It's difficult to measure the level of outrage inspired by two new aspects of this administration's Second Inaugural Ball: a gala "for the troops" and a "Commander-in-Chief's Ball."
Last Wednesday, on the very day Rumsfeld was taking questions from troops in the field, letters to donors went out. You must admit that the benefits, spelled out in tasteless detail, are substantial for investing in this bash:
The $250,000 "underwriter package" includes two tickets for an "exclusive" lunch with the president and vice president plus 20 tickets, that is two tables of 10 each for one of three candlelight dinners to be held on Jan. 19. The simultaneous dinners, at Union Station, the Pension Building and the Washington Hilton, are to feature "special appearances" by Mr. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and their spouses.
Oh well, I guess the troops can dance the night away after they finish rummaging through the trash for material to up-armor their vehicles.
Read more here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/10/politics/10inaugural.html
and here:
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-inaugural-fund-raising,0,118947.story?coll=sns-ap-p
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