My, what a difference four years makes.  How many remember the last inauguration? 

How many remember that Bush was asked to tone down his pomp and circumstance in 2005?  By the Democrats of course.  Today I'm not hearing any such outcry from the Dems for the most lavish inauguration celebration on record.  Some are estimating the bill for this "party" will be upwards to $150 million. 

Excuse me but I thought we were in some sort of recession?  How can they cry recession on one hand and then break records by throwing such a lavish excessive bash like this?  What is this saying to the American people?  This morning I saw on the news the top 260 donors to Obama's campaign were getting wined and dined as they showed up in their minks and limos.  All this going on as Obama tells the American people he's for the little guy?  There among the rich and elite getting preferential treatment were  the rich bankers who received bailout money.  Huh?   

Am I missing something?  Where's the outcry?  Why isn't there anything being written about  all this excessiveness during such a bad economy?  What about the "little guy" you've been wooing Obama?  Just more political rhetoric?  Where's the accountability? 

In 1945 President Roosevelt held a very short inauguration, making a short speech and serving his guest chicken salad and plain poundcake. 

How many know who brought this very fact up recently?  Recently as in the last four years? 

Let me tell you.  It was a couple of Representatives from the Democratic party, who in 2005, wrote a letter to President Bush.  Their names were Anthony Weiner D-NY and Jim McDermott D-Wash.  In their letter to admonish the President from spending too much at his upcoming bash they also said this: 

“During World War I, President Wilson did not have any parties at his 1917 inaugural, saying that such festivities would be undignified.”

The thinking back then was that during a war excessive spending on a ball was inappropriate.  Forget about how many balls will there be today?  These two hard working Reps, of our day, only thinking of the American public  thought it would be nice to remind President Bush via a letter that it wouldn't look to good to spend too much money on his inauguration.   You know given the soldiers in Iraq and everything.  It wouldn't be dignified.   

I actually agree with them.  Being quite frugal myself I really don't have a problem with their letter.  What I do have a problem with is hypocrisy. 

Now here we are four years later with our soldiers still in Iraq, unemployment higher than ever and the new President Elect pressing Congress for the remainder of the $700 billion in reserves for the bailout because our economy is falling quicker than a brick dropped from a ten story window.  I think these Reps have conveniently forgotten what they wrote to President Bush four years ago. It would make me feel a whole lot better if they wrote the same letter this time addressing Mr. Obama. 

Alas, forgetfulness sprinkled with lots of hypocrisy seems to be a prerequisite for running for office. 

I'm not sure all that we, as taxpayers, have to incur to put on this very fancy celebration. I'd be interested in the dollar amount at the end of the day, wouldn't you?   I do know that all the costs concerning security and transportation will be ours to bear not to mention those hired to clean up probably the biggest mess ever on record to follow the biggest  party ever on record. 

Good Grief.  Gimmie a break!