h/t Instapundit
Remember how outraged Bush critics were just four years ago at the expense of Bush's inaugural?
The current economic crisis, which some have called the worst since the Great Depression, has not deterred the organizers of Obama's inaugural festivities from outspending the Bush team four years ago. So much do this year's festivities cost that the outgoing president has declared an emergency to pay for it so his successor won't have to spare any expense as he celebrates his swearing-in.Indeed, "Barack Obama's inauguration is set to cost more than £100m [$146 million] making it the most expensive swearing-in ceremony in US history."
The most expensive swearing-in ceremony in US History? Where's the outrage? Oh, yeah, it's a Democrat doing the spending so the standards are different.
UPDATE: This year an AP reporter is defending the same extravagence one of her colleagues faulted four years ago.
One of GP's commenters nails it:
$150 Million would pay for 7500 scholarships for underprivileged youth to attend the exclusive private school in Chicago where the Obama’s sent their precious little daughters. (Apparently, the Chicago Public Schools — then under the management of Obama’s Education Secretary nominee — weren’t good enough.)
It would also buy out 500 subprime mortgages, or put Lindsey Lohan in rehab for 416 years.
Any of which would be a better use than throwing a coronation party that would give Leni Riefenstahl the dry heaves.