Free Republic

At least one segment of the economy is booming: the market in Obama kitsch. The dedicated supporter of the incoming President need not content himself with a T shirt or bumper sticker. Also available are Obama coasters, lava lamps, jigsaw puzzles, mugs, skateboards, toy trains, CDs, DVDs and, of course, commemorative dinner plates. Ben & Jerry's is introducing a Yes Pecan flavor in honor of Obama's campaign slogan, and Marvel Comics is running a special Inaugural issue of Spider-Man. Pepsi has created the Pepsi Optimism Project with a red, white and blue logo almost identical to Obama's sunrise button. And...

Most friends and associates of Barack Obama already have all but lost access to their pal and neighbor from the South Side. Now, their dreams of attending glamorous balls and dancing with the president and first lady will run up against the reality of inaugural festivities, which for perks and ease of access rank with a cold, crowded Times Square on New Year's Eve. As many as 4 million people will converge on the nation's capital for the president-elect's historic swearing-in on Jan. 20 and the hundreds of balls and parties beginning Saturday. But call the inaugural the great humbler...

Tis the season of empty gestures! Inaugural pastor Rick Warren rewrote his website so it no longer says gays are poison to his congregation. In fact a whole long lecture about gays was deleted. Here's the old content, via AmericaBlog, via Dave Winer, where Warren explains why gays can't join his church: This was from a website section called "Small Group Questions About Saddleback Church." The above is part of an answer to the question "What does the Bible say about homosexuality?" Also part of the answer, in the original, was a description of homosexuality as "an enormous sin" and...

The American Catholic News Agency (CNA) has linked a gay band scheduled to march in Barack Obama’s inauguration parade to a festival “infamous for its public lewd acts”. CNA says the Lesbian and Gay Band Association’s website also lists them as appearing at the Southern Decadence festival. The Lesbian and Gay Band Association is a network of lesbian and gay bands comprised of concert and marching bands from various American cities. CNA reports that a press release from the Presidential Inaugural Committee states that the group’s appearance in the Inaugural Parade on January 20 will mark the first time an...