Scenes From the National Mall--the 57th Presidential Inauguration

It seems that one of the unexpected advantages of needing to be on the National Mall at "O'dark Thirty" for the 57th Presidential Inauguration is witnessing a spectacular sunrise over the Capitol.





















Even in this sea of humanity, a Culpepper Minuteman (briefly)  exercised his First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech. 

No Place For DOMA In Obama Administration

President Obama instructed U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) because the Chief Executive believes that the law is unconstitutional. This public policy position regarding the protection of traditional marriage is a change from Obama’s stances on the campaign and during the first two years of his Administration.

Despite the verbal faux pas with Obama’s inauguration, the oath still requires the President to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.  Surprisingly Article II Sect. 1 of the U.S Constitution does not include determining the constitutionality of laws but instead requires the oath taker “to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Whether President Obama likes it or not, 28 U.S.C. § 1738C (a.k.a. The Defense of Marriage Act) is the law of the land.  It was passed by Congress in 1996 when Hawaii was flirting with a judicial recognition of Same Sex “marriages”.  The law was designed to not force states steadfast in supporting traditional marriage to be obliged to honor these homosexual unions by Article IV Sect. 1, the Full Faith and Credit Clause, of the U.S. Constitution. The Defense of Marriage Act was passed by a vote of 87-13 in the Senate and a margin of 342-67 in the House and was signed into law by President Clinton.

However Obama as Chief Executive has determined by himself that the federal definition of marriage was unconstitutional.   The President has made this determination without being compelled by a Supreme Court ruling on the matter.  Jay Carney, President Obama’s new spokesman, indicates that the Department of Justice still enforce the laws, as they are required to do so.  But looking into the details, the portion of the law that the DOJ will no longer defend is  28 U.S.C. § 1738C, the part that effects states and the Full Faith and Credit Clause, so it effectively guts the law. So it is meddling in state’s rights as well as not defending the law of the land.

Richard Neustadt, a Harvard Political Science Professor who helped found the Kennedy School of Government, postulated that: “Where you stand is where you sit”.   This was intended to explain why governmental officials gravitated towards policies that reflected the institutions which they represented.  Looking at it from a good governance lens, Obama’s dereliction of duty makes no sense as it is not the President’s duty to determine Constitutional. According to Article III of the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Court is the supreme arbiter of the constitutionality of the laws of the land.

But if one consider’s Neustadt’s maxim through a political lens, things become more focused. It kind of seems like a naked political move as Obama’s political support amongst Independents has eroded that a reliable and rich base is stroked for future support. So Obama is reflecting the sensibilities of those who keep him in his chair.

 Obama’s ukase seems aligned with former California Attorney General (and now California Governor) Jerry Brown’s refusal to use state resources to defend the California voters' will as expressed in in Proposition 8, which again defined marriage as between one man and one woman.  Some caution should be applied when adhering to Governor Moonbeam’s lead, as Brown was hectored as being ineligible for the Attorney General office, as he had not practiced law for five years prior to his election. But eventually a judge dismissed this suit as it was a political issue.

The laws be damned.  That sounds quite familiar.

UPDATE 03/01 During testimony before House committees, Attorney General Eric Holder said that DOMA will continue to be enforced as it is now on the books – but he will not allow DOJ attorneys to go to court to defend its constitutionality.  Whatever that means.

Civility Street Is A One-Way Path

After the assassination attempt against Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ 8th), the University of Arizona announced that it was establishing the National Institute for Civil Discourse, to be co-chaired by former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill J. Clinton.  The civility center is described as “a non-partisan center for debate, research, education and policy in civil discourse.” In the abstract, it sounds like a noble but nebulous notion.  In practice, it will probably be as insipid as the U.S. Institute for Peace or perhaps it can aspire to evolve into a organization like the feckless kleptocracy of the United Nations.

Such a civility institute should examine the media coverage surrounding the inception of the center.  Immediately after the Congresswoman was shot, most of the Lamestream Media jumped on the thesis that the Tea Party was to blame and this should be the end of Gov. Sarah Palin’s political career.  The Lamestream Media meme continued long after it became apparent that Jared Lee Loughner,  Gifford’s assailant, was troubled man who spouted 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Lamestream Media coverage sought out any wacky protestors at Tea Party events and decried when they found depictions of President Obama as Hitler.  Of course, these liberal Lamestream “reporters” failed to mention that such protest placards were produced by Lyndon Larouche, a perennial Democrat Presidential candidate.  Strangely enough, Big Media never seemed offended or even aware of the many unflattering depictions of President George W. Bush at the anti-war protests  During the current showdown at the Wisconsin State Capitol by pro-Union protesters, how often does the Lamestream Media show the crude comparisons of Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) as a dictator or even as Hitler?   Hmm, that’s strange but no surprise as the liberal Lamestream media focuses on what fits in their ideological framework and magnifies anything attributable to their opposition.

The crux of the walkouts by Democrats in the Wisconsin and now the Indiana legislatures is about right to work legislation.   Instead of standing firm like Gov. Walker, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN) chided his party for pursuing controversial legislation and urged the Republicans to drop the matter.  While speaking to reporters, Daniels saluted the Democrats for participating in the political process (by fleeing from their duties in the Statehouse) and hoped that by eschewing controversy he can lure dissenting Democrats back to the table.   Certainly the Lamestream Media will characterize Daniels as being a Statesman and Walker as intransigent.

Civility is a cudgel used to bloody conservatives to relent from their principles to strive for consensus, which is remarkably similar to liberal political objectives.  But when Republicans strive for bipartisan cooperation, as President George W. Bush attempted early in his administration, the concessions are one way.  This “kinder and gentler” governance allowed the 43rd President to be vilified when political choices got tough.  So much so, Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Obama’s former chief of staff and the newly elected mayor of Chicago, could be crude as President Bush arrived at Obama’s inaugural.   Perhaps Gov. Daniels is modeling his governance after President Obama’s inaugural address which offered to “extend a hand if they unclench their fist”.  That has worked out so well for the Obama Administration’s foreign policy.

Granted, the Civility Center is based at the University of Arizona.  Seeing the way the memorial service for the fallen in Tucson was quickly organized as “Together We Thrive” pep rally, which echoed an organizing for America theme, it is easy to understand the center’s orientation.  Come to think of it, the National Center for Public Discourse may be as meaningful as City College’s Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service.

The DREAM Act Is Over...(For Now)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) attempt to jam down the DREAM Act during the Lame Duck session.  The bill failed to win the 60 vote margin to overcome a filibuster and lost by a 55 to 41 margin.  This was a second attempt to foist what is acknowledged as back door amnesty act that Reid had attempted this fall.  Roll Call reports that many DREAM Act supporters in the Senate gallery cried after the negative vote.

The DREAM Act would have created a path for citizenship for illegal aliens who graduate high school (or obtain a G.E.D.)  and either attend college or serve in the military for two years. Majority Leader Reid was so confident about the merits of the DREAM Act that it was bundled along with an amendment to repeal Congress’ Don’t Ask Don’t Tell legislation onto the Defense Appropriations Act, which was successfully filibustered in September.

Majority Leader Reid’s re-election campaign relied heavily on Hispanic support, so pushing the DREAM Act, whether or not it was successful was probably a payoff to his supporters. If the DREAM Act passes, Democrats are banking on a generation of grateful Hispanic voters.  But even a defeat of the DREAM Act can be used to paint opponents as being cruel, anti-immigrant troglodytes by partisans and the press (yes there is supposed to be a difference).

This Lame Duck test vote on the DREAM Act exposes some Senators can not be relied upon for liberal legislation.  Democrat Senators voting against the DREAM Act included: Senator John Tester (D-MT), Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), Senator Kay Hagen (D-NC), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR).  Both Nelson and Testor will face strong re-election challenges in the 2012 cycle.  But all of the aforementioned dissenters come from states that have swung significantly Red.

Curiously, newly sworn in Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) managed to miss this vote as did Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) who originally proposed the DREAM Act in 2000. I guess that they were out shooting target practice or playing at the Festival of Lights.

There are some rumblings from the Conservative base that Senate Republicans may try to score a victory with similar legislation.  The Lame Duck DREAM Act vote included support from three Republicans: Senator Lisa Murkowski (?-AK), Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) and Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN).   Bennett will not be back in the 112th Congress but Murkowski and Lugar who can not be counted on to vote with conservatives or even the Republican caucus.  But if history is any gauge, Republican supporting de facto amnesty without closing the porous borders does not ensure re-election.  Of those Republicans voting for the 2007 Immigration bill, seven of 12 Senators are no longer in the so called world’s greatest deliberative body.

By failing this legislative hurdle, the DREAM Act should be over, for this Congress but the nightmare of backdoor amnesty should continue in the 112th Congress.

Teddy Apoplectic Over Caroline's Apologia

When Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg made her first attempt to withdraw from consideration for the Hillary seat in the Senate, multiple sources close to her cited her uncle's falling ill at the Congressional Inaugural luncheon as reported by the New York Times and New York Post. Well, the Lion of Liberalism, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) is furious over this lame excuse from dropping out of the New York Senate sweepstakes.

Those in Senator Kennedy's camp have told Time that "It made him look at death's door". Caroline knew that her uncle was prone to suffering from occasional seizures after his brain surgery but that generally he is doing well. Using Teddy's unfortunate incident at the Inaugural luncheon may have been a sympathy inducing distraction from Caroline's real personal reasons from withdrawing from consideration from the Senate seat, but depicting her uncle as being on a downward spiral is thought to impede on Kennedy's impact for comprehensive health care legislation in the Senate.

Later, staffers for both Caroline and Teddy tried to downplay the family fracas. Caroline's aide directly denied that Senator Kennedy's illness was the reason for Caroline dropping out. A source close to Senator Kennedy insisted that he was not upset with the Caroline people as the statements did not come from her. No politico tries to shape a story by having unsourced aides being quoted, right?

Personally, I think that staffers for the nine-term Senator are sensitive to his legacy as being a leader for universal health care and did not want ailment innuendo from a flaky family member to prevent him from being a legislative player.

Swearing Again

According to MSNBC-Obama, President Obama took the Oath of Office again from Chief Justice John Roberts at the White House. According to White House Counsel Greg Craig, this second swearing was acting in “an abundance of caution” after Chief Justice transposed some words during the Inauguration ceremony on the West steps of the Capitol.

The ceremony was held in the Map Room. Obama did not have the Lincoln Bible with him. This time, when Justice Roberts asked Obama if he was ready to take the oath, Obama said “Yes I am. And we are going to do this very slowly”. Both Constitutional Scholars were able to repeat the 35 word oath without any missteps this time. And neither needed a Tele-Prompter.

Alas, this properly uttered Oath still will not satisfy those who keep litigating the validity of Obama’s election since he has not shown a birth certificate proving that he was born in the United States or that he is a naturalized citizen.

Getting Carried Away at the Capitol Hill Inauguration Lunch

The Politico is reporting that Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) was removed in his wheelchair in Statuary by medical personnel during the Congressional Luncheon for President Obama. Reportedly, the 91 year old Senator was having trouble eating but remained conscious.

At the end of the Inauguration Luncheon, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) collapsed with a seizure and was carried out. Last year Kennedy, the 76 year old Senator, had surgery on a brain tumor. President Obama left with Kennedy but then came back to the Luncheon. ABC News indicates that Senator Dodd was laughing as Kennedy was transferred into the ambulance which indicates that the seizure might not be serious just bad timing.

There are conflicting reports by CBS News that indicate that Byrd was so distraught by Kennedy’s seizure that he had to be taken away.

Senator Byrd is the Speaker Pro-Temp of the Senate and is third in line of Presidential succession.

Consider that Vice President Biden surrendered his Senate seat in Delaware, Illinois Governor Rod Blogojevich named Senator Roland Burris to fill President Obama’s Senate seat. Then there is Ken Salazar's Senate seat in Colorado which is open now that he is Obama's Secretary of the Interior-designate. New York Governor David Paterson seems poised to name Carolyn Kennedy to fill Senator Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat once the Secretary of State designate is confirmed. Isn’t this change enough? The tenuous health of these two Senators potentially means that there may be six appointed Democrat Senators facing re-election in 2010.

Churlish to the End

In the last half minutes of his presidency, George W. Bush suffered the indignity insults from those infected with Bush Derangement Syndrome. As President Bush was introduced at the dais for the Inauguration, there were audible boos from the crowd. In addition, the Obamatons churlishly started the jeer “Nah, nah, nah, nah–Nah, nah, nah, nah—Hey, yeah, yeah– Goodbye”, which is often chanted by yobs at the end of sports victories. Chris Matthews, an anchor from MSNBC-Obama, chided the poor form of these supporters.

I’ll bet that these attendees were likely the same ones who kept fervently chanting “Obama, Obama” when the President-Elect was introduced.

Obama's Ongoing Problems with Prayer

Prayers continue to be a problem for President Obama. Many Obama supporters were incensed when Reverend Rick Warren was asked to deliver the invocation at the Inaugural as Warren was not seen as being inclusive over homosexual rights. As it turned out, Warren gave a reverend, outreaching but Milquetoast invocation that closed by echoing the "Lord's Prayer".

In sharp contrast, Dr. Joseph Lowery, the 87 year old Methodist minister and Civil Rights leader gave an benediction that sounded more like a partisan provocation. The peroration fuses two borrowed phrases:

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen. Say Amen'...

The first part of the prayer borrows a phrase from “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, also known as "The Negro National Anthem," by James Weldon Johnson. Then Lowery fused rhyming chants from his Civil Rights activism days.

America inaugurates its first Black President and his chosen minister blesses the occasion by using divisive racial indictments. So much for being one nation under God indivisible in a post-racial America. For a formal prayer, I am troubled at a benediction that provokes audible laughter, both for the prayer’s content as well as the vulgar rhyming.

I'm reminded of Reverend Wright's pulpit taunt "America's chickens are coming home to roost". So much for setting the wrong reverent tone—I don’t feel blessed.

Off Script Inauguration

There were few minor glitches in the Oath of Office for the Presidency which created ironic theoretical problems.

Firstly, there was the timing. The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution stipulates that: The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January...".

The Vice President Biden's oath occurred at 11:59 a.m. and was followed by a musical interlude by a high profile quartet. This piece continued until 12:06 p.m. Only then did Chief Justice John Roberts administer the Presidential Oath of Office to Barack Hussein Obama. This delay technically made Vice President Biden the Head of State as Acting President for six minutes.

When Senator Diane Feinstein introduced the Chief Justice, it sounded like Roberts was introduced to administer "the oaf" of office. That may have been El Rushbo's bad hearing aid at work , however Feinstein did not clearly enunciate.

As the pair took center stage, Obama made a sotto voce joke "That was for you" about the riser that was intended for the shorter of stature wife to look on equal footing her husband. Both politely chuckled.

However, the levity made have precipitated some verbal flubs in the administration of the Presidential Oath of Office. Obama started to swear too quickly by immediately repeating his name after the Chief Justice uttered it, but the Obama stopped short and froze Then Obama properly repeated the first line after being prompted. Then the Chief Justice transposed the "faithfully" portion of the familiar oath to the end of the next clause. Roberts realized his error and tried to quickly vocalize the proper oath, but Obama repeated the Chief Justice's original phrasing. This lead Fox News Sunday Anchor Chris Wallace to jokingly opine that since the Presidential Oath was botched, he may not be the legitimate president, as if the tin foil hat types need any more encouragement.

I guess they both should not speak off Tele-Prompter.

Change to Govern

[20 Jan. 2009 11h40]

Well, today is the day that Barack Hussein Obama takes the oath of office and becomes America’s 44th President. Hearing excerpts of inaugural exuberance by the lamestream media, due to his African heritage, Obama will become the world’s President.

While that may be overstating it, it is understandable that supporters bask in the glow of the moment. I can revel at a few things. Today marks the end of “Bush Derangement Syndrome”, a mental disorder that has affected the left since the Florida re-count of 2000 and was exacerbated by the cynical “Bush Lied, People Died” campaign after the Iraq War ended to prevent his re-election.

So many Obamatons supported their man because he was an empty vessel into which they poured their hopes, their dreams and their racial pride. Based on Obama’s voting record, he is a man of the left, but he has relished opportunities to avoid taking a stand so he can seem appealing to all. Today that changes. Obama will have to assume responsibility for his actions, and inaction. That means alienating people, including his own base. I think the media will continue the cult of the Dear Leader, but wears thin when the rubber meets the road of reality.

I hope that President Obama can keep America strong and secure in the world, but I can not countenance measures that take us on the track to a state-drive (socialist) economy. Did we not learn from the Great Depression that FDR’s governmental make work and erratic experimentation only prolonged the economic downturn?

Using a Max Headroom-like crystal ball (seeing only 20 minutes into the future), here is what I expect the new President to do in the first 100 hours:

• Obama will announce that he is withdrawing combat troops from Iraq. That way, he fulfills a campaign promise at little cost. President Bush’s troop surge in 2008 won the fight against the insurgents. I suspect that “combat troops” does not mean total military withdrawal, so military advisors and national building forces will continue to be there with a Iraqi government blessing.

• Obama will proclaim that he will close Gitmo during his term. I expect major wiggle room, so that he can claim that he is closing Camp Delta in Cuba but it may take four years. Naturally, he can always claim that he did not know about the seriousness of matters before being President and quietly drag his feet. The Obama obsessed lamestream media will not hold their Dear Leader’s feet to the fire.

• Obama will sign an Executive Order enforcing the “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA), basically enshrining pro-abortion laws through Presidential fiat. This pays off womens’ groups and honors what Rush Limbaugh calls the sacrament of Liberalism, the right of a pregnant woman to kill what becomes human life for any reason.

The first two proclamations I think will issued with great sound and fury and will signify nothing. The latter should challenge Social Justice advocates who supported Obama for identifying with the downtrodden and vulnerable, but not with the defenseless unborn humans.

In short, elections have consequences. But change also has consequences. And President Obama will no longer have the luxury of voting “Present” as he has often done in the past.

Moths Drawn to the Globama Flame

[19 Jan. 2009]

In spite of my jeremiad about the challenges of living in the Capitol City in the grips of Inaugural lockdown, people enchanted with the change to Obama as our Nation’s 44th President are inspired to come to Washington. Alas, some of these sojourns are not well thought out.

Let me offer two anecdotes of two moths drawn to the Globama flame. A couple hopped in their car driving from Georgia hoping to make it to Washington, DC for the swearing in ceremony. Well, they must have taken their directions from the rock group the B-52's as they lost once they left the Atlanta highway, so they turned back.

Another example of irrational exuberance for the Inauguration is an Atlanta mother who wanted to drive to DC so her two toddlers could be here for the change. She decided to do this with a little more than 24 hours before the oath was administered. It would be at least 10 hour drive. She could stay with relatives outside of the beltway. We tried to give her the realities to make prudent choices.

She would have to be at a Metro station at 4:00 a.m. to get any sort of place. The weather report predicts that the high will be 30 degrees F. (probably in the teens and 20s while she was waiting for six hours). Since she had no ticket for the parade route, more than likely she would have to go through nine security checkpoints to get to the mall. Strollers and backpacks are banned. The is a woeful paucity of porto-potties. If either of her children had to relief themselves, she would lose her standing place, then take off the layers of bundled clothing in a porto-potty and then muscle to find another perch to see the events on large screens set up along the mall.

I think our reality checkpoint was effective. She is checking out staying in Atlanta and watching the Oath of Office at a movie theater, sponsored by MSNBC-Obama. Better than figuratively crashing and burning in the chill of the National Mall with two small children.

Federal City in Lockdown

[18 Jan 2009]

While the changing of the guard may seem grand from afar, it is like being in a tortuous lockdown for ordinary residents of the Federal City. All of the Inaugural activities would involve street closures, security checkpoints and predictions of massive crowds.

Originally, I had planned to be Beyond the Beltways to miss the fun and frustration but that plan fell through. In the alternative, I had planned to stay hunkered down at my place in Capitol North. Alas, duty for my church called, so I was obliged to traipse to Georgetown for my normal Sunday night worship.

The Sunday before Inauguration was the kick off to the festivities with a huge afternoon concert. As luck would have it, my commute to church fell just as the concert was ending. It was prudent for me to change my route to avoid the crowds and closures. Even with my knowledge of backroads, a trip that would normally take 12 minutes took 50 minutes. It was not just the concert crowds the proved to be the challenge. Once I got to Georgetown, I had to circumnavigate around street closures and heavy police presence because grandiose on "Q" street (perhaps the Secretary of State designate) was having a party at her house and used the narrow streets for parking.

The return ride was no better. Traffic jams on Sunday night, street closures and police activity made the return trip virtually the same slow 45 minutes. It did not even let up 'round Midnight, when my wife returned home. Once she crossed New York Avenue, she entered the zone and a two block journey took 10 minutes.

I do appreciate the need for security during this transition time in war. But such security makes it difficult to live in an ordinary manner.

Even though I can literally see the Capitol from my back yard, the hassles of getting around a Federal City in lockdown convinces me that the best place to see the presidential changing of the guard is from the comfort of my abode.