Anyone going to the INAUGURATION...

[Happy Monkey]

Looks like I'm traveling after all. Mixed feelings. It would be cool to witness, but I'm not entirely unhappy to have a good excuse to avoid it.

[Bullitt]

Not going, but all us history/poli-sci majors are going to watch it during class time. I can't wait to see how many of the campus fundy neo-cons show up.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Can't make it so I'm sending a few million people in my place.

[Shawnee123]

They're having a big to-do on campus...which I think will be very exciting.

[TheMercenary]

Man charged with threatening Obama on website

http://www.reuters.com/article/domes...50G07920090117

I wonder how many wackos out there have made dumbassed statements like this in the last month? And how the heck is this guy a greater threat? From a UFO site? Pleaseeeee.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Since the threats were posted on a website about UFOs and aliens, they know he's probably nuts.
But more likely because he badmouthed the Israelis.

edit: Obama's train is passing by close by, but being 2.7 degrees F and the likelyhood of being shot by a government sniper, I think I'll pass on waving.

[TheMercenary]

good one. Why is that? It must be the whole Illuminati thing that goes hand in hand with tin-foil hat people. Rarely are those two thoughts far apart.

[TheMercenary]

And the beat goes on, change my ass....


Lobbyists Find Detour Around Latest Ethics Rules

Lobbyists and corporations have found an opening in the latest congressional-ethics law that allows them to pay for special access to lawmakers and members of the incoming Obama administration during next week's inaugural festivities.

President-elect Barack Obama was a vocal champion of rules enacted last year that prohibit companies and lobbyists from buying anything worth more than $10 for lawmakers. But well-heeled interests have found a way to circumvent the ban by partnering with "state societies" that are throwing parties to celebrate Mr. Obama's inauguration.

These Washington-based nonprofits, whose members include lawmakers, congressional aides, lobbyists and executives from a given state, aren't subject to the ethics law -- even though their social and charitable activities are paid for with corporate money.

Mr. Obama's home state of Illinois, for example, is holding its own inaugural ball on Monday, the night before Mr. Obama is sworn in. It is offering executives of Motorola Inc., Exelon Corp., and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association a chance to pay big money to dine and pose for photos with Illinois lawmakers and incoming Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who recently retired as congressman from the state. The price: $5,000 to $55,000, event organizers said.

Hawaii, Mr. Obama's birthplace, has invited companies and lobbyists who pay as much as $25,000 into a roped-off VIP lounge at its Tuesday night affair, where they can mingle with influential policy makers. Among the drawing cards: Hawaii Sen. Dan Inouye, the new chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Gen. Eric Shinseki, a Hawaiian tapped to lead the Veterans Affairs Department.

Takers so far include Lockheed Martin Corp., which gave $25,000 for access to the party. Jeff Adams, a spokesman for Lockheed, said: "I can confirm that Lockheed Martin is co-sponsoring some of the unofficial inaugural events."

Gen. Shinseki and Mr. LaHood canceled their appearances at the galas after The Wall Street Journal contacted the transition team about them. Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to comment on the balls.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215275270792215.html

[Pie]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

And the beat goes on, change my ass....


Lobbyists Find Detour Around Latest Ethics Rules
[...]
Takers so far include Lockheed Martin Corp., which gave $25,000 for access to the party. Jeff Adams, a spokesman for Lockheed, said: "I can confirm that Lockheed Martin is co-sponsoring some of the unofficial inaugural events."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215275270792215.html

I'm ashamed of my former company. I thought they were better than that.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I know what you mean, mine embarrassed me by;

Sponsoring the official launch of the George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier.

Sponsoring the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange project that it brings dancers, choreographers, scientists, and faith leaders together—both to create dance and to use it as a way to spur conversation among seemingly disparate
groups about a compelling question, such as “What is the origin of the universe?”

[glatt]

I called my boss this morning because there was a big emergency at work (water pipe broke in a document storage area) and she mentioned that I didn't need to go into work to take care of things. She was planning to go in anyway with all her camping supplies because she and a bunch of guests from out of town are spending the night before inauguration in our building. They will sleep on conference room floors. She just wanted to pre-position all the camping supplies while the streets were still open around the building. It's about a mile away from the events.

[Aliantha]

There are people coming from Australia too. They had a group of indigenous people on the news last week and their trip is being funded by a philanthropic businessman.

There's not that much hype about the swearing in of a new head of state here. There was a lot of fuss when Rudd was sworn in, but that was mainly because he also did the famous apology on the same day, but it was still nothing like what's going on in the US at the moment.

[TheMercenary]

So Ali, give us your take on the whole Obama thing. What is the pulse of our good friends the Aussies saying about it all?

[Aliantha]

Well, since we have a left wing government at the moment, the general concensus is pretty positive. A lot of people don't think he'll survive his presidency, or if he does, it'll be a matter of luck (or good security).

A lot of us are asking ourselves when we'll have a non-white or indigenous leader.

I think it's very much the same sort of thinking over here as there and that is mainly that anyone would be better than Bush, and Obama is an excellent speaker, so hopefully he will be an excellent president.

[classicman]

Interesting take on it. You really think he won't finish his term?
That would suck - totally!