Bush 'the king' blows $50m on coronation

[emad]

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

Paul Harri in New York
Sunday January 9, 2005
The Observer

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.

Amid the official pageantry will be many huge parties laid on by companies wishing to win favour with Washington's power players. Anyone who is anyone in Republican circles will be in town. Many Democrats will be leaving. With so many big names in one place, security measures will include road blocks, anti-aircraft guns guarding the skies and sniper teams patrolling the rooftops.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1386178,00.html

[stray cat]

1. A party for corporate America and its estate holders

[Deja Q]

2. Sick. Sick. Sick. So much unbridled petulance and arrogance for a 'man'

whose victory was marginal at best, in a country so deeply divided.

Uniter? Bull. Shit.

He's a bully taunting everybody and proving to even his own party that he's anything but a fiscal conservative. He's fiscal at nothing; conservative with far less.

[smbolisnch]

3. Hail to the thief.

:puke:

[Pegleg Thd]

6. I'll bet that

the renquist bastard declares the bushit pretzledent for life!!!!

[Ruffhowse]

4. Ahh, the Repukes love to spend their millions and rattle their jewelry.

[Cobalt Violet]

5. It is surreal for this lavish party to be going on during war time.

I was thinking this exact thing last night. I'm sure many of us are thinking this. But not our MSM.

[stray cat]

7. Party for Bush and cuts in domestic spending for the rest of us.

[nostamj]

8. i read recently that they have only raised $18M

less than half the $40M budgeted for the coronation.

[porkrind]

9. I wonder how they rationalize this lavish expenditure

as a reasonalble use of taxpayer money? Especially, when they have run the debt way up? It's obvious they see themselves as royalty, not as public servants.

These people are robber-barons.

[nostamj]

10. it's not taxpayer money

at least, not the $40M for the parties.

now, the cost of guarding the little prince from his own people... that it probably on 'our' dime.

[SmartBomb]

11. Will the republican poor will have any problem with this excess?

Probably not. The serfs love their king like a god and will give all they have to show it.