For the love of money ...

Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies told the New York Daily News: "We're always very budget conscious. But we're sending a message to the entire world about our peaceful transition of power, and you don't want it to look like a schlock affair. It needs to be appropriate to the magnitude of events that it is."

Budget conscious? Clearly. The current estimation for the inaugural festivities is $150 MILLION. Please realize this is all coming not only during a recession, but after the government just spent billions of dollars bailing out businesses that ran themselves into the ground and, not two weeks later, were treating themselves to weekend spa retreats. Is this really the way to spend our money?

Granted, I do not know where this money is coming from exactly. I'm still doing my research. I do know, however, that these festivities are so ginormous that President Bush had to issue an emergency fund of $15 million of federal money today in order to secure the peace and safety in D.C.

Why am I not mad at Dubya for spending the money? Not because I love him. No ... it's because I will NEVER argue spending money for safety's sake. Although I think this inauguration is getting WAY out of hand, D.C. residents can't help that millions of people are invading their hometown and that is no reason to compromise safety. And even if I think it's ridiculous that so many people are traveling to their Mecca this week, I believe in humanity and life, and I support safeguarding life no matter who the person is (well, with the exception of the death penalty, but that's another day in itself).

Having said that - should the money have been 100 percent private funds that were voluntarily given to the inauguration fund, I STILL do not think Obama should allow this amount of money to be spent on a party for himself. If he is any kind of a leader, he'd find a better use for $150 million dollars. I know I could. Where is your love for the welfare system now, liberals? Ah. Seems you are just as selfish as you make the GOP out to be. Shame on you.

But, alas, I have to admit. If my man Dubya were entering a third term as President, my Commander-in-Chief, leader of my beloved country ... I'd be there, too.