A few thoughts as we watch the inauguration unfold.

Classy till the end:

Bush Mocked As He Arrives on Inauguration Dais

The crowd packed on the west side of the Capitol grounds serenaded President Bush in mocking fashion when he took to the inaugural stage alongside Vice President Dick Cheney.

“Nah nah nah nah, hey hey, good-bye,” a section of the crowd chanted.

The crowd packed immediately below the podium received Bush in stony silence when he took his seat on the stage surrounding the podium where Barack Obama was scheduled to take the oath office to become the 44th president of the United States.

The jeers are among the final public feedback Bush will receive as president.

There is no call for it.  Yes, we get it, you don’t like Bush,  but have some class.  Why spoil the day, and a very gracious and smooth transition with your bile?

Another interesting reaction was the stock market’s reaction to Obama.  A huge dive at his takeover:

U.S. Stocks Slide in Dow Average’s Worst Inauguration Day Drop

 U.S. stocks sank, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its worst Inauguration Day decline, as speculation banks must raise more capital sent financial shares to an almost 14-year low.

Don’t worry, the democrats will dump some more money on you soon.

Speaking of dumping money, the grumbling about the cost of the inauguration continues, along with a new twist:

What Recession? The $170 Million Inauguration:   Obama’s Inauguration Has Been Financed Partially by Bailed-Out Wall Street Executives

The country is in the middle of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, which isn’t stopping rich donors and the government from spending $170 million, or more, on the inauguration of Barack Obama .

Where is going?

The actual swearing-in ceremony will cost $1.24 million, according to Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

It’s the security, parties and countless Porta-a-Potty rentals that really run up the bill.

The federal government estimates that it will spend roughly $49 million on the inaugural weekend. Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland have requested another $75 million from the federal government to help pay for their share of police, fire and medical services.

And then there is the party bill.

“We have a budget of roughly $45 million, maybe a little bit more,” said Linda Douglass, spokeswoman for the inaugural committee.

That’s more than the $42.3 million in private funds spent by President Bush’s committee in 2005 or the $33 million spent for Bill Clinton’s first inaugural in 1993.

Among the expenses: a Bruce Springsteen concert, the parade, large-screen TV rentals for all-free viewing on the national Mall, $700,000 to the Smithsonian Institution to stay open and, of course, the balls, including three that are being pitched as free or low cost for the public.

And who pays?

But there are plenty of rich donors willing to pick up the tab.

“They are not the $20 and $50 donors who helped propel Obama through Election Day,” said Massie Ritsch, communications director for the Center for Responsive Politics. “These are people giving mostly $50,000 apiece. They tend to be corporate executives, celebrities, the elite of the elite.”

The biggest group of donors were none other than the recently bailed-out Wall Street executives and employees.

“The finance sector is well represented, despite its recent troubles,” Ritsch said. “Those who worked in finance still managed to pull together nearly $7 million for the inauguration.”

…

Besides Wall Street firms, a large chunk of the money came from employees at companies such as Microsoft, Google and DreamWorks Animation, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

But don’t panic.  Most of the money will come from us the tax payers, so maybe the conflict of interest is moot…

Oh, and remember the complaints about Sarah Palin’s wardrobe?

Michelle Obama wears $1,500 Isabel Toledo shift on Inauguration Day

The new First Lady kicked off Inauguration Day with a (fashionable) bang, donning a pale yellow wool lace Isabel Toledo shift with matching overcoat for an early morning trip to church alongside her husband, subsequent photo opp with the Bushes and the inauguration itself.

Green pumps, a diamond brooch and diamond studs completed the stylishly eclectic-yet-elegant ensemble which, next to Laura Bush’s simple grey double-breasted pantsuit and charcoal heels, marked a visual example that change is a’coming to Washington.

I am guessing no one will mind.

As for the inauguration itself, it was everything I expected it to be.  A day of great speeches, an inspiring call to arms and call to action a celebration of a historic passage in our nations history.

As it should have been.

At the same time though, and I am not the only one who felt this way, the inauguration was also somewhat bland.  There was no *wow* moment in his speeches, and most of the crowd responses really didn’t seem to be that enthusiastic.

I think people were expecting something more.

Sure the parties will last all night, and all that.  Despite my curmudgeonly attitude, this is nothing new.

New, might be amount of hysterical love being shown him, but again, that is nothing new in the cult of Obama.

I have some thoughts on his speech in my next post.

As I said earlier, he is not the man i voted for , but he is my president.

So at this stage, I am looking at him from the stand point of watching how he meets the Herculean task of fulfilling everyone’s expectations, based on the very high goals and expectations he has set.

He has a hard road ahead.   Let’s see if he is everything his followers claim he is.

Trackposted to Nuke’s, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Political Byline, third world county, Allie is Wired, Woman Honor Thyself, Walls of the City, The World According to Carl, DragonLady’s World, The Pink Flamingo, Wingless, Conservative Cat, and Wingless (BBC Parody, Hilarious!), thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.