8 Responses to “Inauguration Diary: Reporters Can’t Get In, Even With Tickets”

1. david leroy moorer on January 23rd, 2009 3:26 pm

   This is the mess “BUSH left”.

2. brenda on January 23rd, 2009 9:10 am

   Dear Weary:

   I hate to break the news to you about “speaking proper English” but you might want to brush up on your Spanish!!!

3. J.davis on January 21st, 2009 5:43 pm

   perhaps Boone and Delzen could give a report on what they did see and experience. I would like to know how they felt and what their attitude was when this happened. that sure is a long way to go only to be shut out. I pray that our nation has a bright future even though most speculation is not so. tough times are ahead. I hope our new commander in chief does well and leads the nation out of these hard times. God Bless America, One Nation Under God.

4. Chuck on January 21st, 2009 5:25 pm

   Obama has brought “change”, just let me show you my T-Rowe account. Nothing but change.

5. WEARY on January 21st, 2009 12:42 pm

   I agree, Ron. Why should Americans accept the words of a man just because he has effectively honed his skills as an orator and made it to the White House. If I remember correctly, even when he was campaigning, he offered no viable solutions to our country’s problems–only “change.” Eloquent words may encourage votes, but I believe that many of those who voted for him will come to regret his lack of political experience. But maybe some good will result: Perhaps those of his race, and other races of our country, will be inspired to speak the English language correctly.

6. Ron Wilson on January 21st, 2009 12:24 pm

   Hey Carolyn — youbetcha!

7. carolyn on January 21st, 2009 10:43 am

   Hey Ron, I bet you keep a thesaurus on your desk.

8. Ron Wilson on January 21st, 2009 8:16 am

   Underscoring the economic chaos facing the new White House, Tuesday’s selloff sent the Dow to its WORST Inauguration Day performance ON RECORD.

   Obama had to walk a fine line in his Inaugural speech — to set low enough expectations to buy him time, yet not set market confidence back any farther than it already is. Did he go to far?

   While Washington saw “change” Tuesday, with the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation’s 44th president, Wall Street saw the Dow plummet more than 300 points on free-falling banking stocks.

   With a 4.2% stock market loss, and a Dow Jones Industrial Average close below the psychologically significant 8,000 market level, President Obama is off to the worst start of any president on record.

   The DJIA lost 332.13 points, or 4.01%, to 7949.09, the S&P 500 sank 44.90 points, or 5.28%, to 805.22 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 88.47 points, or 5.78%, to 1440.86.

   The market’s reaction yesterday cannot be quickly dismissed as coincidental.

   President Obama has never created or passed major legislation, has never run a company, or served in the military. His history is that of limited experience, extreme liberal positions, and questionable (or sometimes radical) political alliances. Yet he proposes that he is the only person that can lead the country out of the worst economic downturn in recent years.

   While the multitudinous masses display irrational exuberance over President Obamas eloquent elocution, the stock market reacted quite differently. While the horde is hypnotized, and hears what it wants to hear, in the captivating cadences, the rosy rhetoric, obsequious oration, and pious platitudes and promises, the financial markets seek to understand the ACTUAL implications.

   So, although there was no outright call to socialism, Wall Street investors, in deciphering what is intended by the nuanced, “newspeak” phraseology, respond to what is perceived as fundamentally flawed fiscal policies.

   Sure, the Obama administration is taking over administration of the US executive branch at a uniquely difficult time in history.

   So far, every prescription to remedy the debt deflation, as administered by Fed chairman Bernanke has failed to produce results. And, a lot of ammunition has been consumed: short-term interest rates are effectively zero, the budget is in deficit, and allocated bailouts half expended. The one thing currently propping up the economy (that is not otherwise directly detrimental to the nation’s long term fiscal condition), is a strong dollar, which has been produced by a short term global panic into US Treasury securities. At the same time the strong dollar hangs over the US economy like a pall, cutting off exports as a primary source of economic growth.

   And, what may be the one remaining economic tool (that could result in any meaningful stimulus), in the re-flation tool-box, is properly allocated tax cuts. Not government expansion via public works, not a government mandated “green” economy, not confiscatory taxation and wealth redistribution via the government teat, to the hand-out class.

   …but meaningful tax relief to businesses for TRUE STIMULUS via reinvestment and expansion.