, went back and checked. "The celebrations went on, that's the lesson we learned," he said.

Or as one senior inaugural official defined the criticism: "It's a political shot. People are not going to demand the cancellation of the Rose Bowl parade or the Oscars."

The official, who asked not to be identified, noted that military planners began preparing logistics for the inaugural before the November election, as they always do, and that they had marked off a section of Capitol Hill for a "farewell to the commander in chief" should Mr. Bush have lost.

The point, the official said, was that the inaugural was a bipartisan celebration of democracy, not just of Mr. Bush.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/03/politics/03letter.html?oref=login

[bush_is_wacko]

1. God forbid we break from tradition in the face of a biblical sized

disaster AND our war for oil! He does realize this tsunami is the type of disaster his precious Bible is so fond of describing doesn't he?

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Can you imagine the stark contrast? The Christian King celebrating while

on the other side of the world, people are dying from lack of attention?

It's not just biblical, it's a Shakespeare play on a global scale.

[bush_is_wacko]

15. I just can't believe there are Americans that think this is what we

are all about. Indeed we are involved in a Shakespearean type "comedy of errors". Unfortunately, I don't have it in me to focus on the humor anymore. It just isn't funny. I'm afraid the cost is going to be the continued decline of the world perception of America.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. They would stop it for Anthrax

One of these attacks shut down the entire Senate before being conveniently forgotten.




http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13
Buttons for brainy people - educate your local freepers today!

[Fovea]

16. If you consider what they did regarding post 911

air quality and the EPA, no, I don't think
that anthrax would make them call it off.

It is little George's party, and he
gets all the Cipro party favors, that's all.

[OneBlueSky]

3. "a bipartisan celebration of democracy, not just of Mr. Bush" . . .

roll up the pant legs, Chester . . . it's too late to save the shoes! . . .

[Supersedeas]

12. Yep, I was thinking the same thing....

[MADem]

4. Didn't they postpone/cancel/tone down the Oscars?

After 911? When they finally got it rolling, didn't everyone wear subdued outfits and go in the back door, no red carpet?

I'm not suggesting they cancel the thing, but in light of this horrific world tragedy, toning it down a little might be a sign of respect and an honoring of those who died. Even if they did it symbolically, it would be perceived in a good way by the world. Even donating a small portion of the cash raised would earn them points like crazy....

Thus, seeing as the motto of this misadministration is "Who cares what you think?" I'm guessing that the GOP will party like it's 1999...'cause they just do not care what anyone thinks.

[roguevalley]

5. God will punish them, I believe it. Who is playing the concerts so

that I can NEVER BUY THEIR SHIT AGAIN!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Don't worry about having to give up any good music.

They'll probably hire the same lame-ass Christian pop singers and washed- up country groups that performed at this summer's GOP Hate-Fest. If they get lucky maybe Wayne Newton will be there; too bad Lawrence Welk is dead.

[kskiska]

14. Kelsey Grammer will M.C.

…rap artist Kid Rock will perform at an inaugural youth concert and President Bush's most reliable fund-raisers have so far collected $15 million for three days of meticulously planned parties to celebrate his second swearing-in.

(snip)

In the meantime, organizers say that Gloria Estefan and the country singer John Michael Montgomery will join Mr. Grammer, the former star of television's "Frasier," at the military tribute at the MCI Center on Jan. 18.

The Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, will be hosts of the youth concert, where the teenage singer JoJo will appear along with Kid Rock. The Kid, as he is called, notably said at a party during the Republican National Convention that if he were president he would never get caught having sex in the Oval Office but would instead install cameras in the Lincoln Bedroom.

[aikido15]

6. I thought Roosevelt

Canceled an inauguration during war once...???

[aikido15]

7. Didn't Roosevelt cancel...

an inauguration once because there was a war on???

[Benhurst]

11. He canceled the celebrations, not the inauguration.

Once because of the Depression, so that he and his cabinet could go directly to work, and again because of the War, thinking it would be unseemly to be partying while young Americans were dying.

But, hey, what do you want? Dubya's mission from gawd is to dismantle what FDR did, so you can hardly expect him to follow such precedents.

[flygal]

9. I might have had a shred of good will towards * if he would have

toned it down. Maybe just a drop. What a dick.

[rucky]

13. Hogs at the trough n/t

[Cocoa]

17. if we cancel the inaguration, the tsunami wins

the tsunami wants to disrupt our way of life.

[stanwyck]

18. The world is going to see

photo after photo of the Romanesque Bushies whooping it up, smiling and laughing, while the bodies continue to be carried out and buried. Our reputation as heedless, mindless ego-ridden gluttons who live for exhibitionism and lucre will be cemented for decades by these self-absorbed materialistic hypocrites.
There's not enough karma cleanser in the universe to scrub these people clean.