Was I weeping tears of joy, relief, or awe?I don’t know about you but I started getting choked up just seeing the opening graphics.
Never has a speech been so blunt and grim and yet so inspiring.
“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.” I can just imagine George Bush hearing that, processing it, and fifteen minutes later saying, “Hey!”
Talk about a moment frozen in time. God, did it look cold. There was not even a heat lamp for Steven Spielberg.
Bright sunshine and bitter cold – could there be a better metaphor?
There were two million people in the mall. Where did they park?
We always knew Dick Cheney was Dr. Strangelove.
When Obama emerged from the Capitol and was introduced to the crowd I wondered, is there a president-elect theme?
Best network coverage: BBC America.
I love how Obama was administered the oath of office by a Chief Justice he voted to keep off the bench.
He actually became the president in the middle of the Yo-Yo Ma number. Classical music is always included in these programs to show the world we’re not just a bunch of yahoos.
Anybody know the point of that poem? I’m relatively sure it was the first time the words “boom box” were ut
tered at a presidential inauguration.In a desperate attempt to promote Katie Couric, she appeared on the CBS NFL Halftime report on Sunday with the conceit being she was “friends” with anchor James Brown (pictured left). Oh yeah. James Brown and Katie Couric – BFF’s. I’m sure Katie writes frequently on Brown’s Facebook wall. He sends her fifteen Tweets daily.
Most networks were covering the inauguration but not all. TBS showed the next best thing, an episode of FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR. And E! paid tribute to this historic occasion by airing the “15 Most Shocking Political Scandals.”
Meanwhile, the BIOGRAPHY channel featured half hour profiles of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin, and William Shatner.
So many highlights but seeing Bush fly away was probably the best.
Where can I get a hat like Aretha Franklin’s?
The festivities were marred by Senators Kennedy and Byrd needing immediate medical assistance at the luncheon. Hopefully they both will be alright. There’s a reason people their age go to Florida rather than standing in 15 degrees (wind chill) weather.
Oh, and next inauguration luncheon – get a new caterer.
I will say this -- Katie Couric did seem in her element – hosting the parade coverage.
Meanwhile, over at NBC, hard hitting journalist Al Roker was on the street screaming like an idiot to get Obama’s attention. And then almost had an orgasm on the air because Obama said to him “it’s warm”. A delirious Al then shouted on camera “THIS IS EXCITING!” Even Jillian Barberie found that embarrassing.
When the actual parade began, with high school marching bands and tumbling acts the networks ended coverage. NBC went to the Martha Stewart Show. CBS bailed for Rachel Ray. And they wonder why people now go to CNN to get their news.
All in all this was a magnificent historic day. I will treasure the memories. And of course buy the commemorative plates.
More thoughts later as the festivities continue.
67 comments :
100 million dollars for an inauguration party when the country is in an economy crisis. Nice.
"So many highlights but seeing Bush fly away was probably the best."
Amen.
There is a strict limit of two plates per caller, Mr. Levine...and don't try to by-pass it by calling back using a fake accent.
Finally we can start living without being held down by that dumb, racist Bush ever again. If anyone has a problem with Obama, they're racist. It's simple. I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT LIVING IN AMERICA NOW!
I'm hopeful, but let's see how he performs before we diefy the man. The stock market wasn't impressed enough to go up, and that's my main worry.
"Pick yourself up
dust yourself off,
and start all over again."
That's a Tin Pan Alley song! At least Obama's speech writers only stole part of it.
Good luck, Mr. Prez.
Just because someone doesn't like Obama doesn't make them racist. What an asinine remark.
Yeah it does. I means they hate half-white people.
As a Republican and an American, I hope he's the greatest president since Lincoln
One question: What was Aretha Franklin singing? Maybe the hat got in the way from hearing the music. Sorry Aretha, you did better singing in "The Blues Brothers".
Highlights: Very inspirational speech by President Obama. Even in tough times like this, there is hope.
Lowlights: Booing former President Bush. Yeah, he wasn't our best, but we did vote him into office twice. Even if you don't agree with him or his politics, there must be some respect for the Office of the President. Besides, he was leaving soon anyway. Let him go to Dallas and build his library. It'll contain the biggest collection of comic books in the world.
Another lowlight: Couldn't someone write the oath of office onto Justice Robert's hand? How hard could remembering a few lines?
As I'm writing this, Mariah Carey's boobs are falling out of her dress on "The Neighborhood Ball". You guys getting this live on the West Coast?
Did you catch the faux pas of both Charlie Gibson and Tom Brokaw? I didn't realize that both of them had beome part of the biased East Coast media, but both saw Obama's brother-in-law wearing an orange and black scarf and called it out as wearing his alma mater Princeton's colors.
If they knew where he went to school, they should know where he's currently employed as basketball coach: at Oregon State, whose colors are orange and black. But how could they ever heard of Corvallis?
They both amended their coverage after being flooded with emails.
Ken, I can tell it's hard for you to write with your head so far up Obamas
ass. Go Dodgers.
Greetings from Washington, DC. It was quite a day and cold as a witch's... well you know. Living here can be nice, at least once every 4 years.
>>There were two million people in the mall. Where did they park?<<
Anywhere they could, but not in DC. They closed all bridges from Virginia to auto traffic yesterday and pedestrian traffic was greatly curtailed as of last night. Thank God for the metro. Too bad there were 20 people for every seat on every train.
Just a few thoughts from the front lines.
One additional afterthought. It's really annoying (and a bit suspicious) when someone named "Anonymous" doesn't have the balls to own his (or her) own posts. How important or insightfull could they really be?
Ray
Look this may not be a WGA level grievance, but I wanna see the writing credits. Even My Mother the Car acknowledged the writers. This guy gives a helluva speech again and again, and we have to figure out it’s Favreau and Axelrod or Frankel by inference? These guys need an agent. Even Dick Goodwin had to write that play about Galileo in order to finally get his name on words he puts in somebody else’s mouth.
On second thought, I guess it messes up that willing suspension of disbelief: “Yeh, Kennedy had a great cover of that Sorensen’s ‘Ask not’ number.” And then, of course the problem of including the writers in the opening credits: “Ladies and gentlemen, here’s a little exhortation from a friend of mine, Peggy Noonan, called ‘Government is the Problem’ and it goes something like this….”
The only thing better than Obama being our new president was reading your "review" of the festivities. I also remarked to a friend that Cheney reminded me of Dr. Strangelove! Great stuff as usual, Ken. And may this new administration be everything we hope it can be and more!
>>Where can I get a hat like Aretha Franklin’s?
I felt bad the battery for her propeller didn't hold its charge.
I turned the TV off after Aretha's song. I just figured it's over when the fat lady sings.
Ken,
The love of your craft and the spoken word must have blinded you to the reality of the moment. Either that, or you need to share with the rest of us whatever it is you are having.
Obama eloquent ? My God man, he couldn't even get through the oath of office without a teleprompter, and it is only 3-4 sentences long, WITH someone giving him the words to say.
I guarantee you more than several world leaders - allies & enemies alike - thought "this guy is in way over his head". Or, "not another one who stumbles over the simplest of things".
Also, you have it exactly backwards on Obama & Roberts. Roberts was the one enjoying the moment; being the one to swear in someone who voted against him. Roberts was thinking I have this job for life while you get your shot for 4-8 years - at best.
And as always, a smooth delivery doesn't mean as much as the results do. Ken Lay and Bernie Madoff are pretty smooth talkers, but both are ending up in jail having financially raped a lot of people.
Nor, does a lack of public speaking skills make you any less intelligent. To my knowledge, I have never been within 2,000 miles of Bush, however, from what I have read and seen from interviews people have given, in a private group he is reported to be warm, funny, and bright. My best college buddy has an IQ north of 160; 168 I think. I have trusted him with my life and would trust him with the life of my family. That said, he is wonderful in small groups, or with family and friends, but in front of a large audience he makes Bush sound eloquent. It doesn't make him any less bright.
Plus, I am willing to bet in 60 seconds you could give us a list of a dozen people you have worked with, who were great at reciting a line or telling a scripted tale, but you wouldn't trust them to park your car.
If Obama had run his campaign using the main themes of his speech today he would have never been elected. Tough love, work hard, personal responsibility ? No way, his main theme was selling the "nanny state" to the people. Buy a $500,000 house when you only make $20,000 or buy an BMW when you can't afford a used VW Bug ? No problem, let the government bail you out; we'll take care of you.
Get out of Iraq the day he takes office ? Only a person who has the IQ of a turnip thinks he will do this. Etc, etc.
I would have voted for Obama had he run on today's platform, instead of the one he did.
Bush deserves a lot of the criticisms he gets concerning the financial meltdown, however, Congress is the part of our government responsible for the regulation of the financial markets, not the president. The Democrats in charge are the main reason we are in the financial mess we are in.
More than pretty words, well spoken, we used to be a people who regarded actions as being more important. Instead we turn to vacuous and empty "intellects" like Gore or Baldwin, who turn out to be dishonest & phony by not living the way they say we should.
I was one of those people who got stuck out of the country on 9/11. I was on a "2" day business trip, that turned into 8 very long days. After I got back my wife and I talked and we decided we wanted to try to make the world a better place. I lived my life trying to do that.
In March it would have been 7 years I had been doing pet therapy once a week at the local Children's Hospital with one of my australian shepherds. Effective today I resigned.
I have a special blood they use for premature babies (CMV negative). My goal was 10 gallons, and a few weeks ago I gave my last donation; it made my 9th gallon.
I give money to two charities. One is a local hospice, because I saw how much kind care helped my mother in her last days. The other is a battered women's and children's shelter, because I thought anyone who took the steps necessary needed to get there deserved the help. My donation a few weeks ago was my last donation.
To me, this was a tipping point election. The American people, including many on this blog, voted for the nanny state. This country was not founded on such a notion, nor can it survive for long in such fashion. For me to continue to support it in the way I have been, would be dishonest, and unlike Gore, Baldwin, and others I choose not to do that.
On a day when we would have had so much to celebrate, and when we can finally cast off so many of the hate mongers by electing a black man as president, this is why it is one of the saddest days in American history.
Sorry to have made this so long.
Obama's BLACK?!!@!
littlejohn's post may have been long, but I think he needs to expand on it some, because I've read it five times now and I still have not the slightest clue how "Americans voted for Obama" leads to "I'm never helping anyone ever again."
Just returned to PA from DC. Two and a half hours on a bust down, two and a half back, and in between -- magic.
I was next to the Washington Monument watching Aretha sing and Barack speak on a giant Jumbotron TV that was still half a mile away. Every time Barack or Michelle or the kids came on the screen, moving from the White House to the limos to the Capitol, the crowd screamed. They went nuts just at the sight of him. Bill and Hillary got cheers -- and Bush/Cheney were booed constantly. THAT'S his legacy, Karl Rove.
Nobody parked in DC because nobody drove. They all came in on tour buses and shuttle buses. And there were, indeed, millions of them. DC streets were a crush of people, shoulder-to-shoulder, moving like a great tidal wave. A couple of times my wife and I struggled over to the curb just to keep from being swept away by the current.
Most of the crowd was, indeed, African-American. And they were happy. Deliriously so. And they had a right to be. His speech confirmed it -- he's ready for this job, and we're ready for a person who's ready for this job.j
It's so funny how all those "anonymous" people tend to crawl out of their holes to post here, just like on the message board about the 2008 Minnesota Senate Election.
Why don't you guys take your tin foil hats and go back where you came from? It's a shame how people cna be rallied by a guy who thinks "Subliminable" is a word and then hate a guy who speaks in metaphors. That's just a joke. It's as if these anonymous guys are proud that they don't need to LEARN anything. Dust yourself off, get up and DO SOMETHING that's not in your general train of thought I guess. That would be too inspiring. Voting for a guy who takes away your money and gives it to the rich, not comprehending that he did so is what you guys like best, right?
Damn you.
Idiocracy at it's best.
Bright sunshine and bitter cold – could there be a better metaphor?
Best line I've read all day.
The inaugural poem reminded me of old WW2 movies where code was sent to the resistance by way of such things as...
"Uncle John has a big moustache."
"The goose flies north."
"Aunt Peg has left the light on."
and Bush/Cheney were booed constantly. THAT'S his legacy, Karl Rove.
Exactly. The poster above who said the office of the president should be respected is correct. The OFFICE. Its magnanimity. Not necessarily the occupant. He has to earn the nation's respect. Former president Bush (those words feel so good to type) did not.
But what will become of all the Austrian Shepherds littlejohn's been taking care of? Are they now vulnerable to terrorist attacks?
Heh-heh.
What Penh said.
BTW, littlejon, to look at the last 8 years and decide we're in a mess because of Obama or the Democrats who just took office in the last election, is beyond revisionism...bordering on true delusional thinking.
>> littlejohn said...
Obama eloquent ? My God man, he couldn't even get through the oath of office without a teleprompter, and it is only 3-4 sentences long, WITH someone giving him the words to say. <<
Like every other misinterpretation of reality in your post, Littlejohn, you got this wrong, too. It was Roberts who screwed up, changing the order of the words of the oath of office from what he was supposed to say. Obama paused because he was thrown by it and didn't know whether to respond with the correct oath (and embarrass Roberts) or just repeat what Roberts had said. Roberts publicly apologised to Obama for his error a short time later.
This way to reality, littlejohn.
Alaskaray
>>littlejohn's post may have been long, but I think he needs to expand on it some, because I've read it five times now and I still have not the slightest clue how "Americans voted for Obama" leads to "I'm never helping anyone ever again."<<
so now he can claim Obama kills babies by withholding special blood from them at the next Tinfoil Hat Wearers club meeting?
Wow! The bitter Republican dickwads are certainly out in force today online, while America celebrates their defeat.
"Anonymous said...
Lowlights: Booing former President Bush. Yeah, he wasn't our best, but we did vote him into office twice. Even if you don't agree with him or his politics, there must be some respect for the Office of the President. Besides, he was leaving soon anyway. Let him go to Dallas and build his library.
1. No, that was a highlight. He got his booing the old fashioned way; he EARNED it.
2. "He wasn't out best." Damn right. In fact, he was our worst. He accomplished the gargantuan task of bottoming Nixon.
3. "we did vote him into office twice." No, "We" didn't. I never voted for him at all. He was barely voted into office ONCE only, in 2004. He lost the 2000 election, and stole the office through a series of crimes committed by his brother, other Florida officials, and Republican appointees on the Supreme Court.
4. "there must be some respect for the Office of the President." YES, for the OFFICE, and thus it is MORE important to boo someone who disgraced and befouled the office. Show respect for the office by spitting on Bush!
5. "Let him go to Dallas and build his library." NO! Let him go to The Hague and stand trial for his war crimes, along with Cheney and Rumsfeld. For the Rule of law to mean anything, these criminals must pay for their delberate, overt, and intentional violations of international law.
I was watching NBC when Al Roker turned into a 12 year old spotting Paula Abdul. I was so revolted by his ridiculaous behavior that I instantly changed channels before he got his two-word "Exclusive interview". It's not like it wasn't on 20 different channels anyway.
"We always knew Dick Cheney was Dr. Strangelove."
That's a terrible thing to say about kindly old Dr. Strangelove. He was merely a Nazi. Cheney was Dr. Strangehate.
But overall, what a great day. How bizarre, to feel pride in being an American again, after so, so long.
Cheers darlings. Big cheers.
Damn! I missed Rev. Rick Warren's bene-dickhead-tion. My finger slipped onto the "Mute" button just as the slimeball stepped up, and I couldn't find it again to switch the sound back on untill Warren was done.
Darn this stubborn remote control. I'll bet he was inspiring.
Littlejohn, if you think Obama unveiled a different platform than the one he ran on today, you either weren't listening very carefully, or more likely, were getting your info from Faux News and conservative talk radio. Since you are not going to contribute to our society, why don't you go live somewhere else. I hear Baghdad is nice this time of year.
Oh, a little PS on the booing of Bush (well, it was my favorite part of the ceremony): you know why we heard him booed today, when we haven't heard him booed in 8 years? Because today was the first time since he took (stole) office that he had to face an audience that wasn't carefully vetted to make sure that ONLY people present were people who completely supported his lunatic policies.
Used to be presidents adddressed whoever showed up to see them, but under Bush, only supporters of the president were ever allowed to see him in person.
Otherwise he'd have been facing a lot of boos for years now.
I guess the comments section's gonna be like this for a while, now that so many Republicans are out of work. Have you guys considered watching soaps?
Have you guys considered watching soaps?
They could also do what Peg Bundy does during the day: Oprah and bon-bons.
Rather than Strangelove, I thought Cheney was a dead ringer for mean old man Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life"
Rather than Strangelove, I thought Cheney was a dead ringer for mean old man Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life"
*thinks back to that "It's a Wonderful Life" sketch on Saturday Night Live where they beat the crap out of old man Potter at the end*
Happy times, happy nation.
Exactly!
Felt good to feel proud of our president again. Felt even better to hear a president that didn't sound like Porky Pig meets Sylvester the Cat. Didn't feel so great though listening to a gigantic Queen of Soul screeching for more cake. I know they said she was singing God Bless America but I couldn't tell. Wasn't as bad as that poem though. Man, that was hard to sit through. Good thing the poet spoke after the president, or else most people would have missed the speech.
The speech.
A+ for being inspirational and also telling it like it is. Wouldn't hurt all of us to listen to it again and heed the advice. In a nutshell? He promised to do a good job and extolled all of us to be better citizens. Amen brother.
God bless President Obama. He's stepping up to the plate with two outs and nobody on. Let's hope he swings for the fences.
Aloha
About the booing: I was watching the inauguration on a couple of broadcast networks AND listening to NPR - all of which censored out the booing (they must have had a mike or two positioned in a sound-proof closet just in case, because when Bush appeared there was nothing but dead silence).
Later in the day, I saw a clip from MSNBC which did not completely censor the booing - guess they didn't get the memo.
President Obama sure has a lot on his plate, but I hope he does something about the fact that the major media today is owned by a handful of neocon oligarchs abusing the right of 'freedom of the press' for their own selfish ends.
Changing the laws so that one person or entity cannot own more than 1-2 major media entities might be a start.
AND listening to NPR - all of which censored out the booing
NPR?!
Well, they lost much of my respect, beyond that which I already have for Carl Kassell.
WV: Bactice - bacteria practicing.
do I smell a Drudge link...?
anyway, Kenny...on FIRE with this post. Nicely done.
ps. wow Tallullah. A side of you we seldom see...
I too had tears rolling down my face. But it was during Aretha Franklin's song. Anyone else catch her dramatic pause in the most unfortunate spot while she sang "America"? Run it back and you'll hear it. "My Count--try tis of thee..." Which of course sounded like "My Cunt--try." I'm telling you -- real tears.
PS. Littlejohn,
Your incoherent ramblings were intellectually dishonest and factually inaccurate. Typical tactics of the far right -- to muddy the waters with a whole lot of crap so that no truth sees the light of day.
It was a great day for all of us, even you, though you may never realize it. Ken Burns called it the third act of our country. Our perceptions of ourselves and the way the world views us has forever changed for the better. In spite of our dire situation I and millions of other Americans once again have hope.
Apparently Boy George's inauguration went well too, he just didn't have as much security.
WV: munetra - money; Polari for remuneration.
Hey Ken,
My sister and others were way back at the WWII memorial, but she said the sound was great. Her favorite parts were the classical piece (she said you could hear a pin drop and it was amazing) and the jubilant reverend at the end and 1 million people saying "amen!"
As for parking, they walked from VA - what a memory walking over the Memorial Bridge to that sight!
My thoughts:
If Mr. Blackwell hadn't already died, Aretha's Christmas Bow LED hat would have killed him.
If you'd have replaced Cheney's cane with an umbrella, he could have been the Penguin easily.
As Bush flied into the sunset, for some reason I kept waiting for them to cut to Gary Burghoff coming into the O.R. with a stunned look on his face.
"Obama isn't an elegant speaker without a teleprompter in his face." This may be true. But Bush wasn't one WITH a teleprompter. As for telling us that Bush keeps his intellect private, I think we already knew that.
To be fair to Chief Justice Roberts, it's hard to say the words when the guy who has had his hand up your ass controlling your mouth is no longer around.
And lastly, how can you call it a parade if there isn't a giant inflatable Snoopy or Garfield? And where was the washed up 80's star or preteen from a Disney Channel show I've never heard of to serenade me.
WV: Ingshwus
The way a drunk guy insults a man named "Ing".
Cheney definitely was channeling Mr. Potter today. Someone should have checked under the newspaper on his lap to make sure he wasn't smuggling any shredded documents out of Washington. LOL.
From Jan:
I second what Penh said about littlejohn: couldn't quite make the connection from electing Obama to never helping anyone again. And also what D.McEwan and Talullah Morehead said about the booing. I was watching MSNBC, and it was audible, but when I mentioned it to others, they hadn't heard it. I didn't realize other stations cut it out. But as bad form as I think it was, I also have to say that he did earn it, and it was nice to see him have to confront reality, however briefly, and be exposed to a crowd he couldn't vet or remove all dissidents from. Talk about the Bush in the glass bubble....
In a way, it was nice to see the oath of office screw-up; it reminds us that even Harvard Law grads like Obama and Roberts, the alleged kings of our meritocracy, are fallible. (Though don't you ever actually tell that to a Harvard Law grad.)
WV: "cakines" -- not devil dogs, but devil's food dogs.
Global warming my...
Oh. Sorry. Wrong post.
WVW: persat: what Per did after getting a chair.
WVW2: hythe: How Chaucer greeted his pals.
Actually, I thought Cheney looked exactly like Mr. Potter in It's A Wonderful Life. All he was missing was a lap blanket.
Ivy
"There were two million people in the mall. Where did they park?"
Apparently there are these things called trains that people often use to access urban areas.
Cheney as Dr Strangelove. Ha!
Out of his wheelchair, he's Edward Arnold in any movie directed by Frank Capra.
Wow, the vitriolic commments and pure hatred from some of you people is amazing and more than a little scary.
In no particular order:
1) Thanks to the poster who corrected me on the Roberts gaffe. I was wrong on this. When Obama froze, I thought he was having a brain freeze, which didn't bode well for the future. I went back and checked after reading your note, and you were correct.
2) "Right wing tin hat",etc..., or some such nonsense. I am a registered independent who has voted Republican, Democrat, Independent, and I think Libertarian one time. My 2 dreams on voting are that no party identification be allowed on a ballot, so you would actually have to know who you are voting for, and that initiatives be written by an independent panel of judges, and not by an AG looking for higher office.
3) For you haters: What did YOU DO for the past 7 years to help your country and community ? Sitting on your ass and bitching on a blog about Bush doesn't count in case you weren't intelligent enough to realize that.
How did you spend your 1,000's of hours of community service ?
4) I like Obama. He's bright, has a sense of humor, and likes to hoop. What's not to like ?
I am very proud our country elected an African American for president. I just don't care for his stances on politics, and what his election means about the way our country is going.
5) For you anti-war fanatics,who voted for Obama due to his anti-war stance, how do you react to the fact Obama is NOT going to wave some magic wand, allowing all American troops to vanish from Iraq by close of biz ? And, did you miss the fact he has stated he wants MORE troops in Afghanistan,or said during his speech something like he welcomes other people who will open their fists, and greet him with an open hand - which pretty much eliminates Iran, Hezbolla, the Taliban, Hamas among others.
6) I had specifically stated that Bush deserved criticism for the financial mess we are in, but some of you are truly ill informed if you did not know that 2 years before the crisis hit, the Dems took control of Congress, and Congress is the body of government who is responsible for regulation.
Barny Frank, among others Dems, specifically are on record as not wanting to rein in the mortgage market, even though John McCain for example, warned them about the impending crisis.
7) Yes I watch Fox News, as well as CNN, NBC, ABC, read the LA Times, NY Times, National Review, etc.
If you don't watch and/or read "both sides" of the issues, you are mindless at best. If you state "I have never seen / read _____ because its trash", you obviously don't understand how ignorant you sound, and deserve the turnip award.
"cb said...
wow Tallullah. A side of you we seldom see..."
All you ever have to do is say "Roll over."
LittleJ,
Not everyone needs to trumpet their service, let alone use it as a guilt bludgeon on others to support a holier-than-thou attitude. And you still haven't explained why the mere fact of Obama taking office means "Screw you, everyone I claim I was helping. I'm stopping now."
The connection eludes us.
"I am very proud our country elected an African American for president. I just don't care for his stances on politics, and what his election means about the way our country is going."
Certainly your privilege. I do care for his politics, and what his election means about the way our country is going cheers me very much indeed. That he is African-Hawaiian is just icing on the cake, but of less importance to me than his refutation of Bush policies, and of having an intelligent leader, who reads, and who listens to the opinions of others.
It wasn't just that Bush was an ignorant theocrat, oblivious to the opinions of others, facts, science, and reality. It was his overweening arrogance.
His farewell address boiled down to "You may not like the way I fucked over this country to enrich my family and friends, but you have to at least give me credit for doing it."
Cheers.
About 15 of us watched at work on TV in the breakroom. One of my African American co-workers was weeping--that was really moving.
Didn't think of much of the poem. That's really a tough act to follow. The reaction was the same in our office, once the poet started, chairs scraped back and people got back to work.
"I had specifically stated that Bush deserved criticism for the financial mess we are in, but some of you are truly ill informed if you did not know that 2 years before the crisis hit, the Dems took control of Congress, and Congress is the body of government who is responsible for regulation."
Some thoughts about Bush's responsibility in the economic mess.
1) Lax regulation of the banking industry, which made it possible for them to write some of the stupidest loans possible to people who had no business getting them. Their hope was that they could sell or get out from under the crap before anyone noticed. This occurred under Bush's watch. Not everyone who got a friggin' mortgage waited until the Dem's took control of Congress.
2) Bush's mantra was, "Spend, spend, spend." He wanted us to shop our way out of 9/11, he consistently touted high home ownership as a sign of prosperity.
3) Bush was in bed with the oil industry and as such, had zero desire to implement energy policy that could have helped avert the gas price explosion. The explosion in gas prices put a considerable dent into budgets already stretched both in the actual price of gas and the huge jump in grocery prices.
4) Back to home loans, did you happen to get one in the past 5 years? My mortgage broker was pushing interest only loans, low payment ARM loans, and any number of wacky loans that would work ONLY if house prices stayed up. Given the tremendous explosion in money available for loans, demand went up and prices went up. That was the recipe for disaster. Even people that can afford their mortgage payment have seen their home values plummet to a point where it almost makes more sense to walk away than keep paying it
VW -- Jadeedo -- The disturbing offspring from a chance sexual encounter between Star Wars characters Jar Jar Binks and Greedo. In case you're wondering, Greedo shot first.
If I read littlejohn correctly, it's his disgust with the "nanny state" that has caused him to withdraw his charitable acts. I guess he assumes the government will fill the gap.
I read that the mortgage industry crisis was set in motion by the Clinton co-presidents and exacerbated by Bush. Plenty of blame to go around.
Ms. Tallulah,
You're right on certain fronts, however, if you read through the comments you'll see that if you didn't vote for Obama, or agree with what someone else is saying then you're a - racist / dickwad / douche /delusional / wearing tin foil hats, etc.
Conservatives have the rep as the ones being bitter, hateful, with no heart, yet I would guess most of the people who posted the above comments are liberal. Am I wrong on this ?
My writing skills are not on the level of Ken's. (THAT BY THE WAY WAS A JOKE.) I find verbal conversations where you can watch a person's expression and respond to what they are saying to be a much better forum for me.
I did not mean to bludgeon people with my public service. I have simply gotten extremely weary of people complaining and mouthing off about how bad things are - yet they NEVER do anything but bitch. Or, as if somehow because they voted for the winner, that's all they have to do. One of the posters said something like - maybe you should actually get up and DO something, even after I had posted my note, which totally baffled me.
I listed some of the charity work I have done to put a human face on a poster named littlejohn. How do you actually live your life ? You can tell me all the tales you want about how you think or want things to be, but tell me what you have DONE. Tell me what you did. In the end, that's all that matters. Tiger Woods didn't just dream of being the best ever, he WORKED his ass off to be the best he could.
That's why I find Gore to be such a phony, and why I have admired Ed Begley(sp). Gore has the carbon footprint larger than a family of 50, but tells us we need to make our footprint as small as possible. Begley lives what he preaches; even if you think he's totally wrong, you can respect and admire him for it.
Its been a long day, and I am sure I have wandered way beyond your original comment about charity work, but i wanted to respond.
The hate on a comedy writer's blog still stuns me though, but that's just me.
(Nobody's going to read this, they'll get lost in vast stretches of littlejohn. Oh, well...)
If you're fed up with Katie, Al, Charlie, Chris and all the other nuisances, try C-SPAN. It's the next best thing to being there. And I thought Aretha's hat was just swell.
"Buttermilk Sky said...
I thought Aretha's hat was just swell."
Did you get the verb wrong and forget to type two letters? Because it makes more sense as "I though Aretha's hat had just swelled."
LJ,
I did read all the comments. The idea that all people who did not vote for Obama are racist is, of course, absurd and over-the-top. I do not believe that every one who voted for McCain is evil, they just voted for evil. (And I'm not actually saying that McCain is evil. He's not, but he ran as Bush Adminstration Term 3, and that WOULD BE evil. And Sarah Palin is Satan's Cheerleader.)
"I would guess most of the people who posted the above comments are liberal. Am I wrong on this ?"
I am unacquainted with the posters apart from myself and Ken. Ask them. I'm a liberal atheist.
The poem was terrible and the reading of it was painful. Her. Speaking. Style. Was. Terrible.
The poem was terrible and the reading of it was painful. Her. Speaking. Style. Was. Terrible.
I've already got an air-conditioned room reserved in Hell, so I can say this: With how she spoke, I thought Obama was reaching out to the mentally disabled.
Rory, I think you just lost the air conditioning.
VW: adoust
how a Brooklynite would say goodbye to a frenchman?
This space for rent.
WVW lymord: a particularly aristocratic citrus.
Rory, I think you just lost the air conditioning.
Nope. I've beaten Satan at poker many times. Plus, I made sure the contract was legit by Hell's standards. ;)
WV: cedists - People who like to beat cedar trees.
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