@phoebes-in-santa fe A counteract to the “idjit ‘Tea Baggers’”
http://www.dogwalkblog.com/2009/04/19/the-most-offensive-tea-party-sign-ever/ Pee Party, voters with dogs. Pit-bulls get in free

What for?

For always writing President Obama.

Some people call him Obama probably thinking…whatever.

But you refer to him as President Obama.

Makes me sit up straight and feel proud he is Our President Obama.

Itty
…radiating an enormous smile

We were staying in a hotel out in Arlington and left very early for the Metro to cross the river into DC. Just our good luck, one of my sons flagged down a DC bus that was in the area that was taking people – for free – over one of the bridges to the Mall. We got off there and began walking towards the Capital. There were many volunteers along the way, smiling, and trying to be helpful, but when were approached the Capital, NO ONE, not the DC police nor the volunteers, knew the best way to the Purple entrance. Finally, we got to the entrance and went through the security post (we had already been through several security posts along the way). We stood there for another two hours before the ceremony – I had brought along a cane with a chair attached because I was still recovering from a broken leg from the summer of 2008. I was shocked they let the cane/chair through security but I guess I looked so pathetic that no one cared!

We had no idea then that so many people from the Purple Section were trapped in that tunnel. I later found out that my niece from NYC and her then-fiance were among those down there. We did have a great time, talking to the crowd, but we really couldn’t see or hear much. Some trees blocked our view of the jumbo tron and we were too far away to see the Capital steps too well. In any case, we had tons of fun.

After the Inauguration, my one son and I walked (I limped) a couple of miles to a Metro stop that was fairly far away – “East something” – and caught the train back to Arlington. Because the stop was pretty far from the action, there were plenty of seats, but the cars filled up quickly after that. I talked to two ladies who were distraught because they had tickets but didn’t get into where they were supposed to be, so they didn’t see or hear the Inauguration. I told them that in a couple of years they wouldn’t remember the details, but only that they were in DC with the happy crowds and so they “experienced” the Inauguration. They liked that interpretation.

If we had it to do over – and hopefully we will in three years! – we would have just stayed with the unticketed crowds on the Mall. The Jumbo trons were much more visible from there and the crowds just as enthusiastic.

As a representative of the people of Alaska the governor should have attended this very rare event. It was an opportunity to take part in rally/event for the troops. What could be more important than taking part in a special event with the people who risk their lives for our country?

As for paying money to war fighters, the more I learn about the unique difficulties in the war in Afghanistan the more I see the usefulness of these atypical strategies.
Couldn’t it be considered like giving them a job and paying them for it? If a carrot gets the results we need, isn’t it better than a stick? I think you should do some research about these different strategies that have already been in practice for years.

I was shocked when I first learned that under the Bush administration, we were giving the Pakistan government millions of dollars to build up their military resources to fight the Taliban coming into their country from Afghanistan. The only problem was they have been using that money to build up equipment & resources to fight India instead. Apparently, very different training and equipment is needed for each of these conflicts. So all of the millions we have given them has gone to help Pakistan prepare to fight India.

I think this kind of thing is much more common than you think.

Uncanny resemblance to Scarah’s leadership on his part? YEAH! Do they talk policy, yes, I think they do.

Polly said: This was Parnell’s response to the Fairbanks News-Miner:

“I saw your column this morning about me supposedly snubbing Obama. I did not do that to the president and you made an assumption about what my choices were. My choice was keep my commitment to the contractors or sit and fill a seat for the president’s events. We were not permitted any civilian interaction. We were told there would be no greeting of the president nor talking with the president, I’d be filling a seat.”

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i was in the purple people eater tunnel during the inauguration!
we gotta talk.