Let the silliness begin by the partisan media and the minions that enjoy their escapades. No, it has nothing to do with the Kardashians! It’s the Presidential Inauguration.
Yes folks, it comes every 4 years, it’s the American version of celebrating royalty.
As the countdown to the 57th Presidential Inauguration is under way, today’s “interweb” linked world gives Americans multiple ways of communicating their love and loathe of the First Family. Oh I can just imagine the snarky remarks over Michelle’s dress plastered across Facebook and Twitter or the trail of Kleenex left by Speaker Boehner on his way to his favorite stool at the Dubliner.
Everyone should know by now that since the 20th Amendment was ratified on January 23, 1933, the Inauguration happens on January 20th, which this year happens to fall on a Sunday.
There will be multiple times that Media will talk about how we celebrate the late Martin Luther King, Jr on January 21st, with panning shots of the Lincoln Memorial and significance of the ceremonial coronation of the Big “O’s” 2nd term as the first black President and how he’ll use both the Lincoln and MLK, Jr bibles to be sworn in.
Nauseated yet?
Already there have been postings about “Keeping the Bible in the Inauguration,” as well as people decrying that “If Obama doesn’t use a Bible at his ‘swearing in’ then it’s not a legal Presidency.” If the latter is the case, then, um, well by that notion there would be quite a few Presidencies that were illegal actions.
Per the wonderful folks at www.inaugural.senate.gov, the following “Swearing In” proceedings did not have Bibles present: Washington (2nd), Jefferson (1st & 2nd), Madison (1st & 2nd), Monroe (1st & 2nd), Jackson (1st & 2nd), Van Buren, W.H. Harrison, Tyler, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Grant (1st), T Roosevelt (after McKinley death), and L.B. Johnson (after Kennedy death) .
John Quincy Adams used some variant volume of Law book at his only Inauguration.
So what’s the count equal then? Yes that would be 20 illegitimate Presidencies, and some by the very Founding Fathers!
There is no rule that states a Bible needs to be used for the “swearing in” of any President, it just sounds good.
Outside of the whole “Bible qualification” spasms by a small grouping, I actually have an argument for this Inauguration, as I do for all 2nd terms. It’s not needed!
Inauguration Day has grown into an annoyance of monstrous proportions that I’d rather watch a Honey Boo-Boo marathon on TLC. Such a dog and pony show it has become that I think sitting through a 2 hour Ben Stein lectern would have more appeal and zest.
By Noon on Sunday, January 20th, the Big “O” will begin his 2nd term, whether or not Justice Roberts has him take the oath of office. And the Big “O” is not the first to have this happen.
Here’s some history for the naysayers.
The first President-elect to have his Inauguration Day land on a Sunday was James Monroe in 1821. Go figure, Congress didn’t know what to do, since Courts and Public Institutions were closed, they had to confer with the Supreme Court on what to do. So after some debate the Supreme Court said “Move it to Monday.” GENUIS!
In 1849, once again Inauguration Day fell upon a Sunday and Zachary Taylor was told to wait 24 hours to take his oath of office.
President-elects Rutherford B. Hayes, Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower all fell victim to the calendar as well and decided to take their oaths of office in private ceremony at the White House and hold a public ceremony the following Monday.
But the best nugget of useless historical Inauguration fact happened under William McKinley.
Back in 1897, the Senate received twice as many Inauguration tickets then the House of Representatives, so naturally the House held a protest of holding their breath and stomping their feet. Apparently the Senate felt that since they confer more with the President then the House, they deserved more tickets.
So what does a split Congress do in such a situation? They form a committee to make sure tickets are properly distributed among Congress and in 1901 the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies was formed.
Yes, even then special committees were formed to break impasse in Congress.
So at Noon on Sunday January 20th, no matter what, the Big “O” will begin his 2nd term no matter when the 'swearing in' begins. I did hear that ESPN’s NFL pre-show will broadcast from outside the Oval Office.
But with great ceremony comes great expense and who pays for it? Believe it or not, the winning party pays the majority of the bill.
Which leads into the latest Obama controversy as to why he is hitting up Corporate America for donations?
In 2009 the Big “O” raised over $53 million in private cash to pay for his Royal, err, I mean Inauguration. That cash was to pay for all the many pageant balls, enormous parade, and even the toilets! Just bring your own toilet paper.
But, yes, we taxpayers have to flip some the bill, because it wouldn’t be a Washington DC function if we didn’t pay something and in 2009 that came at a cool $40+ million.
So what did we pay for?
How about $4.2 million(!) paid to some person with the title of “Architect of the Capital” $4.2 million for the responsibility of making the Capital all pretty and clearing out all the vagrants that reside inside the Capitol as well as the building of the grandstand and bleachers.
Of course one of the most corrupt cities receives around $2 million for the US Capital Police to direct people to the port-a-potties.
And the remaining $35 million went to Secret Services, but they won't talk about it.
It wouldn’t shock me if less people watched the Big “O’s” 2nd Inauguration then tuned in to watch the Royal Wedding in 2011. Hell more people may have watched the final episode of Full House.
In the end, as with many past Inaugurations, we will hear the newly elected President speak of “the greatness of America past and how the future is bright (gotta wear shades)” and “we’ve seen great riches (head over seas), prosperity has strengthen and bound us together like a Rawlings baseball” and the ever present “there’s a shiny house on a hill with a foreclosed sign on it, we need to restore that house.”
All the while, many students will be enjoying the day off school in Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by playing HALO 4 or posting complaints on Facebook that there’s nothing on TV.
That’s it, Slap the Tap, as I’ll be spending Inauguration Day drinking a $100 6-pack of Westvleren 12 beer with the Belgian Monks.
Cheers!
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