Posted on 01/14/2009 8:58:36 AM PST by Joiseydude
Barack Obama's inauguration is set to cost more than $161 million making it the most expensive swearing-in ceremony in US history.
The President-elect will take less than a minute to recite the oath of office in front of an estimated two million people in the US capital next week.
But by the time the final dance has been held at one of the many inaugural balls the costs for the day will be a staggering $161 million.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I guess we’ll have a “swearing in ceremony” bail out plan as well....
Kinda over the top for a constitutional republic in the throws of an economic down-turn. Fifty bucks and ten minutes with a local JP oughta get it done. Take a couple polaroids for posterity.
On January 20th some of us will be eating cake- all of us will be paying for it
Obama turns DC to DISASTER AREA
yeah,but,but,but.. the GOP spent $150k on Palin’s clothes!!!
And the democraps bitch when GM corporate execs waste money by flying around in company jets instead of driving cars.
Does anyone else find this extremely offensive, with the current state of the economy?
Soetoro too big to fail.
Damn, good thing a Republican isn’t doing this in our economic crisis
Absolutely. At least it made the news in the UK.
One can only imagine how such a figure would be spun if it were the tab for a McCain ceremony.
Bush is entirely too "buddy-buddy" with this guy.
This is absolutely outrageous. The taxpayers shouldn’t be paying $161 million for ANYBODY’S inauguration, Democrat or Republican. If the Obamatards want to through a huge party for their messiah they should pay for it themselves.
And between 3 and 4 times the amount spent on GWB’s 2005 inauguration. The Democrats screamed and yelled about that one...
I’m sure that Bambi will be getting his good friend Oprah to cover it so as not to burden the middle class taxpayers. /s

I heard that he has reserved a private air strip for the hollywood folk and their private jets.
Gee, wasn’t Gov Palin pilloried in the press for spending $250,000 on clothing? That was an outrage. Obama’s spending is a Disaster, but one which the press is happy to support.
Fiddl’n while Rome burns
All this wasted time and effort ... he could have come to the Bustard household for a “Swearing At Ceremony”, for free.
Now now, don’t be giving osama any target ideas! (wishful thinking?)
How many people could be helped with $161 mill?
I do agree the inauguration of Indonesian Barry Soetero IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY!
Compare the coverage of Obama’s lavish coronation to the coverage of Bush's $40 million (1/4 the cost) 2nd inauguration.
With the politicians spending trillions of dollars bailing out everybody, suddenly $161 million is just “walkin around money”.
Think of all the sick people he could heal with that 161 million.
That would more than cover healthcare costs for at least two million uninsured Americans.
What happened to the 5 million visitors the press was boasting about a few weeks ago?
They’re going to spend maybe five times as much as Bush or Clinton, they’re going to close all the bridges, they’re going to ban cars, they’re going to have unprecedented levels of security, everyone has to get in place at least three hours ahead of time, and the crowd may end up being no bigger than it was for Bush or Clinton.
Great.
mr. obama spares no expense while all of the “little people” have to tighten their budgets just to get by.
i hope his supporters that have lost their jobs or are going through hard times due to the tanking economy realize that their dear leader, who is supposed to be the party of the “common man”, isn’t practicing what he’s preaching
Hey dude: the cost of “hope” and “change” don’t come cheap you know!
Makes me want to VOMIT! Phoney, liar, hope all those DUMMIES are happy! Change, well that’s all we’ll have left!
In good economic times the MSM would be beside themselves but they would be apoplectic in their negative coverage and go on and on about how "OUT OF TOUCH" the rich Republicans are with the American people.
Still spending money like we have it, I see.
So when, if ever, will the American MSM report the cost?
Is this code for Bush continuing to spend tax payer money like a drunken lottery winner in Vegas?
I don’t have a problem with this. The $160 million isn’t for the parties — those are funded with private donations. The big bill is for big security, and it’s needed. If you think $160 million is a lot of money, just imagine how much would evaporate from the retirement and other investments of US citizens, if President-elect Obama was killed by some nut during the inauguration. The stock market would instantly start plumemting. $160 million would be gone in the first 5 seconds, and then a few trillion would follow. This money paid for security doesn’t evaporate — it’s distributed as paychecks to workers and payments to providers of equipment. A lot of ordinary working people in the DC area will be putting in extra time and enjoying some extra income as a result of this.
>>”Does anyone else find this extremely offensive, with the current state of the economy?”<<
0bama will be strutting around D.C. like a pimp with a new hat......with his Chicago Ho’s in tow. It is beyond sickening how weak the citizens have become.
I actually think I’m developing and ulcer over all this crap. If I were a drinker, I’d stay drunk for the next four years.
Wake up. The money is for security. The parties are paid for with private donations, and I’m sure plenty of Republican inaugural parties have been just as extravagant or more so than the ones that will be held next week.
You cannot prove that. If you think some of $160,000,000 isn't going for things other than security, well, you need to change your nic at the least.
Bullsh*t!
The economy is cartwheeling down range out of control, millions have lost their homes, investments, businesses, and jobs...And this monster government is going to spend hundreds of millions on a GD ceremony?
If this corrupt government had one ounce of responsibility they'd cancel this public parade and inauguration for Obama, due to an economic emergency, and conduct it in a secured environment, indoors, while televising it to the country. Period. No more wasting tax payer money that does not exist in the first place.
This is outrageous. Stop the excuses.
Why does this seem like the coronation of a Russian Czar?
You have a reading comprehension problem or you simply missed this in the first sentence.
Barack Obama's inauguration is set to cost more than $161 million making it the most expensive swearing-in ceremony in US history.
I have a big problem with it. If he wants to secure Washington, D.C. while he parties, he should do it with private funding. The taxpayers would never vote for spending this much for a stupid, meaningless inauguration.
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