National

I got this in the email yesterday or the day before. Who remembers? Anyway, here is a press release from Out of the Box Communications, which is a political consulting firm that I suppose Korn has retained, and which is also a firm that at one time Korn either worked for, ran, or had a financial interest in (but that is all really irrelevant). What is relevant is the statement, and you will notice something interesting...

I think Andrew Sullivan is right: Obama is the liberal Reagan. The speech yesterday will be a mission statement for Progressives for the next two to three generations, much like the Inaugurals of FDR were to older generations of progressives and how Reagan's were to conservatives.

If you didn't get a chance to see or hear it all, we have the video inside. The Washington Post has the transcript of the remarks as they were to be delivered. I've been thinking about alot of this (and this speech *is* more progressive than the 2009 one), but the piece that really speaks to me is this one:

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.

It is tough to object to what looks like a goal of a more perfect freedom for all of us.

Today is the public celebration and commemoration of the inauguration of President Barack Obama for his second term. There's probably plenty of coverage on TV of the leadup to the main event, which looks like it starts around 11. For those of you following the events, this thread is for you to comment on whatever strikes your fancy. If you are at work, you can see Inauguration events live streaming from CSPAN, the White House website (not until 11:20), NBC News, CNN and others. If you can only listen, NPR will start its coverage around 11 or 11:30 and WDEL will start coverage around 11:30. The Delaware Democrats are having a watch party at Timothy's starting around 11:30, but I think that if you haven't RSVPed before now, they are probably all booked up.

Last Friday, the House GOP emerged from their retreat waving their white flag, noting that they would not hold the economy hostage (at least for another 3 months) over extending the debt limit. Given that this weekend has been largely given over to inauguration news and thoughts on the next 4 years, there hasn't been a ton of attention on this -- which is probably why they surrendered in a Friday afternoon news dump.

A blast from the past...

I saw it last night at the People's Plaza Regal Cinema. It was great. And that isn't some empty praise from a musical theater fanboy. I typically hate the modern Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Cameron-Mackintosh bullshit musicals that are all singing. (Throw some dialogue in for Christsake so people know what the hell is going on. Would a couple sentences of exposition kill you Sir, Lloyd-Webber?) Anyway, I know you want to hate it, but suck it up. It was great. My one quibble has to do with the fact that the musical compresses time so much that it appears the Revolution of 1848 lasted for one day. In fact, the socialists swept the Bourbon monarchists out of France for good and for a time ran a government with a government under the banner of Liberté, égalité, fraternité, establishing that 'The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789' would be a guiding force in France going forward. #AnneHathawaywasawesomebuthatersgonnahate #sowasRussleCrowandIreallyhavenoideawhypeopleareshittingonCrowe'sperformance #idon'tundertsandhowhashtagsworkbutIseepeopledoingingthemsowtf?IthinkI'llthrowsomein?