This is Rich

In the midst of a war in Iraq and the tsunami devastation in Asia, big business and the Republican Party are continuing with lavish plans for W's second inauguration. The theme, "Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service" would be bad enough as a disingenuous and tasteless tag line for heartless spectacle. Then again, W's entourage of corporate donors may indeed be "celebrating freedom," - freedom from any sort of checks on their behavior or their quest to rack up larger and larger profits at the expense of workers, the economy and the environment. Current estimates indicate that the inaugural activities will cost in excess of $40 million - that's ELEVEN percent of what the US has pledged in tsunami aid dollars - for a PARTY. Yesterday, W implored the American people not to "shortchange" the poor at home and abroad by shifting their charitable contributions exclusively to tsunami aid organizations. It's a message that should have been directed to his own corporate toadies and party planners.