Politics Thread 3 : Just when you thought it was safe to return to Politics...

So Bushy is on his way out and the man of the hour is on the way in...

4 years ago, people were up in arms about how GWB was spending $43 mil on his inauguration. Mind you, we were not in the financial crisis we're in now.

Not hearing much from those people now, when we are in a recession, bailouts are the order of the day, and Obama is spending over $160 mil.

Where's that money coming from? If its from his campaign fund then its his money to spend. Even if it isn't he may look at it as stimulating the economy???? I dunno, this is a head-scratcher.

It appears that some of it will come from his fund-raising efforts, which is fine, but so far the federal government has budgeted $49 mil so far, and that figure is going to rise.

I just know that had a republican done this, we never would have heard the end of it. I know it's a historic occasion, but what type of message does it send?

Sometimes perception is just as important as reality. If people feel better after all this inauguration nonsense then things may start to improve. Plus, whatever money is being spent is insignificant compared to the total federal budget.

I'm just looking forward to the end of bad things happening, ever, with Obama in charge. He'll make the world perfect in six months, tops.

He may not make things better but at least I'll feel better about things getting worse.

I don't know what he's saying much of the time, but he sure looks and sounds good saying it.

I'm not exactly sure where the whole "Obama is the messiah" mockery even came from. Are people just surprised that there is enthusiasm for a Democratic candidate for once?

It's like the Eddie Murphy bit about giving a starving person a Ritz cracker. Bush set the bar so low that anyone else is going to seem like salvation.

"That Obama is the best damn president we ever had."

Shows how much you know. Obama can't be President until The Boss says so.

Couldn't agree more! In the past, it was just a thing that happened, a formality. Now it's a 4 day long festival! So having thousands of people take off from work to spend a few days in DC is going to help the economy? Maybe the DC economy.

Don't forget the train ride!

Between that and the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, that guy is going to be everywhere.

Come on Ray. Aren't you the same guy that just had some big wedding? You were actually married when you and your bride signed your marriage license. So what was with the ceremony?

Or is it that some occasions need to be commemorated and celebrated?

He could end up on the covers of Time and Newsweek simultaneously!

Actually when Lyndon Johnson was inaugurated in 1965, there were over 1 million people there. I think a few others were up there as well.

It's just a big deal this time because you've got tickets going for thousands of dollars on eBay.

Cuz of this guy...

Ok, I can buy that, but I also wasn't asking for people who weren't there to foot the bill.

Well, to be fair, you weren't marrying the entire country.

And when Roosevelt was inaugurated in '45 he didn't have any parties at all, and served only cold chicken salad and pound cake.

To be fair though, when FDR was inaugurated there was a global war and an economic recession going on...

I didn't know this ....but Obama is a chain smoker ???

I know he smokes, or was smoking during the campaign and said he's smoked for awhile. Don't know if he gave it up yet.

Crap. Good point. Sorry.