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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Ch, Ch, Ch, Chia
From Ben Smith. It appears to be real.
And, there are two kinds: Happy (left) and Determined (right). I wonder what the John McCain Chia President would have looked like... Constipated (left) and Angry (right)? Do we live in a great country or what? Read the rest of this post...
And, there are two kinds: Happy (left) and Determined (right). I wonder what the John McCain Chia President would have looked like... Constipated (left) and Angry (right)? Do we live in a great country or what? Read the rest of this post...
Aretha's hat
Joe.My.God. has some of the Facebook chatter while Aretha was singing. Hy. Sterical.
Read the rest of this post...
Read the rest of this post...
Non-Believers Are Americans, Too
From Jonathan Cohn at TNR:
Using inclusive language about religion is pretty much ritual now. If you're a politician giving a speech and you're going to cite one faith, you have to cite many--i.e., not just Christians, but Jews, Muslims, and Hindus as well. And that's a good thing.I noticed it too. Politicians don't generally mention non-believers in the litany of faiths they respect. Not sure what it means about where Obama is headed. But it is interesting. Read the rest of this post...
But if the standards of polite political discourse now require accepting people who pray to god in different ways, it doesn't require recognizing those who choose not to pray at all. At least not yet. That made this line in Obama's address significant:For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus--and non-believers.Perhaps this is another barrier, albeit a rhetorical one, that Obama intends to tear down over the next few years.
That about sums it up
From reader RainbowPhoenix:
It's like we're all waking up from some horrible nightmare. The reality is far from perfect, but it's still so much better.Read the rest of this post...
Glenn Beck cried
Not because of the inauguration. Because he was introducing Sarah Palin on his show, and she just chokes him up. Uh huh. Then when she comes on the air, he says "you are one hot grandma, I'm just saying." Yes, and we're the ones who treat Sarah Palin differently because she's a woman. The video is a scream. Best thing CNN ever did was letting this loser slip away to the faux news network.
Read the rest of this post...
Read the rest of this post...
Senator Kennedy had seizure at inaugural lunch
CNN is reporting that Senator Ted Kennedy, who has been receiving treatment for brain cancer, collapsed during the inaugural luncheon.
Apparently, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) had some medical issues, too.
Politico has more:
Apparently, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) had some medical issues, too.
Politico has more:
Ted Kennedy was taken out of the Statuary Hall luncheon after suffering an apparent seizure -- a few minutes after Sen. Robert Byrd was removed in his wheelchair under the supervision of medical personnel.Read the rest of this post...
Byrd was conscious and had been having trouble eating, according to a witness.
My Inauguration Day trip to the Mall
Back home after several hours making our way down to the Mall -- and back. We did have tickets, but never did manage to make it through the "Blue Gate." It was a mess. Oh well. Along the way, people were great. From the walk down Connecticut Avenue to the Metro to the wait in line. Everybody we met was in a great mood. Cold, but very happy.
The Metro was crowded, but ran like clockwork. Very impressive:
So, everyone seemed to do their job today -- especially the people who attended the event. On every part of today's excursion, we met the nicest people. People were talking to each other, sharing their Obama stories and basically just reveling in the experience of this historic event. Everyone was orderly and extremely polite, which was just very cool.
Well, everyone did their job except the people who controlled tickets and security. Look, it was a great, historic day for America and the world. So I don't want to take away from that. But. We are a news blog, and the way the inauguration went for hundreds of thousands of people still waiting to get in at noon is relevant news. You have to understand that the one thing that the Inaugural Committee did have control over was how many tickets were distributed. They knew. That means they should have known how long it would take to get people through security. Shouldn't be that complicated. Senator Feinstein should have asked a few questions about that part of the plan. Here's the view at the "Blue Gate" around 11:40 a.m. when all the ticket holders should have been in - all of these people missed out. And, it was much worse for the thousands of attendees who were stuck in a tunnel, via TPM. Hopefully by pointing this fact out it will be addressed in four years during Obama's next inaugural, so no one misses out again:
Anyway, it didn't ruin the day for me. But, it might have for others who waited for a long time in 20 degree weather.
The important thing is that Obama is the President and George Bush is gone from D.C. This was my view -- and we left right after the 21-gun salute:
To top it off, I did get to see Don King at the Huffington Post party last night. This was a site to see:
Okay, to really top it off, I also got a kiss from Rachel Maddow last night when we met. Read the rest of this post...
The Metro was crowded, but ran like clockwork. Very impressive:
So, everyone seemed to do their job today -- especially the people who attended the event. On every part of today's excursion, we met the nicest people. People were talking to each other, sharing their Obama stories and basically just reveling in the experience of this historic event. Everyone was orderly and extremely polite, which was just very cool.
Well, everyone did their job except the people who controlled tickets and security. Look, it was a great, historic day for America and the world. So I don't want to take away from that. But. We are a news blog, and the way the inauguration went for hundreds of thousands of people still waiting to get in at noon is relevant news. You have to understand that the one thing that the Inaugural Committee did have control over was how many tickets were distributed. They knew. That means they should have known how long it would take to get people through security. Shouldn't be that complicated. Senator Feinstein should have asked a few questions about that part of the plan. Here's the view at the "Blue Gate" around 11:40 a.m. when all the ticket holders should have been in - all of these people missed out. And, it was much worse for the thousands of attendees who were stuck in a tunnel, via TPM. Hopefully by pointing this fact out it will be addressed in four years during Obama's next inaugural, so no one misses out again:
Anyway, it didn't ruin the day for me. But, it might have for others who waited for a long time in 20 degree weather.
The important thing is that Obama is the President and George Bush is gone from D.C. This was my view -- and we left right after the 21-gun salute:
To top it off, I did get to see Don King at the Huffington Post party last night. This was a site to see:
Okay, to really top it off, I also got a kiss from Rachel Maddow last night when we met. Read the rest of this post...
Let the joyous news be spread, the wicked old witch at last is dead
WhiteHouse.gov has a new face.
It's over, bitch.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. Read the rest of this post...
It's over, bitch.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. Read the rest of this post...
Liveblogging: Inauguration
Rob @ 12:26 PM: Obama's finished. Sober but not somber - I think it struck the right tone.
Rob @ 12:18 PM: What I love about those crowd shots - they are demonstration of a real mandate - not a spin manufactured image of a mandate. With high poll numbers and this kind of demonstration, it's clear the direction of the nation.
Rob @ 12:09 AM: Seeing the far shot of Obama at the podium, it hardly feels real.
Rob @ 12:06: The oath has been given and Barack Obama is now president of the United States. (A couple of mistakes is okay. He is but a man.)
Rob @ 12:01 PM: A beautiful musical interlude from Yo Yo Ma. It really helps one take a breath and realize where we are today and what's about to happen.
Rob @ 11:58 AM: We're almost free.
Rob @ 11:58 AM: America is about to be free of Vice President Dick Cheney.
Rob @ 11:53: Well that abomination is over. We're on to a spectacular Aretha Franklin singing My Country Tis of Thee.
Rob @ 11:48: Rick Warren's hollow invocation about to begin. I'd like to be 100% supportive of Obama, but he'll never make me understand why this man was chosen to represent people of faith in America.
Rob @ 11:46 AM: Sen. Feinsten is starting off the ceremony.
Rob @ 11:39 AM: Obama just appeared on TV. He looks confident and yet well aware of what he's about to undertake. Biden, by contrast, seems much more celebratory. It's also nice to see two women, Sen. Feinstein and Speaker Pelosi, walking the President in. Our nation looks a lot different today than it did in 2004.
Rob @ 11:35: Bush is about to walk out - Biden right behind him.
John @ 11:34 AM: Jacki and Joe just called. Neither of them is getting in. Both had tickets. Jacki (who has my tickets that Pelosi's office gave us) said it's simply a mass of people downtown - there are no lines to get in, no one directing anything. The guy in line next to Jacki says he's been there since 4:00 AM, and he still hasn't gotten in. Then again with millions of people downtown, and it looks like it truly is millions, it's not clear how you organize any of this.
Rob@ 11:33 AM: The Inauguration is about to start. There is a little booing of Bush. Read the rest of this post...
Rob @ 12:18 PM: What I love about those crowd shots - they are demonstration of a real mandate - not a spin manufactured image of a mandate. With high poll numbers and this kind of demonstration, it's clear the direction of the nation.
Rob @ 12:09 AM: Seeing the far shot of Obama at the podium, it hardly feels real.
Rob @ 12:06: The oath has been given and Barack Obama is now president of the United States. (A couple of mistakes is okay. He is but a man.)
Rob @ 12:01 PM: A beautiful musical interlude from Yo Yo Ma. It really helps one take a breath and realize where we are today and what's about to happen.
Rob @ 11:58 AM: We're almost free.
Rob @ 11:58 AM: America is about to be free of Vice President Dick Cheney.
Rob @ 11:53: Well that abomination is over. We're on to a spectacular Aretha Franklin singing My Country Tis of Thee.
Rob @ 11:48: Rick Warren's hollow invocation about to begin. I'd like to be 100% supportive of Obama, but he'll never make me understand why this man was chosen to represent people of faith in America.
Rob @ 11:46 AM: Sen. Feinsten is starting off the ceremony.
Rob @ 11:39 AM: Obama just appeared on TV. He looks confident and yet well aware of what he's about to undertake. Biden, by contrast, seems much more celebratory. It's also nice to see two women, Sen. Feinstein and Speaker Pelosi, walking the President in. Our nation looks a lot different today than it did in 2004.
Rob @ 11:35: Bush is about to walk out - Biden right behind him.
John @ 11:34 AM: Jacki and Joe just called. Neither of them is getting in. Both had tickets. Jacki (who has my tickets that Pelosi's office gave us) said it's simply a mass of people downtown - there are no lines to get in, no one directing anything. The guy in line next to Jacki says he's been there since 4:00 AM, and he still hasn't gotten in. Then again with millions of people downtown, and it looks like it truly is millions, it's not clear how you organize any of this.
Rob@ 11:33 AM: The Inauguration is about to start. There is a little booing of Bush. Read the rest of this post...
Liveblogging Pre-Inauguration Festivities, trois
John @ 11:23 AM: Well here's a funny thing. I just got a copy of the Obama inaugural address, but it's embargoed until delivery. I have to respect embargoes now - oh what a difference an administration makes (I don't have to, I'm choosing to). It's a great speech. Not surprisingly, it's about the economy and where America stands in this cold, somewhat daunting winter.
I'd go so far as to say that very unpartisan, beyond partisan, speech is even a teeny bit partisan. There are a few implicit slaps against the Republicans who are complaining about the stimulus package, and even the Republican presidential campaign (i.e., John McCain). I could be reading it wrong, but see what you think when obama speaks at noon.
John @ 11:12 AM: BBC's video feed of the inaugural.
John @ 11:07 AM: Joe's friend Robin Carnahan, the secretary of state of Missouri, just sent us a beautiful photo from her vantage point on the mall. A sea of color on a really gorgeous winter's day in Washington, DC.
Rob @ 11:04 AM: The supreme court has just been seated and there was a great shot of Teddy Kennedy taking a picture with supporters. It's great that he got to see this day.
Rob @ 11:00 AM: The motorcade has arrived at the Capitol. Read the rest of this post...
I'd go so far as to say that very unpartisan, beyond partisan, speech is even a teeny bit partisan. There are a few implicit slaps against the Republicans who are complaining about the stimulus package, and even the Republican presidential campaign (i.e., John McCain). I could be reading it wrong, but see what you think when obama speaks at noon.
John @ 11:12 AM: BBC's video feed of the inaugural.
John @ 11:07 AM: Joe's friend Robin Carnahan, the secretary of state of Missouri, just sent us a beautiful photo from her vantage point on the mall. A sea of color on a really gorgeous winter's day in Washington, DC.
Rob @ 11:04 AM: The supreme court has just been seated and there was a great shot of Teddy Kennedy taking a picture with supporters. It's great that he got to see this day.
Rob @ 11:00 AM: The motorcade has arrived at the Capitol. Read the rest of this post...
Liveblogging Pre-Inauguration Festivities, deux
Rob @ 10:49 AM: The motorcade is leaving the White House headed to the Capitol.
Rob @ 10:47 AM: Cheney just wheeled out of the White House - what an ironic turn of events. Michelle and Mrs. Bush preceded Cheney. Obama and Bush about to come out. Watching via the C-SPAN Inauguration Control Room.
10:35 AM: Very cool, AP has streaming coverage of the inaugural that you can watch from your computer:
10:30 AM: Someone in the comments mentioned there was a shoe-throwing protest at the White House yesterday. Cute.
10:12 AM: Joe just phoned in. He left his house at 8am this morning, and is still in line to get into the mall area - and mind you, he and his family are among the 300,000 people who have tickets. He says it appears the crowd control is poorly organized, there's no one directing the crowds, telling you where to go, being there to ask questions to, etc. And best of all, they didn't open up the mall until 9am. Why not until 9am? Not clear. Joe said it reminds him of when we were at the Democratic Convention in Denver this summer - you have never seen a more poorly organized event than that convention. As Joe notes, it's as if these people never had to organize a convention, or a swearing in, before. The town does this every 4 years - we know how to do it, there are people who know how to do it. Apparently they're not working today. Oh well.
10:10 AM: Interesting... I just noticed that the ACLU bought "Close Gitmo" ads on our blog for the swearing in. Very interesting move. Downright cheeky even.
10:02 AM: Rob and I are both sick with the flu (I'm getting over it, Rob is still in the thick of it), so Jacki and her beau got my tickets to the swearing in, and Joe is down on the mall with his family, taking photos and videos for you guys in the balmy 23 degree weather. I plan to grab video of the chimp being flown away from the White House a bit after 12 noon - you can see the White House from my apartment, well, you can't see it because it's only 2 stories high, but you can see where it should be. I've seen Bush flying in and out before, you can always tell because there are multiple helicopters, in order to fool would-be assailants. I suspect the chimp will fly over my apartment as he usually does, I'm on the presidential flight place. So will grab vids and photos if I can. Read the rest of this post...
Rob @ 10:47 AM: Cheney just wheeled out of the White House - what an ironic turn of events. Michelle and Mrs. Bush preceded Cheney. Obama and Bush about to come out. Watching via the C-SPAN Inauguration Control Room.
10:35 AM: Very cool, AP has streaming coverage of the inaugural that you can watch from your computer:
10:30 AM: Someone in the comments mentioned there was a shoe-throwing protest at the White House yesterday. Cute.
10:12 AM: Joe just phoned in. He left his house at 8am this morning, and is still in line to get into the mall area - and mind you, he and his family are among the 300,000 people who have tickets. He says it appears the crowd control is poorly organized, there's no one directing the crowds, telling you where to go, being there to ask questions to, etc. And best of all, they didn't open up the mall until 9am. Why not until 9am? Not clear. Joe said it reminds him of when we were at the Democratic Convention in Denver this summer - you have never seen a more poorly organized event than that convention. As Joe notes, it's as if these people never had to organize a convention, or a swearing in, before. The town does this every 4 years - we know how to do it, there are people who know how to do it. Apparently they're not working today. Oh well.
10:10 AM: Interesting... I just noticed that the ACLU bought "Close Gitmo" ads on our blog for the swearing in. Very interesting move. Downright cheeky even.
10:02 AM: Rob and I are both sick with the flu (I'm getting over it, Rob is still in the thick of it), so Jacki and her beau got my tickets to the swearing in, and Joe is down on the mall with his family, taking photos and videos for you guys in the balmy 23 degree weather. I plan to grab video of the chimp being flown away from the White House a bit after 12 noon - you can see the White House from my apartment, well, you can't see it because it's only 2 stories high, but you can see where it should be. I've seen Bush flying in and out before, you can always tell because there are multiple helicopters, in order to fool would-be assailants. I suspect the chimp will fly over my apartment as he usually does, I'm on the presidential flight place. So will grab vids and photos if I can. Read the rest of this post...
Liveblogging Pre-Inauguration Festivities
9:57 AM: NBC just asked if someone who knows Washington can estimate the size of the crowd on the mall. I will. Generally speaking, a million people, from what I've learned from previous marches, fill the mall from the Congress to the Washington Monument, with very little space showing on the ground. NBC reports that people have filled the mall from the Lincoln to the Congress (the Capitol building). I think that puts us upwards of 1.5m to 1.75m on the mall, already. And we still have two hours to go. And, mind you, people are on the sidewalks, under the trees, and other places that don't show up on simple photos of the mall itself.
9:53 AM: Just shot a picture out my window. It's a balmy 23 degrees, and so crisp that every chimney stack in the city is smoking.
9:48 AM: The Church service has concluded and the trip to the White House to be greeted by the outgoing President. It's really all starting now. Michelle Obama looks perfect today. Perfect.
9:42 AM: For those of you looking for options to watch the Inauguration online, you can check out this page.
9:34 AM: CNN has a shot of the presidential limousines. I don't think that these are the new ones, I think he'll use the new one after Inauguration. Here's a shot of the new Cadillac limo. UPDATE: National Geographic has a great shot of the limo, as well as pictures from Inaugurations past.
9:31 AM: The NYSE is being opened on the steps on Federal Hall - the location of the first inauguration. The shot is a group of school children filling the stairs and and ringing bells. Cute.
9:30 AM: So I'm going back and forth between MSNBC and C-SPAN this morning. AP reported at 9:15 that the Mall was officially at capacity and closed. Current headlines on Morning Joe: Underground Trains Filled to Capacity. Security Checkpoints Overwhelmed as DC Streets Fill.
9:15 AM: A very good morning to everyone. Sadly I too have lost the battle with this season's flu and have to enjoy today's experience from Baltimore. I'm obviously extremely sad not to have been a part of today's joyful crowd. But at the same time, those of us at home have the benefit of getting a front row seat for everything and a bird's eye view of the scale of today's historic gathering.
I'm a sucker for majesty and pageantry. I'll put our traditions of government and transition of power against any nation's historic traditions - we may be young but we do it better. At least that's what I was taught in civics class back in school. But for so much of my life, DC seemed like an empty Hollywood set. DC's buildings were beautiful, inscribed with uplifting and inspiring quotes, and yet so much of what I saw was an insult to the American people. And as much as I call myself an optimist, I'm still overwhelmed by the power of people to come together and make change. To see the backdrop of Washington DC today - filled with real hope, energy, and optimism - it's something I haven't seen in my lifetime and quite honestly never thought I would see. The people on the mall today don't look like props in a Hollywood movie, they look like passionate and engaged Americans invested in their nation's future. And that's all a credit to Barack Obama and his campaign.
From the start of his campaign, Barack Obama has used long dormant parts of our democracy - fighting for every delegate, getting out and organizing, having people go out into the community and knock on doors and ask their neighbor to get involved. And today is the culmination of that work in reinvigorating democracy. Let us all hope that same energy grows beyond the campaign and the beautiful pageantry and into a newly invigorated government. Read the rest of this post...
9:53 AM: Just shot a picture out my window. It's a balmy 23 degrees, and so crisp that every chimney stack in the city is smoking.
9:48 AM: The Church service has concluded and the trip to the White House to be greeted by the outgoing President. It's really all starting now. Michelle Obama looks perfect today. Perfect.
9:42 AM: For those of you looking for options to watch the Inauguration online, you can check out this page.
9:34 AM: CNN has a shot of the presidential limousines. I don't think that these are the new ones, I think he'll use the new one after Inauguration. Here's a shot of the new Cadillac limo. UPDATE: National Geographic has a great shot of the limo, as well as pictures from Inaugurations past.
9:31 AM: The NYSE is being opened on the steps on Federal Hall - the location of the first inauguration. The shot is a group of school children filling the stairs and and ringing bells. Cute.
9:30 AM: So I'm going back and forth between MSNBC and C-SPAN this morning. AP reported at 9:15 that the Mall was officially at capacity and closed. Current headlines on Morning Joe: Underground Trains Filled to Capacity. Security Checkpoints Overwhelmed as DC Streets Fill.
9:15 AM: A very good morning to everyone. Sadly I too have lost the battle with this season's flu and have to enjoy today's experience from Baltimore. I'm obviously extremely sad not to have been a part of today's joyful crowd. But at the same time, those of us at home have the benefit of getting a front row seat for everything and a bird's eye view of the scale of today's historic gathering.
I'm a sucker for majesty and pageantry. I'll put our traditions of government and transition of power against any nation's historic traditions - we may be young but we do it better. At least that's what I was taught in civics class back in school. But for so much of my life, DC seemed like an empty Hollywood set. DC's buildings were beautiful, inscribed with uplifting and inspiring quotes, and yet so much of what I saw was an insult to the American people. And as much as I call myself an optimist, I'm still overwhelmed by the power of people to come together and make change. To see the backdrop of Washington DC today - filled with real hope, energy, and optimism - it's something I haven't seen in my lifetime and quite honestly never thought I would see. The people on the mall today don't look like props in a Hollywood movie, they look like passionate and engaged Americans invested in their nation's future. And that's all a credit to Barack Obama and his campaign.
From the start of his campaign, Barack Obama has used long dormant parts of our democracy - fighting for every delegate, getting out and organizing, having people go out into the community and knock on doors and ask their neighbor to get involved. And today is the culmination of that work in reinvigorating democracy. Let us all hope that same energy grows beyond the campaign and the beautiful pageantry and into a newly invigorated government. Read the rest of this post...
Tuesday Morning, Inauguration Day, Open Thread
Good morning. Happy Inauguration Day. And, for the first time in a long time, it is a happy Inauguration Day.
I really thought this day would never come.
I'm leaving shortly for the festivities down on the Mall. It's cold, but from the early reports, it looks like the crowd is going to be a record-breaker. I'll have a full report when I get back.
Let's get it started... Read the rest of this post...
I really thought this day would never come.
I'm leaving shortly for the festivities down on the Mall. It's cold, but from the early reports, it looks like the crowd is going to be a record-breaker. I'll have a full report when I get back.
Let's get it started... Read the rest of this post...
Celebrate democracy, get a tattoo
Those commemorative t-shirts don't really last, do they? Is there any business that hasn't been swept up in Obama inauguration fever? The economy can use all the help it can get, so why not?
For those who want a more permanent way to showcase their support for Barack Obama, Washington's tattoo parlors are ready to help.Read the rest of this post...
"There's nothing more memorable than a tattoo," said Matt Jessup, better known as "Fatty," the owner of Fatty's Custom Tattooz and Body Piercing.
His shop is celebrating what it has dubbed the "Obamathan," where customers can get a free "Obama '08" logo tattoo if they buy another tattoo worth $200. The Obama tattoo, Fatty says, is worth $70.
"A lot of people are feeling very inspired and taken by this moment in our nation's history. And for many people, they are in town for this historic event, they want something to remember it by," he said.
At Fatty's and other tattoo shops in the area, there have been multiple inquiries about getting inked with an Obama image, they say, but only a few people have actually gone through with.
The most popular choices so far have been the Obama logo, the word "hope," and the now iconic red-and-blue Obama hope poster by Shepard Fairey.
The world says goodbye to Bush
The Reuters collection of editorials from around the world is light on praise, as you might imagine. For me, my own negative view of Bush plummeted on 9/11 when he went MIA. At a moment when Americans around the world were looking for leadership, the coward went into hiding. As an American overseas who wasn't able to successfully get a phone line through to the US for days I was looking for leadership that day and all we got was the mayor of NY. It was the most cowardly moment and no matter how loud he yelled days later on his bullhorn, it could never make up for that pathetic day.
Onto the low lights:
Onto the low lights:
"A weak leader, Bush was just overwhelmed in the job," said Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung under a headline: "The Failure." "He confused stubbornness with principles. America has become intolerant and it will take a long time to repair that damage."But besides that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln? Read the rest of this post...
...
"Goodbye to the worst president ever," it declared. "Bush was an unmitigated disaster, failing on the big issues from the invasion of Iraq to global warming, Hurricane Katrina and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression."
"Bush leaves a country and an economy in tatters," wrote the Sunday Times in London. It said America's national debt and unemployment nearly doubled on his watch.
Britain's Daily Mail said he entered office with a budget surplus of $128 billion but exits with a $482 billion deficit.
"He leaves the world facing its biggest crisis since the Depression, the Middle East in flames and U.S. standing at an all-time low.
...
The Scottish Daily Record observed: "America is now hated in many parts of the world. Bush leaves a legacy of wars and the world economy in meltdown. He has been dismissed as a buffoon and a war-monger, a man who made the world a more dangerous place while sending it to the brink of economic collapse."
...
The Sydney Morning Herald complained about Bush's "singular lack of curiosity in international matters" in an editorial titled "Farewell to a flawed and unpopular commander-in-chief."
...
Le Monde: "It's hard to find a historian who won't say that Bush was the most catastrophic leader the U.S. has ever known," the French daily wrote. "One success: since September 11, 2001, there was no attack on U.S. soil. But this sits alongside an interminable list of failures, starting with the war in Iraq."
Germany, ridiculed as "old Europe" by Bush's former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld for opposing the Iraq invasion, took aim at Bush.
"Bush brought great misery to the world with his 'friend-or-foe' mentality," wrote Die Zeit.
Stern magazine said: "Bush led the world's most powerful nation to ruin. He lied to the world, tortured in the name of freedom and caused lasting damage to America's standing."
Morgan Stanley AP Chairman: worst still ahead for US economy
Stephen Roach has consistently offered excellent commentary and insight into this troubled economy including today's visit to CNBC. The US economy had much too much consumer spending when it peaked at 72% of GNP in the first half of 2007. Roach believes we still have 80% of the adjustment ahead of us including rising unemployment that will likely cross 9% and possibly even 10% during the recovery. Recovering from the consumer spending binge will take years and when we do see recovery, it's likely to be small for a while as opposed to a strong bounce. Roach even slips in a shot at the Wall Street cheerleaders who always claim we've seen the last of the bad news only to be back to the same point a month or two later. It's an excellent video from the no-nonsense Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia Pacific.
Read the rest of this post...
Aussie billionaire sells his new toys
Poor fellow. It ain't easy being a billionaire.
Even multibillionaires are feeling the pinch. James Packer, once Australia's richest man, has reportedly put his $50m (£23m) yacht up for sale, postponed delivery of a $60m private jet and left a swimming pool complex at his family property half-built.Read the rest of this post...
Mr Packer, 41, who inherited a fortune from his father, the media tycoon Kerry Packer, has seen the value of his assets halve in the past year, from $6bn to less than $3bn, according to the Sydney Sunday Telegraph. As a result, he is dismantling his playboy lifestyle. A three-level Mayfair apartment is also up for sale.
Saudi King pledges $1 billion for Gaza rebuilding
Great news, but what has taken so long? For all of the complaining that everyone offers about the US money sent to Israel, they always conveniently overlook the billions that the US also sends to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, not to mention EU money. The Arab world too often fails to financially support neighboring countries while they drift deeper into financial ruin and choose radical options for political leadership. While I have my disagreements with Israel policy, the same could be said about Israelis who often have mixed opinions on public policy which is of course, just like Americans or any other country that has mixed opinions on policy.
All of this aside what I believe is that Israel has done a better job than most countries with the money they receive. Are there problems? Sure. Do they make mistakes? Of course. However, to fault Israel for building a modern country that offers jobs and a high standard of living while neighbors are stuck in poverty - despite receiving billions themselves - makes no sense at all. I've spent enough time in Israel as well as the region to know that Israel has made their share of mistakes but they've also done a hell of a job building a future for their people. Maybe it's time the Saudi family and other rich families spend more time opening their wallets and building a future for the Palestinians (and their own people) instead of promoting hate. Let the king spend a billion, hopefully more. Rebuild Gaza and help build a future. That's something everyone could agree upon including the Israelis. Read the rest of this post...
All of this aside what I believe is that Israel has done a better job than most countries with the money they receive. Are there problems? Sure. Do they make mistakes? Of course. However, to fault Israel for building a modern country that offers jobs and a high standard of living while neighbors are stuck in poverty - despite receiving billions themselves - makes no sense at all. I've spent enough time in Israel as well as the region to know that Israel has made their share of mistakes but they've also done a hell of a job building a future for their people. Maybe it's time the Saudi family and other rich families spend more time opening their wallets and building a future for the Palestinians (and their own people) instead of promoting hate. Let the king spend a billion, hopefully more. Rebuild Gaza and help build a future. That's something everyone could agree upon including the Israelis. Read the rest of this post...
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