If the event had been paid for with public money, then yes, everyone should have had free access to it. But it *wasn't* public money that produced the event. It was a celebration put on by Obama's team and supporters. Was it significant to everyone in this country? Absolutely. If one of the major free networks was interested in picking up the tab, I hadn't heard about it, but at least HBO gave permission for the event to be shown to anyone who had access to cable/dish.

I would say that it would have been a stroke of genius for Obama's people to have granted the rights to it with the codicil that it be distributed to everyone with a TV, but that might have made it impossible to have the event happen at all in the current economic climate.

I think we can argue that at least two free networks weren't interested...its the AFC/NFC Championships today!

Oh, so there were no taxpayer dollars involved? in that case nevermind. I still find that very difficult to believe, but ok then. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm sure there was much security paid for, yes. However, that would be true no matter *who* got elected or *what* event of such magnitude was being held on The Mall.

I suppose we could all just stay indoors and not do anything. Then we could just shoot anyone seen outside, and we could cut way back on police and such.

C'mon Pat - you know thats not what I'm saying!

I think someone is stirring the shit.

Hey...I'm just trying to make the point that it was nice to see people grooving on America and Her prospects for the future. I don't really give a fig *why* they were in that mood.

I'm sure it will come out later that someone did something illegal in all of this in order to make a buck, and there will be a scandal. I'm further certain that the Other Side is trying to find something right now to taint This Side. Hell, there are probably people whose full time jobs are to find dirt on the Other Side. On Both Sides.

In the words sung by Mr Mellencamp this afternoon, "Ain't that America"?

Right on splode. Right on.

Got ya Pat - I'm sorry that I shit on yer parade. That wasn't my intention. :(

You know classic, I don't have HBO either, but NPR was broadcasting it for free, and you could watch it on HBO's website for free too. I watched it, and have no cable.

Got a big belly shaker outa that one, dude!:)

Now you tell me - I was watching the Eagles game and wanted to record it.

I never thought of Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" to be celebratory about America. I always took it like that dumb song "Little Boxes" (you know, "made of ticky-tacky") which Tom Lehrer described as "the most sanctimonious song ever written".

(sanctimonious definition)

It *isn't* celebrating America. It is a tongue in cheek song about the excesses and day to day humdrum of life. Isn't it amazing that, even in a celebration, we are still asked to look at ourselves as the imperfect human beings we are.

That's why I said that he hit it out of the park. I also thought it interesting that Bono extolled freedom for everyone everywhere, ending with exhortations for freedom for Israel...long pause...and for Palestine.

America has warts, and even in a celebration, we are asked to examine them.

Nothing wrong with that. But I refuse to make a big deal out of an exam of those warts when those telling us to look at ours have tumors growing out of their foreheads that they ignore.

Shoot, wish I knew that. Although I probably would have opted for many hours of football.