http://www.2013pic.org/weekend

Quote :

"Ceremonial Swearing-in Monday, January 21st, 2013 On Monday, January 21st, at his ceremonial swearing-in at the United States Capitol, President Obama will place his hand on two bibles, one owned by President Lincoln, the other by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and recite the 35-word presidential oath of office written in the constitution. Vice President Biden will be sworn in using the Biden Family Bible. This ceremonial swearing-in is open to the public and will take place on the West Front of the United States Capitol. The ceremony includes the Vice Presidential Oath of Office, the Presidential Oath of Office, the Inaugural Address, and notable musical performances."

1/16/2013 11:22:42 AM

No one cares about second inaugurations, we shouldn't waste money on them

1/16/2013 11:24:14 AM

http://www.advocate.com/politics/washington-dc/2013/01/09/richard-blanco-gay-latino-named-inaugural-poet

Quote :

"The Presidential Inaugural Committee today announced Richard Blanco, a Latino gay man and immigrant as the inaugural poet for the president's swearing-in January 21. Blanco will be the youngest-ever inaugural poet, the first Latino, and the first LGBT person to read a poem at the inauguration, according to the committee's announcement. "

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/race/widow_of_medgar_evers_to_deliv.html

Quote :

"President Obama has picked Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of slain civil rights icon Medgar Evers, to deliver the invocation at his public swearing-in later this month. It is believed to be the first time a woman, and a layperson rather than a clergy member, has been chosen to deliver what may be America’s most prominent public prayer."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/15/obama-inauguration-prayer-gays/1837949/

Quote :

"The Washington, D.C., pastor most familiar to the first family has been named to give the benediction at President Obama's inauguration Tuesday. Luis León, pastor of Saint John's Church, a historic Episcopal church just steps from the White House, was invited to take the role after the pastor originally selected withdrew. Atlanta megachurch pastor Louie Giglio removed his name from the program after his years-old sermons against gay marriage came to light."

Quote :

"The Episcopal denomination has gay clergy and blesses gay unions."

I like that they are going more LGBT friendly. I'm not as keen on it being more open to big business donations to help fund it. There is symbolism with this happening on MLK day, but also with it happening on the 3rd anniversary of the Citizens United ruling which also happens to be the 21st. We need to be working to get big money out of politics, and for a President who has publicly denounced that decision, I think more limits on corporate spending in the political process is the way to go.

1/16/2013 11:29:19 AM

I think he'll be much more supportive of getting big money out of the system now that he's secured his second term.

1/16/2013 6:02:54 PM

I agree that second term inaugurations are a little weird. Maybe John Roberts will get the Oath of Office correct this time...

1/16/2013 6:04:56 PM

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/15/obama-limo-to-roll-with-taxation-without-representation-plates/

Quote :

"Obama limo to roll with 'Taxation Without Representation' plates (CNN) – In a sign of solidarity, President Barack Obama will begin using the standard license plate for the District of Columbia, which famously states "Taxation Without Representation," on presidential vehicles, a White House official confirmed Tuesday."

1/16/2013 6:36:12 PM

Who gives a fuck, seriously?

1/16/2013 8:00:37 PM

you already have several threads to slob obama's knob in, was this one necessary?

1/16/2013 8:29:55 PM

There's no need to be uncouth. Given how anxious, eager and anticipatory the Right was for the president's defeat in November, the fact that he is being inaugurated to a second term is quite historic. While I've questioned the need for second inaugurations, their tradition should be agreeable to even his most loathsome detractor.

1/16/2013 8:41:57 PM

Quote :

"No one cares about second inaugurations, we shouldn't waste money on them"

I'm failing to see why we should waste any money on the first, either. I don't care that it's a drop in the bucket - this is one of the few areas where the President could actually unilaterally make the decision to lower the cost of government.

It's not really surprising to me that this is a radical sentiment, though. When mainstream political thought doesn't bat an eye over selling out their children, the time for sanity has long passed. The administration can talk all they want about tightening of belts, paying our "fair share", and tough decisions, but we all know deep down that it's complete fucking bullshit and that the people running the show will never sacrifice a god damn cent.

1/16/2013 8:57:11 PM

Quote :

"Maybe John Roberts will get the Oath of Office correct this time..."

Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be swearing in Biden at least.

1/16/2013 9:24:12 PM

Biden will also be wrapping up the festivities with:

"De'ba De'ba De... That's All Folks!"

1/16/2013 9:41:13 PM

Quote :

"The administration can talk all they want about tightening of belts, paying our "fair share", and tough decisions, but we all know deep down that it's complete fucking bullshit and that the people running the show will never sacrifice a god damn cent."

That's because there is currently one party who is willing to do anything to stop the elite from losing any power at all. Yes, I agree that some Democrats are as corrupt as some Republicans but one party is definitely more corrupt and worthy of blame and yet they keep getting voted in. We could begin fixing things if we just stop voting for the worst person every time.

If you believe imminent destruction is constantly upon us then there's no way we're ever going to agree on anything.

1/16/2013 9:49:14 PM

It has absolutely nothing to do with party affiliation. You won't find salvation in the Democratic party. They might be more palatable for someone with your progressive sensibilities, but they are just as beholden to the financial elite as anyone else working with the political system.

Quote :

"If you believe imminent destruction is constantly upon us then there's no way we're ever going to agree on anything."

Imminent destruction? No. There's no way out of the current economic situation without very significant pain for some groups, though, and I can guarantee you it won't be "the 1%". It will be the elderly, poor, and dependent, just as it always has been. No amount of good intentions can prevent the inevitable.

[Edited on January 16, 2013 at 11:04 PM. Reason : ]

1/16/2013 10:58:41 PM

Quote :

"There's no way out of the current economic situation without very significant pain for some groups, though, and I can guarantee you it won't be "the 1%". It will be the elderly, poor, and dependent, just as it always has been. No amount of good intentions can prevent the inevitable."

So what's your reason for not voting for the candidates that aren't directly financed by the wealthiest Americans? Everyone understands that the economic situation sucks. Why does anybody vote for the people who so much more clearly represent the financial class? I'm not saying you have to become a lifelong Democrat, but this current crop of Republicans has got to go. They are pure poison. They created the financial crisis and they're the ones who need to pay up, from a moral perspective. These are things that need to happen but Republicans have painted themselves into a corner where the only policy they all agree on is pushing the button to implode the economy. That's their only policy position at the moment. They need to go.

1/16/2013 11:27:36 PM

yea! four years of this douchebag worked out great. surely there's something to look forward to now. the first term was just warmups.

1/16/2013 11:52:55 PM

You have internet in your prepper den full of gold and food insurance?

1/17/2013 12:12:31 AM

^^ what mistakes do you think he's made? The big two I thought he was making were the AIG bailout and the Auto bailout, both of which ended working out, so I have to give him a lot of credit for making heavy bets that worked out.

1/17/2013 12:23:32 AM

http://www.sldn.org/news/archives/os-sldns-david-hall-named-inaugural-citizen-co-chair/

Quote :

"(WASHINGTON DC) David Hall, a former Air Force Sergeant discharged under the repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law and now Director of Development at OutServe-SLDN, has been chosen as one of eight Americans to serve as “citizen co-chairs” of President Barack Obama’s inauguration, taking place this weekend in Washington, DC."

Quote :

"At Langley, Hall was one of the top airmen in his flight. He worked as a weapons loader, winning several loading competitions and the Airman of the Quarter award. While based at Langley, Hall did a three-month assignment in Saudi Arabia, and was handpicked to go to Kuwait to help fix aircraft. He was also assigned to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska, assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron and Weapons Standardization Section. While at Elmendorf AFB, he was a distinguished graduate from Airman Leadership School (ALS)."

Quote :

"During his active duty service, Hall received numerous awards including, the Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award, Air Force Training Ribbon, NCO Professional Military Education Ribbon, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and Air Force Good Conduct Medal. In March 2002, Hall received a coveted slot to train to be a pilot—an honor given to approximately 500 cadets nationwide each year. At the time Hall received this honor, he had the highest ranking of all the Air Force ROTC juniors in his detachment. In recognition of his talent and dedication, Hall was named a Cadet Captain and flight commander, soon advancing to the position of Operations Officer, Cadet Major, another leadership position."

1/17/2013 12:43:09 PM

Quote :

"^^ what mistakes do you think he's made? The big two I thought he was making were the AIG bailout and the Auto bailout, both of which ended working out, so I have to give him a lot of credit for making heavy bets that worked out."

the "mistakes" i'd point out would have several of you foaming at the mouth simply because you'd disagree that they're mistakes.

* i'd say the bailouts were mistakes, at least in the way that it appeared they were carried out. this is double for the financial institutions that got helped out; they can lick the sweatiest part of my taint on a hot summer day.

* the healthcare "reform". the working class will be the ones that pay for it. the bleeding hearts love it, but i personally don't think i should be forced to give charity money. (note: i realize that a considerable portion of my taxes were already being spread amongst the populace; i'm addressing the continued piling on that's been going on lately)

* he's done absolutely nothing to truly curb government spending, and hasn't shown any real desire to other than mouthing off during campaigns. this is a point that i hold any and all politicians to; they're all scum.

* the gun control topic is insane, and he's made it worse if anything. why wasn't this stuff made front and center after the aurora shootings? politically, there wasn't enough pressure yet. a school shooting is the perfect opportunity to jump on a soap box to look like you care about the little guy and his children. i completely understand why top government officials get heavy security detail. the stance he's taken thus far unfortunately makes him look as ignorant as some of the posters on tww with regards to the whole issue. i even agree with most of the EO's he issued a few days ago, but unfortunately some of the points are so far out in left field it discredits the whole deal because you know John Q. Public isn't going to see it for the big picture.

those are my first thoughts, at least.

[Edited on January 17, 2013 at 7:37 PM. Reason : ]

1/17/2013 7:36:48 PM

Quote :

"he's done absolutely nothing to truly curb government spending, and hasn't shown any real desire to other than mouthing off during campaigns. this is a point that i hold any and all politicians to; they're all scum."

He's grown the federal government at a lower rate than any president since FDR. You're an idiot.

1/17/2013 8:30:48 PM

Why did it need to grow at all? Who cares about the rate?

1/17/2013 8:54:47 PM

First of all, holy loaded fucking question, Batman. Second of all, if containing the growth of the federal government is one of your highest priorities in determining how well a president is doing then Obama should be near the top.

1/17/2013 9:02:26 PM

Quote :

"He's grown the federal government at a lower rate than any president since FDR. You're an idiot."

== "he's suck a little less than the guys before him"

call me when any year of his 8 years in office isn't knee freakin deep in the red -or- when he legitimately tries, at all. good job with the name calling though.

1/17/2013 9:31:14 PM

Quote :

"if containing the growth of the federal government is one of your highest priorities in determining how well a president is doing then Obama should be near the top."

Don't worry, it's not. Furthermore I don't think measuring Obama by his predecessors is a fair metric.

2008 and beyond is a fairly unique time period in American history and Obama seems to be particularly ill-suited for it.

1/17/2013 9:53:27 PM

You're dumb

1/17/2013 9:57:48 PM

The official one just happened this morning (the ceremonial/big one happens tomorrow):

1/20/2013 12:53:12 PM

Lupe Fiasco, Rapper, Thrown Off Stage At Inaugural Concert

Quote :

"Although Fiasco was booked as the headliner for the StartUp RockOn concert in celebration of Obama's reelection, the 30-year-old Chicago rapper apparently had no plans to cheer the current administration. Instead, after taking the stage at The Hamilton in Washington, he reportedly announced that he didn't vote for the president in the 2012 election and spent more than 30 minutes performing an anti-war song."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/21/lupe-fiasco-inauguration-concern_n_2518319.html

1/21/2013 11:22:48 AM

more shots of Beyonce, please.

1/21/2013 11:38:36 AM

Quote :

"Don't worry, it's not. Furthermore I don't think measuring Obama by his predecessors is a fair metric."

What is a fair metric then?

Quote :

"2008 and beyond is a fairly unique time period in American history and Obama seems to be particularly ill-suited for it."

What do you feel makes 2008 and beyond so unique? And why is Obama ill suited to handle these unique times?

1/21/2013 12:19:59 PM

This poet is a hack.

"Guessing at the weather... of our lives"

1/21/2013 12:23:12 PM

i guess america is finally approaching it's final spin down the toilet bowl of history.

good run while it lasted.

1/21/2013 12:30:06 PM

What's different now than the spin we have always been in?

1/21/2013 12:38:58 PM

seriously, lots of chicken littles that can't seem to articulate why they "know"/think that the sky is falling and why they feel it's obama's fault and why they feel someone else could have prevented the sky from falling.

1/21/2013 12:43:21 PM

Man you'd think people would have gotten tired of bashing obama by now.

1/21/2013 1:04:06 PM

If anything, Obama has failed because he hasn't been more radically different than GWB was over his 8 years because he's been hampered by a Congress that failed to accomplish the only goal they set out which was opposing Obama at every turn.

What are all of you idiots going to say when the world doesn't end... again?

1/21/2013 1:49:17 PM

One thing that bothers me: Obama embracing and continuing a large majority of Bush/Cheney policies has made the vocal leaders of the left useless. Because those on the left refuse to condemn Obama when he screws upand hold him accountable to his campaign rhetoric, it will effectively diminish their cause when a conservative regains power and inevitably moves the political spectrum even further to the radical right.

Dudes a great politician, but he has done dick-all when it comes to restoring the nations moral center.

1/21/2013 2:04:41 PM

I think you have to factor in the momentum of the shift that was already taking place when he was first elected and the uncompromising positions of the right. Stopping that momentum and slightly reversing the shift was really the most anyone could ask.

1/21/2013 2:27:57 PM

The funny thing is that people (not necessarily on a board for mostly educated people like TWW) act like he's the most liberal, socialist, communist, left man that's ever lived. Reality and history puts him right of center.

1/21/2013 2:28:40 PM

Quote :

"The funny thing is that people (not necessarily on a board for mostly educated people like TWW) act like he's the most liberal, socialist, communist, left man that's ever lived. Reality and history puts him right of center."

he could be slightly left of center, but either way, he's nowhere near the strawman Fox News makes him out to be.

1/21/2013 2:33:15 PM

he's most certainly right of center. He's further to the right than St. Reagan.

There's over four years of policy to verify that.

1/21/2013 2:39:10 PM

Reagan had atrocious foreign policy.

1/21/2013 2:51:22 PM

Quote :

"We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth. It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm."

1/21/2013 4:19:01 PM

Quote :

"Out Gay Military Members Attend Obama's Inauguration Ball"

1/21/2013 10:20:58 PM

Quote :

"Reagan had atrocious foreign policy"

lol...perhaps you meant to say Carter?

1/21/2013 10:36:43 PM

The "center" refers to the center of the political spectrum in the US right now. Not some farcical "universal" or "historical" spectrum that whiney liberals make up to to try to to claim that we only have a center-right and a far-right party.

Obama is assuredly a left-of-center moderate.

[Edited on January 21, 2013 at 10:49 PM. Reason : 4]

1/21/2013 10:47:55 PM

^If that were true, then right-wingers wouldn't be referring to Obama as a Maoist-Marxist-Socialist Tree Hugger. Instead, they'd call him a centrist, or center-right.

But they do call him those things, which directly violates the rule you just made up.

1/21/2013 11:37:37 PM

^^ well said

1/21/2013 11:51:25 PM

^^^ that's only partially true.

Realistically, if the left stays mostly the same, and the right drifts right-ward, the center drifts right. a previously-centrist person would appear more left by this metric.

Obama is left-of-center relative to today's climate, but relative to the recent past, he's centrist or right.

Regan would be left of where he was in his time, relative to today's climate.

1/21/2013 11:54:56 PM

1/22/2013 12:24:16 AM