Bush 'the king' blows $50m on coronation

[kskiska]

President's lavish inauguration is 'obscene' when US troops are dying in Iraq war, say critics


It will be one of the biggest parties in American history, but half of the country will be left out. With a price tag of up to $50 million, President George W Bush's inauguration in 11 days' time will be an unashamed celebration of Red America's victory over Blue America in last November's election.

It is going to be the most expensive, most security-obsessed event in the history of Washington DC. An army of 10,000 police, secret service officers and FBI agents will patrol the capital for four days of massive celebrations that some critics have derided as reminiscent of the lavish shindigs thrown by Louis XIV, France's extravagant Sun King.

More than 150,000 people, nearly all Republicans whose tickets are a reward for election work, will pack the Mall to hear Bush take his oath of office on 20 January. There will be nine official balls, countless unofficial ones, parades and a concert hosted by Bush's daughters, Jenna and Barbara.

(snip)

Many observers say it is all too much. 'We have elected a President who seems to have quite a monarchical role. It is a bit of a coronation,' said Larry Haas, a former official in Bill Clinton's White House.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1386231,00.html

[ogradda]

1. *ggrrrrrrr*

i'd mention how he's low class trash, but that would be overly insulting to low class trash.

[eyeontheprize]

2. Even snakes need something to look down upon. nt

[bluestateguy]

3. Thursday the 20th is just another day as far as I'm concerned

I will be ignoring all these rich people's parties in Washington D.C. on that day.

I'll probably have to stay away from DU on the 20th too because surely there will be some people who insist on giving us 5 minute updates on what's happening.

[EFerrari]

8. Hey, have a party, we are. It's the beginning of the end for

these criminals.

You can't sit on 37 different felonies forever.

[serryjw]

47. 37 different felonies

Please start a new thread with a list of all the current 'investigations'/felonies.....would love an update

[FourStarDemocrat]

4. We should rename it Black Thursday, or Chimp Crowning Day,

I wouldn't be surprised if the price tag tops $80 million before it's all over.

[tanyev]

37. I've been using

Coronation of His Royal Fraudulency.

[spooked]

63. Chimp Crowning Day...works for me

[FourStarDemocrat]

65. nice pic! n/t

[Botany]

5. He still does not get it.

With S.E. Asia in ruins, Iraq a hell hole, the economy in the tank, and
he has to know at least 25% of the country is onto his rigged election
he is going for the all out ego trip.

Very Christian.

[EFerrari]

6. It's gross as possible, but the up side, also removed from the

reality most people live with. Good. Easier to fight.

Let him go the whole nine yards. He'll never recover.

[yardwork]

7. Disgusting

[Bouncy Ball]

9. Like someone else on DU said

I want pictures, pictures, pictures, constant coverage, I want pictures of bush et al eating caviar, drinking incredibly expensive champagne and all that wired out to the rest of the entire world, put side by side with pictures of the tsunami devastation and the hellhole in Iraq our servicemembers are still dying in and Iraqis are still dying in.

[EFerrari]

11. Exactly. They're reasoning is, people want to identify with

riches, with luxury.

And they may be right.

But their timing is as horrible as possible. Perfect.

[ima_sinnic]

19. oh yes, if there is a just God, it will be beamed into every home

in America, 24/7s

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

21. Yep, just like Hunter Thompson said....

Wall to wall coverage.
Have to have it.

[CatholicEdHead]

68. Faux News

will sure show one side nonstop.

[JerseygirlCT]

30. Hell, we could probably move a few blocks away for pictures of

people sleeping on metro vents to keep warm. Nice contrast, huh?

Maybe a handy list of what 50 million could do. How many people could be fed? Given homes? Taught to read?

[Erika]

10. Agree with poster

Bush shouldn't be extravagantly spending money and celebrating when our people and innocent Iraqis are dying. Check out www.icasualties.org.

It shows our deaths, Sunni's quiting the election panel, and our bombing an Iraqi home.

I will be wearing black on January 20,th.

[serryjw]

48. Armored plated Humvee's

How many can you get for $50 MILLION?

[usregimechange]

12. How much did he give to the earthquake victims? nt

[Cronus Protagonist]

14. $10,000 and that's NOT verified....

[leftchick]

22. damn Cronus!

That is so disgusting and disturbing because it is true!

:grr:

[Ms_Mary]

51. Somebody should put that on billboards. nt

[cornermouse]

18. On NOW, friday night.

The U.S. gave less than 1% of our income in total to foreign disaster victims last year. While I don't think we should give away the store, especially now, I do think that this is not something that should give us warm, fuzzy feelings of pride.

[Hosnon]

13. New slogan of the Bush Administration:

Let them eat cake!

[shraby]

15. I find this sentence interesting.....

"but half of the country will be left out"

Someone should tell them it's a tad more than half the country that will be left out.

[Theres-a]

27. I believe their official slogan is "Let them eat Prozac"

:scared:

[genieroze]

61. Good one. n/t

[Malva Zebrina]

16. I am appalled at the focus on the military

just appalled.

A president is being inaugurated and the main theme is the military--think about that. In effect, a volunteer army is Bush's private army. I am surprised he is not honoring the mercenaries also but the connection to corporatism would be too obvious I guess.

There are those who recoil at the word fascism, only because they are ignorant and believe that we are so lilly white, so fine a country, that calling Bush a fascist is akin to treason.
Fascism only happens in evil degenerate countries that are third world and far away,doncha know

Imagine, for $200,000 you can be treated like royalty of old--a private jet, a humvee to travel back and forth to all the parties, a butler and other ammenities for rich guests-and that is a bargain for a four day stay--only $50,000 a day!

The use of words by the Guardian is interesting--

"An army of 10,000 police, secret service officers and FBI agents will patrol the capital for four days of massive celebrations..."
.

[LynnTheDem]

17. I'm so ashamed of my country.

I feel dirty living here. :(

[Theres-a]

35. How do they sleep at night?

It's obscene.

[AngryOldDem]

77. It's easy when you flat don't care about anybody but yourself

Case in point: In my paper today there was a LTTE from a college student who comes from a well-off part of town. He actually had the balls to argue that not everybody had the right to go to college and that Pell Grants should be eliminated because they constitute "evil patronage." IOW, some people just don't have the right to try to better their stations in life, namely low-income and minority students. Classism at its most obscene.

These are the people we're dealing with now, and most will be dancing the night away on Jan. 20, while the rest of us wonder what tomorrow will bring. The question becomes, then, "How do WE sleep at night?"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

20. Here's why Jeb had to come home early from the "Jeb 08 Tsunami Tour"

....he had to be home on Thursday night to have his picture taken with the royal family at Pappy 'n' Bar's anniversary party.

PRIORITIES. Jebby HAD his photo op, so why not let Colin finish up by himself? Was the purpose of that visit to HELP, or to be SEEN?

PRIORITIES. Bush was "re-elected" with a MANDATE, wasn't he? And what better way to celebrate a mandate than by throwing a $50 million party in your own honor?

[Buns_of_Fire]

23. Is boosh** wearing his

OFFICIAL pResidential cowboy boots (with the OFFICIAL Presidential Seal on them) in that picture? Or are we seeing a glimpse of the OFFICIAL pResidental white socks peeking out from under the OFFICIAL pResidential Oxxford suit?

Either way, I'm sure glad the weecowboy brought HONOR and DIGNITUDE back to the White House! You bet! Yup, yup. :eyes:

(On edit: At least his booties appear to be black, not brown, this time. Laura must've dressed him -- of course, "dressing" the Classless Commander is still like gilding a Texas-sized meadow muffin.

P.S. Yes, I said "gilding," not "gelding," although...)

[Theres-a]

33. RE: photo

:puke:

[jokerman93]

38. A Brood of Grotesques

The Chimpking is sitting there looking like PeeWee Herman in those stupid boots and high-risers. I'll bet he fills those li'l ol' booties with Vaseline and jus' smooshes his toes all around in the mess. 'Cuz it's fun...

That picture looks like one of the photographs on the hotel wall in "The Shining".

Weird Days. Evil Days.

[onecent]

49. LOL You made me laugh so hard. I needed a laugh. n/t

[Thor_MN]

45. WTH!!! Did the idiot in chief tuck his pants into his boots?

Or is he expecting a tsunami? (with white socks and side zip low boots?)

In any case, it looks like shit. He never grew out of his "I wanna be a cowboy" phase.

Another question, how many felony convictions in this line-up?

[grasswire]

52. can someone blow up that photo a bit?

Isn't there a brother missing?

[TahitiNut]

53. Here ya go ... what a creepy bunch of ghouls!

[grasswire]

56. Is Neil in the BACK row?

Hahahaha!

Couldn't even make the front row in a roomful of crooks.

[Bouncy Ball]

54. The blond bush twin doesn't seem to be in that picture.

Hmmm.

[grasswire]

57. she's in the back row, I think

...toward the left.

[Enraged_Ape]

24. FIFTY fucking million?!

The price tag for this shitfest goes up every time I look. By Wednesday, it should meet or exceed the gross domestic product of most European countries.

Fuck the Republicans and their King. Fuck them up their stupid asses.

[TahitiNut]

28. I wonder if that $50M covers security and clean up.

I seriously doubt it. I think the taxpayer bill will be huge. One might assume the tourism dollars will offset some of the costs to DC, but I'm sure the profits on those dollars will dwarf the public expense subsidies.

This country has lost any sense of ethics and equity to tolerate this orgy of greed and predation.

[Whoa_Nelly]

39. Re: Clean up after the shitfest

There is no exit strategy

[tavalon]

73. Actually,

I'm hoping the exit strategy includes impeachment. Unlikely, but a girl can dream, can't she?

[FlyByNight]

25. Hail Caesar!

I hate these inaugurations/coronations whether it's a Dem or Rep being honored. Can't they be toned down by a couple tens of millions of dollars? This is vulgar and crass.

[NVMojo]

26. How long til the collapse of the Evil Empire??

[peekaloo]

29. I'll bet they'll all be wearing "Support Our Troops" ribbons

to show they really, truly care.

FUCKITY FUCKING FUCKERS!

[TahitiNut]

32. Will they wear their 'Purple Heart' Band-Aids?

Ghoulish pus-bags! :grr:

[kedrys]

31. My f'ing tax $$$ at work...

I want a refund. NOW. :grr:

Fucking bastards.

[Robb]

34. My fucking taxes.

...A reward for election work. My fucking tax dollars.

...$50 million. Do you have any idea how much money that is to an NGO? A fucking SCHOOL!?!?!

I'm, clearly, livid.

[dave123williams]

36. Well, well all know what happened to Louis XIV.

His wife thought the people might like some cake.

[QC]

41. Wrong Louis. Louis XVI was married to Marie. n/t

[dave123williams]

72. I stand corrected.

[saigon68]

40. Disgusting

An abomination

[ally_sc]

42. another day to wear black...eom

[bajamary]

43. and we're paying

And we're paying for how much of this $50 million?

How obscene.

[Theres-a]

50. good question

[VegasWolf]

44. The "king" can blow me. n/t

[cyberpj]

46. Regarding the emphasis on the military - Will we see goose-stepping yet?

Heil Bush!

[Divine Discontent]

59. delete

[Divine Discontent]

60. FOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLSSSSSSSS

Kid Rock, who dates porn stars, has them perform on stage, and said in a 1990 song, that he'd pimp Barb Bush, has been asked to perform at the "Youth Concert"... The Christian "right" have been SCAMMED


FOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

Thank Christ almighty, I haven't fallen in goosestep with them!

[Dead_Parrot]

55. 330 Armored Hummers...

http://www.itrademarket.com/giscorp/51795

...Or a coronation. Difficult choice, I'm sure

[tavalon]

74. No, when you are a sociopath

the choice isn't difficult at all.............

[genieroze]

58. Keep on giving them rope, or a shovel. n/t

[spooked]

62. SO MUCH to Celebrate

Not!

[rodeodance]

64. "turn your back on Bush Day"

[Santa Cruz]

66. The article

didn't come up for me. Is this money from donations, unaccounted for? What a pig,strange thing money.

[Skittles]

67. once again he is a big f***ing embarrassment to America

ASSHOLE

[tavalon]

75. Once again?

I haven't seen a time when he hasn't been. Granted, there have been times of late when he's outdone himself in assholery, but overall, he's always an embarrassment.

[MnFats]

69. "The Sun King." I like that.New Bush nickname!

i think it works!

pretty soon we riot in the streets over 'land, bread, liberty!"

[Lisa]

70. how about "The Son King"?

After all, Poppy's cronies put him in there. And he mixes up the English language, too.

[MnFats]

71. Sure! there's the "Son O' God" element too! n/t

[AngryOldDem]

76. It's obscene by ANY standard

[SKKY]

78. Let's see, 50 Mil on his inaguration, 235K to Armstrong Williams...

...to promote the Presidents underfunded "No Child Left Behind" program. Why is this not a bigger issue?