$17 million to protect GW but no money for soldiers?
From Newsday (Long Island edition) today: “Wednesday, parents of several Iraq veterans said they are angry that more than $17 million will be spent on security for Thursday’s inaugural festivities for President George W. Bush, while troops he sent to war still lack sufficient armor to keep them alive.”Unlike wars in the past (WWII) where the public was asked to sacrifice for the war effort, we’ve been asked to shop more. Now GW will force city of DC to spend more than $17 million dollars to protect himself during the inauguration, according to the article: “Mayor Anthony A. Williams has told the Department of Homeland Security that his city faces $17.3 million in security costs related to the inauguration — a figure that does not include military and other federal security measures”.
I am still shocked and amazed that he can get away with this stuff. Unfortuately I will be too busy to go down and throw eggs at his limo this time anyway.
Comment posted on 1-21-2005
I got home from work and watched George Will claim that this inauguration made us look like a Banana Republic. I usually don’t have very much in common with that other GW, but I have to agree with him on that. What an embarrassment, jack-booted military in rows two deep to keep back the throngs of protesters. I guess those protesters were just upset since they couldn’t afford the $10,000 entrance fee to the party. My boss got an invitation, he let me hang it up on the wall next to the picture of GW flipping the bird which hangs just under the photoshop retouch of GW and Rummie in Nazi uniforms.
There’s an interesting story posted by Mathew Dennis of University of Oregon on the history of inaugurations here. For the number of times the now officially President Bush raised the spector of Lincoln in his speech, Lincoln didn’t hold a celebration for his second inauguration. My favorite line in the above referenced article is this: “With the Gilded Age, inaugurations grew more grandiose as presidents became more forgettable.” What would Jefferson think of this farce? “After the vicious election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson used his inauguration to reject “royalism” and “idolatry” and to signal a new democratic spirit. Citizen Jefferson donned plain clothes and walked to his inauguration.”
Comment posted on 1-26-2005
Nice to see some of my buddies got down there to be heard.