The big deal is Nancy Pelosi throwing a wrench into all the pre-inaugural concert activities by bringing up Bush's tax cut expiration of 2010. Hey, I never liked Springsteen anyway.

This is another "hiccup" or bump in the Obama road to success but it's much more than than. It has the look of a power play by Pelosi.

Looks like the Dems are in for one problem after another, scandals and disagreements and backstabbing ... all within their own party.

This is more a coronation then an inaugeration. Clinton started this goofy stuff of making it look like royality was showing up. The ego bound Obama is just taking it to it's logical conclusion. The Oval Office will need to be fitted with a big enough mirror so Obama can see his entire swelled head.

Nice that you list all the "stars" (more like washed up has beens trying to get their careers off life support). It makes it easy for me to know which ones to ignore from now on.

And to think I'll miss the whole thing because I need to work. Oh, darn. I'll just have to wait for the second coming of the Messiah.

Think of Washington being like Illinois. More drama then a afternoon soap opera, and nothing gets done.

I don't think I would consider Steve Carell a washed up star? I don't think you've done much research or watch much tv for that matter. Or basically, you live under a rock. Before you go rambling, maybe you should do some research.

Bono lives like a King, heck better then the royal family for the country he lives in. So why doesn't he make himself an example and give all his money away to the poor and the needy?

I did some research and got the straight scoop on bush inauguration. it turns out that the 42.3 million figure was wayyyy low. they did not include any security costs in the reporting of that figure.some surprise huh? when the security measures were added in bush was around 120 million or so.

just the facts folks. oh yea, give middle America a 52,000 dollar stimulus check for head of households(no double dipping) and dare the republicans to filibuster it.

SOUNDS A LOT LIKE HATERATION!!! When its all said and done...Mr. Obama will be the next president. Well, heck...I guess Hell is freezing over and pigs are flying!!!

The concert was awesome!  Wow, Wow, and Wow!
I have never been so glad to be a subscriber to Hpo a
HBO!  
I think the Bidens were sitting beside the Obamas
not behind.  Obama's sister was behind them.
Anyway, it was a pleasure to watch and worth wathcing
the encore.

Marie, your hate and bitterness speaks through in every idiotic word you type. You post was pointless, and expresses not a single opinion, just your ignorance.

The concert was awesome! Wow,,there are a lot of SORE LOSERS posting today! I love it!
LOL!LOL!
Think how boring these festivities would have been if McCain had won! LOL!LOL!

Is it not Jesus that said something to the fact that let the person who has not sinned cast the stone????

I agree with Marc, total ignorance from many of the posts.  Instead of wasting your time writing negative words, try to think that in order for all of us to prosper, our President must succeed and we must all support him.  

At this moment of celebration, I am appauled at the crap I've been reading on these posts!  Folks?  You lost...  Rather than spending your time hate-bashing the Obama Administration, why don't you go clean up a neighborhood park, or volunteer at a shelter?  Or is it beneath you?...  Become a US Citizen, would you?

Sounds like a bunch of Sarah Palin lovers have found their way to this site. Thats ok, you can spew all the hate you want. The other 76% of the country that is hopeful can just tune you out!

I want to see all this so called joy when Obama gets thru destroying everything we have worked for all our lives .for America to be so smart ,they sure are stuped.But wait the REAL Messiah IS COMMING SOON.

Praise God for all who joined in the peace gathering. I am so blessed to have known such gifted musicians. Keep singing and praising for America is listening:)

What's the deal?  Where was Rev. Robinson's Invocation Prayer before the Lincoln Memorial Concert?  After days of controversy and outrage
from the religious right, openly gay Episcopal
Bishop Gene Robinson opened Barack Obama's inauguration concert on the National Mall today
with a request that the nation pray or
"understanding that our president is a human
being and not a messiah."

But only the people AT the concert heard that, because HBO did not televise Robinson's message.
Who engineered this blackout of Robinson?
Will MSNBC investigate?  I hope we'll hear lots
about this in days to come.  When HBO rebroadcast
the show at 7 PM, they still censoredd the Rev's
prayer, no Rev. Gene Robinson.

Here's the Bishop's Message and A Prayer for
the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama
Jan 18, 2009

By The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal
Bishop of New Hampshire
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC

Welcome to Washington!  The fun is about to
begin, but first, please join me in pausing
for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our
nation and our next president.

O God of our many understandings, we pray that
you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over
a billion people exist on less than a dollar a
day, where young women from many lands are
beaten and raped for wanting an education,
and thousands die daily from malnutrition,
malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at
home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants
women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear
from our politicians, instead of the truth,
about ourselves and the world, which we need
to face if we are going to rise to the
challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that
none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime
soon, and the understanding that our new
president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding
that our own needs must always be balanced with
those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance –
replacing it with a genuine respect and warm
embrace of our differences, and an understanding
that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity –
remembering that every religion’s God judges us
by the way we care for the most vulnerable in
the human community, whether across town or
across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child
Barack, as he assumes the office of President
of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire
him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style,
President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for
ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State
needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the
challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own
words that under his leadership, there will be
neither red nor blue states, but the United
States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a
minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though
he is president, a father only gets one shot at
his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe.  We know we ask
too much of our presidents, and we’re asking
FAR too much of this one.  We know the risk he
and his wife are taking for all of us, and we
implore you, O good and great God, to keep him
safe.  Hold him in the palm of your hand – that
he might do the work we have called him to do,
that he might find joy in this impossible
calling, and that in the end, he might lead us
as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity
and peace.

AMEN.

<!--[if gte mso 10]-->


A Prayer for the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama
Jan 18, 2009

A Prayer for the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama



By The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire



Opening Inaugural Event

Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC

January 18, 2009



Welcome to Washington!  The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.








O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…



Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.



Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.



Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.



Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.



Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.



Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and  warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.



Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.





And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.



Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.



Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.



Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.



Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.



Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.



Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.



And please, God, keep him safe.  We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one.  We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe.  Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.



AMEN.


 

Go Janice, and let the haters keep on hating, I mean really what else can they do.
So don't forget to tune in on Tuesday for the swearing in since that's where all the haters will be.GO OBAMA/BIDEN

Maybe the hateful people who commented first are just zooming around the internet looking for places they can spread their vinegar. Maybe they've never seen a president who truly won a popular vote. This is what democracy looks like.

Given that close to 80% of Americans are "optimistic" about Obama, I've been wondering who the other 20% are.  A lot of them seem to be here...must be painful for you guys to watch the rest of America coming together.

Wow - the haters are out today!!   I watched the event twice yesterday.  The energy was amazing.  All the comments from past Presidents was surreal.  The nation became one yesterday.  Oh yeah, Richie Downs, if you knew anything about U2 and Bono, you would know that they are huge on philanthropy and give millions of dollars for aids research.  And I agree with Bono, the world is ecstatic with our new PE.
     

Nice that you list all the "stars" (more like washed up has beens trying to get their careers off life support). It makes it easy for me to know which ones to ignore from now on.
Marie Lancasrter, Weston, PA (Sent Sunday, January 18, 2009 5:02 PM)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yes, and they are still human beings with great talent, taking part in a great celebration.  WOW, what is YOUR problem???

My goodness, there are a number of Obama haters scratching their itch this morning.  I don't blame them for being upset.  Obama is a far cry from McCain and the hockey Mom.  A far cry, indeed.  Just to remind you complainers - We had to suffer through 8 years of incompetence - give us a break and suffer through this historic occasion in silence.  America is full of hope and promise. Congratulations President Obama.

Ohh lord have mercy on all you hater's,we have to realize we are one people,there will never be no love at all if we don't show that love to our self,we have to build that love in one foundation...one love,one heart,there is one question i really love to ask(is there a place in hell for the hopeless sinner?)there is no hidden place for the truth and the truth is OBAMA all the way...he never give up

I want to see all this so called joy when Obama gets thru destroying everything we have worked for all our lives .for America to be so smart ,they sure are stuped.But wait the REAL Messiah IS COMMING SOON.
Robert Cook Sr (Sent Sunday, January 18, 2009 11:39 PM

I beleive you may have your presidents confused.  That was Bush & Company who destroyed America and has taken away everything we have worked for all our lives.  

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