Trash Talking the Inaugural

for NaBloPoMo

I was listening to a local radio station recently and was surprised by a nasty remark. Well, true, this is a F0X station, but I only listen to the music--I turn it off when the news comes on. I just didn't expect this kind of snide remark from the DJ.

A propo of nothing, he says that if you were planning to go to the inauguration on Jan 20th that you were out of luck. Apparently, hotel rooms for that week are nearly sold out and people are being forced to look for lodging in Virginia and Maryland. Yup, that's accurate.

Then he says, so fakely sincerely, "I'm glad Obama will be our next president. Really I am. But is this really the kind of money we need to be spending right now? ... I'm just sayin'. "

You're "just sayin'"? Just sayin'???!!! Just what the hell are you trying to insinuate? That they are going to spend too much money? For an inauguration? Do you have figures to show for that?

I went g00gling for figures, and got nothing except some tickets going for $29,000-40,000.

The Times Online says that: "The Fairmont Hotel is offering an "eco-inaugural" package, which includes four nights in a suite filled with organic materials, a ball gown from an organic designer and the use of a hybrid car. It costs $40,000."
Okay, so that's a whole glitzy package, not a governmental expense.

Chicago Breaking News notes that "GreatSeats.com is offering tickets to the inaugural parade at prices between $495 and $1,815." although somebody at Yahoo Answers notes that: tickets to the inauguration are free as well as the parade you just need to write your local senate representative and request them.

CBN also reports that A total of 240,000 tickets have been printed for the swearing-in ceremony and that Tickets will be distributed to members of Congress the week before the inauguration and will require in-person pickup, according to the JCCIC

CBN goes on to note that: the Web site today for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which said tickets to the 56th inaugural ceremonies will be distributed by Congress, and that no Web site or ticket outlet has any inaugural swearing-in tickets to sell, "regardless of what they may claim."

And in fact, the JCCIC website states that "Any website or ticket broker claiming that they have inaugural tickets is simply not telling the truth." Howard Gantman, staff director for the JCCIC also states that "We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism."

So, all the big numbers being floated out there are not even about the cost that the government will pay to hold the inauguration, just what individuals wanting to attend or possibly participate might have to be willing to shell out. Everyone wants to be there for the rock star inaugural, and no wonder! It'll be incredibly exciting and historic! If someone gave me a ticket, I might go, except I'd be paying big bucks for a hotel, apparently, since my pregnant self would require a real bed.

But back to this spending issue. I have yet to find anything that tells me what the government itself will pay for a standard inauguration. Yeah, they are guaranteed to be glitzy affairs. It's a big deal, after all. But let's put this pseudo concern for spending in perspective.

One day in Iraq costs us "about $435 million" according to Raw Story. One. Day. Current numbers here. That's just mind-boggling.

So if we are really concerned about spending too much money as a country, shouldn't we look at that huge sucking noise first? To quote the DJ, do we really need to be spending that kind of money right now? And meanwhile why do we go on denying basic health, safety, and educational benefits to veterans? Shame! And this after the insane bailout to CEOs who then go on fancy retreats after we pulled their collective asses out of the fire? Shame again!

After all that, this DJ has the gall to insinuate that somehow the Obamas are spendthrifts? Costing us too much money!? ZOMG! Can you say concern troll?

That's not news, that's trash talk. I'm just sayin'.
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NaBloPoMo Meets Election Day

I've been so antsy the last day or so, I can barely concentrate on other things unless it's to escape into fiction or a little stress eating.

I voted early this year because I could, because I felt like I should *because* I could.



I voted on a sunny fall day in the early afternoon at my closest early voting polling place, which happened to be the offices of county board of elections. The place was hopping with workers and voters of all colors & ages. A short line in front of me to get in the door, I only waited five or ten minutes to reach a check-in station. I looked around, and took a deep breath, finding myself nearly overcome with emotion, feeling "These are my people," my city, my fellow citizens. Poll workers cheered every time a first-time voter finally slid their optical paper ballot into the machine.

So duty accomplished. I even sorted out all the state and local races. Lots to consider this year.

But I miss the energy of visiting the polls on the day itself. I miss not walking around, canvassing to GOTV the way I did four years ago. I'm not so much into walking or standing these days. Waddling slowly is more my speed. So I feel guilty for not doing more. I'm so grateful that the people who can do more are doing it. I know many friends who are (and have been!) up to their ears in activism or community service. All I feel I can do now is send positive energy and encouragement out into the universe and all my fellow voters and Obama-supporters.









Here are some sites to help track and predict the results of the election:

FiveThirtyEight specializes in electoral projections. Lots of great graphs and maps and analysis.

MyDD (My Direct Democracy) has a poll watcher graphic tracking electoral votes for Obama. I like this one partly because the size of each state is proportionate to the number of EVs is has. It's even in grid format, one square per EV.

The Swing State Project has a great graphic to help track poll closing times for November 4th, 2008. Note that all times are listed in EST, not necessarily local time.

FireDogLake has a great post compiling loads of election day information, a veritable resource guide. Includes links to find your polling place, polling hours, voters rights links, weather reports, places to report your voting experience, places to report voting suppression or irregularities, and more.

The DailyKOS is always good for pre-, present-, and post- election discussion and analysis.

The DailyKOS also has a cool Electoral Scoreboard.
You can toggle the tags to see results in presidential, senate, house and governor races. You can also look at results/distribution from the previous 8 years of elections.

A couple other sites for progressive election-watching:
Booman Tribute

Crooks and Liars

My Direct Democracy

Huffington Post (now with a big tracking graphic)

As always, the BagNewsNotes has lots of discussion about visuals.


Happy Election Day! May it all go as smoothly as possible! No vote stealing allowed.

Gains and Losses

NaBloPoMo Nov 2nd, 2008

I have stuff to post today, it being NaBloPoMo and all, but my mind is not on the post I started last night. With the pre-election jitters ramping up and the recent news of Obama's grandmother's passing, there is more to occupy my mind than generic musings. Or to put it another way, topical events have a way of making other things seem trivial.

It's not that I'm not trying to distract myself from the looming election. It's not that I have the emotional and physical where with all to volunteer much, either.

So election thoughts roll around in my head even while I look elsewhere.

I'm sorry to hear of Obama's grandmother, "Toots," passing. I had a feeling that she might not make it through Election Day... it would be too perfect a universe to have her hold out merely for this historic event.

But I'm so glad that Obama made it over to talk to her before she died. He's clearly a man who cherishes his family.

How proud she must have been, to see this young man turn into someone so impressive, accomplishing so much, and on the verge of gaining an even more historic accomplishment. Even if she wasn't sure that he would win this election, she knew that he had put all his heart and intelligence into making it happen. Even if he didn't win, how can you not be proud of someone who does their amazing best? It must have been a touchstone for her.

And on Barack's side, how bittersweet to go into this last day knowing you had put everything on the line, knowing she might not see the end of it. It seems like one of those O Henry stories in which the sweetest dream coexists with the bitterest loss. And even that is iconic, the archetype of the hero who gains as he loses, loses as he gains.

I selfishly hope that perhaps Barack has already put it all on the line, and so this last day, to lose one of the people closest to him, he is not distracted by what he must do tomorrow, because he's already done it. I hope he will have time to grieve and keep a private space for his family while the election swirls along without him. I wish that space for him, a trust that the campaign and all of his supporters are well-organized enough that they can get along without him for a while, to carry to day as it seems it was meant to be carried. In a sense, the die is already cast. All that is left is for the voters to turn up.

But there will likely be voting challenges. Yucky weather. Vote suppression and intimidate. Challenges and recounts. We can't slack off now. The Dems need perseverance to see this through. We may need to call back Barack from his grief to put another push of personal energy on the line, to push back when things get hairy. OR as the meme goes, leave it all on the road.

JeffLieber says this even better.

And Barack himself salutes his grandmother from the campaign trail, and eloquently ties her in with the average citizen. In the midst of all this craziness, he's still on top of it.
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