With all the problems going on in this country regarding people losing their jobs, the banking and investment industry failing, the auto manufacturers going under, bail outs being handed out to those that squandered monies? Why not have a party and blow a few hundred million dollars. G W Bush's last Inauguration cost about 40 million and the media had a field day with it.
I know that now President Obama made sure that the monies being spent was from private contributions. I am just wondering how many that gave those private contributions were given money from the bail out or have contributed to the massive unemployment problem that is taking place in this country right now?
As far as the historical event of having the first African American elected as the President, why do people forget that he is half white too? I think it more appropriate to say historically, we have elected this countries first Hawaiian President. It would be more accurate. Hawaii needs to be recognized for more than just Pearl Harbor and one episode of the Brady Bunch spending a week there. Ooops, and Don Ho too.

Excellent observations, I agree with you here 100%. Because really his Mom is as white as I am and his Dad was never an American he was a foreign student attending the same college that his Mom was attending when they met. I feel it is silly to make such an issue out of the race / color of his skin, as Dr. M. L. King pointed out we should "Judge a man not by the color of his skin but by the quality of his character". I am glad we have advanced enough to have a person elected who is racially mixed, but I also remember when Kennedy was elected it was a big deal because he was the 1st Catholic ever elected.:rolleyes: Have we really ADVANCED THAT MUCH WHEN THE STINKING MEDIA IS STILL HARPING ON COLOR, RACE, RELIGION, ETC.!??
I for one am glad to see our racial barriers coming down and the expansion of all races, sexes and religions into important jobs, television, and just every area of employment. That is a great thing, and hopefully one day so common that we no longer even notice it and the assanine media can "shut up already" on the issue!

No way Obama can live up to all the expectations people have for him. It was crazy watching all the fervor people were feeling over it on the news. No man can live up to that.

I watched the inauguration on TV, it was a very exciting thing to see, I didn't even cry... lol. I wish President Obama all the Best. God Bless the USA!!! Cookie

Oh NO, jfain, I disagree! (HA!) I thought the First Lady's day-time gear was beautiful! BUT I didn't like her evening gown for the ball, at all... thought it looked like a full-bellied maternity-dress rolled & dipt in feathers!

Half-white/black? I get that... but I also recall the "one drop" laws generations ago too (referring to one drop of black blood in a human making them black- prohibiting them from status as whites), that was not just in the South, but also here in the North. UGLY time in our history. ABSOLUTELY UGLY. And I can't honestly say we've done the full amount of learning we should have since then, either... Black president or not.

Like I said- he wasn't my first choice- nor even my 2nd... I differ w/ him on several issues politically. But I DO sense he's a great & honorable man- and I hope he can deliver on even a portion of his assurances.

For the record- I disagreed w/ Pres. Bush on many things. But I appreciate the tremendous unique circumstances and terrible odds he was up against during his two terms. I don't think we'll ever truly know the extent of the difficulties he faced and battled on our behalf. I think he too is a great man- often misunderstood by an impatient & confused/unaware public, and often ambushed/sold-out by the media...