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Lawyer to W: Cut the galas, help Asia (Bush's Fault for Tsunamis...Again)
Philadelphia Daily News ^ | 12.30.04 | Ronnie Polaneczky

Posted on 12/30/2004 3:51:20 PM PST by Fintan

 




     
   
   

HIS NAME is Matt Pettigrew, he's a Philadelphia lawyer and he's got a brilliant idea about how to help the poor people of tsunami-ravaged Southeast Asia.

It's also stunningly simple.

In an impassioned e-mail he sent me and others yesterday morning, Pettigrew noted that while our government is promising $35 million for tsunami aid, President Bush's people are planning to spend $40 million or more on next month's inauguration and the parties afterward.

"Apparently," Pettigrew wrote, "most of the costs are being paid by corporate and individual donors. But, obviously the government will have to foot some of the bill for the overwhelming security, if nothing else."

So it occurred to him that it would be an "amazingly generous and humanitarian gesture to cancel or at least reduce the size of the inauguration parties and parades."

All the millions of diverted private and government money could go for tsunami relief instead.

Didn't I tell you it was brilliant?

Now Matt Pettigrew is a Democrat who, with 56 million other Americans, voted for John Kerry. He knows his idea might seem like a sour-grapes partisan attempt to deprive Bush of his victory march.

So he wrote: "I honestly believe, because of the magnitude of this tragedy, that I would be suggesting the same thing if the inauguration was for Kerry or anyone else."

Me, too. And trust me - no one wanted to see John and Teresa cut up the floor at the inaugural ball more than I did.

Besides, Bush wouldn't be the first commander-in-chief to pull the plug on a big bash because events might make it look a bit unseemly. Franklin Delano Roosevelt did it back in 1945, when it seemed not just morally obscene but politically dicey to be partying hearty while troops were dying all over the world.

Some - including editorial writers for the Inquirer and New York Sun - have already suggested that Bush cancel the inaugural bash, given how many of our troops have perished in Iraq.

But believe me, it's gonna appear even more grotesque, come Jan. 20, for the world to see televised shots of a waltzing, white-tied Bush juxtaposed with shots of human misery not just in Iraq but in Asia, where, three weeks from now, cholera and other awful diseases may be running rampant.

Especially when this inauguration's theme is, ahem, "A Vision of America."

As Pettigrew notes, many Americans have already made generous donations to churches, synagogues, or other organizations that are involved in the tsunami relief operations.

But he'd like us to do one more thing:

Contact the White House, the Republican National Committee, the official inauguration committee, politicians, newspapers, friends, and family and ask that they hop on this Stop-the-Ball bandwagon.

"This administration pays attention to public opinion," he says. "If enough people suggest that the United States could afford to do more, especially if it cuts back on the inaugural extravagance, maybe the government will listen.

"Even if it proves to be impossible to down-size the inauguration festivities, maybe the richest country in history will be embarrassed enough to come up with more than a meager $35 million to help the millions of people who now have nothing."

I don't know about you, but that's a Vision of America I'd be proud to support.

Want to help? Phone the Republican National Committee at 202-863-8500.

Tell 'em Matt sent you. *

Send e-mail to polaner@phillynews.com





©


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: bushhaters; inauguration; losers
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1 posted on 12/30/2004 3:51:20 PM PST by Fintan
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To: Fintan

Sorry, but we're gonna give far more than 35 million dollars. between the money we pay the UN, and the World bank, and the costs associated with various military and humanitarian deployments, and all of the money we are raising and donating privately, a 40 million dollar inauguration bill is pocket change...

So take your sour grapes somewhere else, loser.


2 posted on 12/30/2004 3:54:59 PM PST by Chad Fairbanks (I'd like to find your inner child and kick its little ass)
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To: Fintan

I'm laughing and gloating so hard, I'm crying!

Piss-up-a-rope, liberal-demokkkRAT-socialist-commie-nazi-fascist morons!

Oooooooooooooo-raaaaaaah!


3 posted on 12/30/2004 3:57:02 PM PST by 7.62 x 51mm (• veni • vidi • vino • visa • "I came, I saw, I drank wine, I shopped")
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To: Fintan
And how much does Mr Pettigrew intend to contribute?
Will he exhort the nations wealthy lawyers to donate much of their income?
4 posted on 12/30/2004 3:57:26 PM PST by carlr
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To: Fintan

Tsunami or no tsunami--Bush deserves the biggest inagural bash money can buy (and so do we!).


5 posted on 12/30/2004 4:01:51 PM PST by silent_jonny (Happy New Year!)
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To: silent_jonny
inagural=inaugural
6 posted on 12/30/2004 4:02:39 PM PST by silent_jonny (Happy New Year!)
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To: Fintan

The good attorney should also send a letter to Hollywood stars, asking them to forego all their partying, boozing, and drug-taking for a few weeks; that should raise a few million, too. And George Soros surely has a few million to contribute.


7 posted on 12/30/2004 4:05:04 PM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: Fintan

The Democrats will do most anything use anything to stop the Inaugural parties. They just cant stand to be reminded they lost.


8 posted on 12/30/2004 4:05:09 PM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: Fintan

John Kerry kept $16,000,000 that wasn't spent during the election, shouldn't Kerry send that? Also "Mr. I feel your pain" Clinton received Tens of Millions of dollars for his oversized trailer museum in Arkansas, shouldn't that be sent also?


9 posted on 12/30/2004 4:07:32 PM PST by DougSc
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To: Fintan

Just more moral posturing by a Democrat; there were people starving in the world when Clinton had his inaugural bashes, and no one raised any of these issues.


10 posted on 12/30/2004 4:07:38 PM PST by Steve_Seattle
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To: Fintan

I hope they keep this up. Even diehard lefties took umbrage at the "stingy" remark and are very tired of the Bush-bashing simply because the left has to bash Bush.

Keep going dems. The more you carp, the more you lose.


11 posted on 12/30/2004 4:08:26 PM PST by OpusatFR
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To: Fintan
"W" is president of the USA -- NOT South Asia.
12 posted on 12/30/2004 4:09:27 PM PST by BenLurkin (Big government is still a big problem.)
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To: Fintan

just sending the battle group there including ships that can desalinate 100,000's gal of h2o a day will cost 100's of mil


13 posted on 12/30/2004 4:10:36 PM PST by rang1995 (They will love us when we win)
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To: Fintan
In an impassioned e-mail he sent me and others yesterday morning, Pettigrew noted that while our government is promising $35 million for tsunami aid, President Bush's people are planning to spend $40 million or more on next month's inauguration and the parties afterward.

So...all the catering companies, the servers, the hotel workers will be deprived of one of their best opportunities to make a little money.

Clearly, this person doesn't care about the poor! (Evil Grin!)

14 posted on 12/30/2004 4:10:57 PM PST by neutrino (Globalization “is the economic treason that dare not speak its name.” (173))
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To: Fintan
So he wrote: "I honestly believe, because of the magnitude of this tragedy, that I would be suggesting the same thing if the inauguration was for Kerry or anyone else."

Me, too. And trust me - no one wanted to see John and Teresa cut up the floor at the inaugural ball more than I did.

Who do these people think they are kidding?

15 posted on 12/30/2004 4:13:09 PM PST by Truthsayer20
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To: DougSc

What about Clinton donating some of the millions he made on that worthless screed, My Life. Then his wife could chip in a portion of her profits from Lying History.

/off cold medicine enduced stupor


16 posted on 12/30/2004 4:14:04 PM PST by Quilla
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To: Fintan

Throwing money at international problems is always the answer. Taking that money from someone you hate (Bush) sweetens the deal.

Charity begins at home, lawyerlad monkeynut. You pony up first.

APf


17 posted on 12/30/2004 4:15:51 PM PST by APFel (Humanity has a poor track record of predicting its own future.)
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To: Fintan

I wish I was going to the FReeper Ball this January, but I just can't afford it this year. I want every single person who does go to laugh, smile, dance and just enjoy themselves completely. This is a great victory for our country and its future. It is a thing about which it is right and proper to be filled with joy and optimisim. ENJOY IT!


18 posted on 12/30/2004 4:17:22 PM PST by Bahbah
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To: Fintan

Furthermore, I think the Kerry and Kennedy families should lead the way in this march towards global understanding and sell of their private jets, luxury villas, private islands, and ... what's that? Massachusetts gives the least to charity of all the states? Nevermind then.


19 posted on 12/30/2004 4:19:26 PM PST by Truthsayer20
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To: Fintan
Maybe we should cancel all the New Years parties tomorrow night, too.

And everyone's birthday parties in 2005.

And no freakin' spending money fireworks this July 4th.

 

 

20 posted on 12/30/2004 4:19:51 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny (“I know a great deal about the Middle East because I’ve been raising Arabian horses" Patrick Swazey)
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