Today may be a day when the nation briefly sets aside partisan enmity for the peaceful transition of power, but personal enmity? Thats another matter.
One small example: as the ex-Presidents gathered in the crypt of the Capitol preparing to head out to the platform, a chilly day got a bit chillier as the Carters and the Clintons were forced to occupy the same cramped space.
Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter appeared to greet former Republican President George H.W. Bush and his wife warmly, kissing Barbara Bush on the cheek. But as Carter passed fellow Democrats Bill and Hillary Clinton, the two men did not appear to acknowledge each others presence at all. A total snub.
A lovely bit of snark in the comments thread:
Can't say I blame them. I wouldn't talk to a Carter or a Clinton either.
Posted by: Mike ||
01/20/2009 15:31 ||
Comments ||
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#1
Not a "snub" at all. These are difficult moments. Clinton reminds him too much of his late brother Billy.
#5
Does Mr. Carter plan to snub Mr. George W. Bush for the same reasons? Not to mention that whole winning the war in Iraq thingie, which is more than Mr. Clinton did, after all, although he did manage the Yugoslavian situation after the EU botched it.
#8
I watched the video. I think it was the other way round. Hillary gave the Snub of all Snubs to Peanut.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
01/20/2009 19:51 Comments ||
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#9
a friend of mine actually interviewed Carter & H.W. Bush multiple times. She said Carter was really intelligent but a toatl cold fish - it later became well known in the press corps that he despised Bubba for the Lewinski shenannigans - actually said Clinton should've stepped down - that got back to the Huxter. Apparently Jimmah was also close w/Gerald Ford - Ford also hated Bubba for same reasons. She went on to say that Bush 41 was an absolute jem of a guy to interview - charismatic and smart as a whip. My friend is probably the only journal prof I know who is also a real conservative.
RACINE, Wis. (AP) -- Racine Mayor Gary Becker's plans to attend Tuesday's inauguration have been canceled after he was charged in an Internet sex sting. [AP doesn't say but he is a Democrat]
Becker had planned to attend a U.S. Conference of Mayors event in Washington over the weekend and then stay for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
But that was before he was arrested Tuesday night at a suburban Milwaukee shopping mall. Authorities said he went there to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl but actually was a state agent.
The city also has removed Becker's picture that had greeted visitors to the Racine Web site.
"With everything going on I felt it was not appropriate for his picture and his welcome to remain on the Web site," said City Council President David Maack on Friday. Maack is serving as acting mayor.
Sen. Ted Kennedy has collapsed at a luncheon held for President Barack Obama at the Capitol, CNN and ABC News report. Paramedics arrived on the scene, and Kennedy was taken from the luncheon on a stretcher.
"My prayers are with him and his family and Vicki," Obama said in remarks a few minutes after the incident.
Kennedy was at a table with Sen. John Kerry and others, George Stephanopoulos reports. President Barack Obama went out of the room with him, but he returned.
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) was also taken out of the luncheon earlier. According to MSNBC he was having trouble eating, but his condition was not serious.
#5
I'm no fan of Kennedy, but to be brutally direct, the man's under a death sentence and a brain tumor is a nasty way to go. Somehow I can't bring myself to get all snarky about it.
Posted by: Mike ||
01/20/2009 16:07 Comments ||
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The recitation of the presidential oath came in fits and starts.
The Constitution prescribes the text: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will to best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."
But Chief Justice John Roberts, using no notes, flubbed his lines, and Obama knew it.
First, Obama jumped in before the "do solemnly swear" phrase, which seemed to throw the chief justice off his stride. Roberts rendered the next phrase as "that I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully."
"That I will execute," Obama repeated, then paused like a school teacher prompting his student with a slight nod. Roberts took another shot at it: "The off ... faithfully the pres ... the office of President of the United States."
The oath then got more or less back on track after that. Close enough for government work.
NBC's Abby Livingston adds the transcript:
ROBERTS: I, Barack Hussein Obama...
OBAMA: I, Barack...
ROBERTS: ... do solemnly swear...
OBAMA: I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear...
ROBERTS: ... that I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully...
OBAMA: ... that I will execute...
ROBERTS: ... faithfully the office of president of the United States...
OBAMA: ... the office of president of the United States faithfully...
ROBERTS: ... and will to the best of my ability...
OBAMA: ... and will to the best of my ability...
ROBERTS: ... preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
OBAMA: ... preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
ROBERTS: So help you God?
OBAMA: So help me God.
ROBERTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.
1. Roberts used phrases that were too long
2. Obama didn't tell Roberts to use short phrases
3. Obama interupted Roberts in the first phrase
4. Roberts put the word "faithfully" in the wrong place.
WASHINGTON Authorities monitored a rush of intelligence leads Tuesday at the largest security operation in presidential inauguration history, including a possible threat from an East Africa radical Islamic terrorist group.
Law enforcement and intelligence officials received information that people associated with a Somalia-based group, al-Shabaab, might try to travel to the U.S. with plans to disrupt the inauguration, according to a joint FBI/Homeland Security bulletin issued Monday night. The information had limited specificity and uncertain credibility, said Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke.
U.S. counter-terror officials have grown concerned in recent months about the threat posed by the militant al-Shabaab group and a cell of U.S.-based Somali sympathizers who have traveled to their homeland to "fight alongside Islamic insurgents," the alert reported.
Authorities stressed that the warning was posted as a precaution as part of the massive effort to monitor intelligence traffic and check out all leads in advance of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration. Officials have warned that the inauguration poses an attractive target for terrorists because of the large crowds descending on the nation's capital and the historic significance of the country swearing in its first black president.
"As always, we remind the public to be both thoughtful and vigilant about their surroundings, and to notify authorities of any suspicious activity," Knocke said. Disregard of course, Jesse Jackson's recent TV aired comments regarding castration.
Page 10 of the new regs published by the DC police.
10. It is a criminal offense to discharge a firearm in the District of Columbia without first obtaining a special written permit from the Chief of Police authorizing the discharge.
#3
"Sir, I am entitled to inform you that for this carjacking to continue I must see your written permission slip to discharge your firearm into me and my family. Also, if you do have such note, you are required by law to allow me to obtain my own permission slip before continuing."
#4
Nationwide right now, you have to know somebody to buy ammo. I read a report from one guy who had to visit six Wal-Marts just to get a 50 round box in his caliber. He said their shelves looked like stores in the old Soviet Union.
People are buying ammo for weapons they don't have, on the hope of trading it for the ammo they need.
#5
I had an interesting discussion with the gun and camping goods salesman at my local Dick's sporting goods shop shortly after Christmas. (I was looking for a solar-powered lantern and space blankets, neither of which they had.) He said that most of his gun sales were to self-proclaimed Progressives, determined to protect themselves against the coming Conservative revolt... the remainder being self-proclaimed Conservatives determined to protect themselves against the coming Progressive overthrow of democracy.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
David Wright, "The Radar" @ ABC News
