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The Uninvited
Of the millions trekking to Obama’s inauguration next week, a few prominent figures have been left out. The Daily Beast finds out what Sarah Palin, Bill Ayers, Bill Richardson, and other Go-Away List guests are up to.
More than two million people are expected to attend Barack Obama's presidential inauguration next Tuesday. But a handful of political opponents, over-the-top critics, and awkward friends found that their invitations were, um, lost in the mail. THE DAILY BEAST called a few of them and asked about their plans for January 20.
Win McNamee / Getty Images
Sarah Palin, Alaskan governor:
Spokesman Bill McAllister: "An interesting fact is that Inauguration Day here is the first day of our legislative session. So she'll be traveling to Juneau. We do have a high school marching band that will be part of the parade in D.C."
Chris Walker, Chicago Tribune, MCT / Newscom
Bill Ayers, Weather Underground co-founder whom Obama was accused of “palling around” with:
“I'm giving a talk at the University of Toronto on January 19th about the radical Martin Luther King and the demands of this political moment, returning to the US early Tuesday. I'll teach my Honors College writing seminar in the morning, and my doctoral research seminar in the afternoon. I plan to watch as much as I can of the ceremony, excited to hear Elizabeth Alexander's poem and the president's speech, and then write a brief invited commentary for The Wall Street Journal.”
Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo
Pat Robertson, televangelist:
Executive assistant Barbara Johnson: "He doesn't have anything on his schedule."
Bill Richardson, former Commerce Secretary nominee who withdrew amid concerns about state contracts in New Mexico:
Media coordinator Caitlin Kelleher: “The Governor will be delivering his state of the state address on the 20th.”
Richard B. Levine / Newscom
Jerome Corsi, author, The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality:
“I’ll be watching the inauguration from my office. It’s going to be a historic event—the first African-American president inaugurated. I certainly don’t want to miss that. I’ll be watching it carefully all day long but I won’t be going to Washington or participating in any kind of public event. I will be writing about it for World Net Daily, but that’s probably just it. I had back surgery last year and I’m still recovering from that, and with the crowds and all that… I would probably be more welcome by the Republican groups than the Democratic groups.”
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....and, for some inexplicable reason--also excluded, is Mavis Staples: member of Obama's own church, who as a child and young woman risked her liberty and safety to sing civil rights songs at rallys and marches held by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Perhaps the the new president, who in the past year argued against counting the votes of Florida citizens who'd once risked their safety and freedom by sitting down at lunch counters for civil rights as "unfair" to him considered Mavis too.....you know, just old-timey: Better to feature a homophobe fundamentalist as a way of signaling what really in your heart.
Oh God, four years of this craven hypocrite.
That's too bad about Dick Morris. I was hoping he would be moving to downtown Mogadishu to start his own talk show.
None of this group will be missed, though Bill Richardson is my greatest disappointment. Others in this group are downright tawdry.
Vacuous....
Surprised about Richardson, wish he was included. Nader performs a service for people, even though his style isn't always to my liking, he does good things. Pat Robertson, not a fan, but he has been pulling for the middle class working person for a long time, with anger about jobs, which, can we say... Bullseye.
So glad Obama is going to be President. Remember, he can't be perfect, but I am betting he will be a lot better than McCain.
After years of hard work for the environment and consumes Ralph Nader has become an egotistical, self-serving joke. Ralph get off the stage, your time has passed and you are doing nothing but harm. Many blame you for Al Gore's defeat and because of that defeat we are in Iraq, so if anyone is to blame for the war it's you!
I'm sorry about Bill Richardson who I think is a fine public servant, whatever the problem he's having with contracts in New Mexico.
But as for the rest--especially Palin, Ayers, Robertson, Corsi, Nader (who was one of the Good Guys before he got carried away by his ego) and Morris--their absence will not hurt the festivities, and if we never hear their names again, I'll be happy.
I will end this with the qoute below that I think should be sent to everyone that thinks Gore lost to Bush. Ralph needs to stay home 100% of the time. As for his talking about Israel, he needs to sign that statement with a little truth about himself, Ralph is an Arab by birth & has been & is & will always be anti anything Jewish. Ralf has for years talked against Israel while pretending to be the man of the year when it comes to being Mr. Fair. As for the rest of the above group, I think they shou;ld all be with Sarah & they should all stay with Sarah & they can all stand around looking at Russia & learn about international policy........." Years of hard work for the environment and consumes Ralph Nader has become an egotistical, self-serving joke. Ralph get off the stage, your time has passed and you are doing nothing but harm. Many blame you for Al Gore's defeat and because of that defeat we are in Iraq, so if anyone is to blame for the war it's you!"
Corsi "won't be going to Washington or participating in any kind of PUBIC event"? Good.
First of all it is a shame that Dick Morris isn't moving out of the country for good and second?....Ayers says he will write a brief invited commentary for The Wall Street Journal.".....LOL THAT I have to read and I do wonder what that is all about??? LOL The WSJ slammed that man left and right. They used him as a tool of fear for those too uneducated to simply read the facts.
As for Palin? she won't be missed by those attending I'm sure.
@Issywise
I too can't believe Mavis was overlooked. Not only is there the history of her fight during the Civil Rights movement, but there is also the fact that Mavis has performed at every presidential inauguration of the last 20 years or more. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush II...she's been there for all of them. For Obama to overlook such a historical figure, and a woman who so strongly supported him, is far more inexcusable than any of the above mentioned names.
And just a note - to those who might think Mavis was overlooked because she's simply getting too old...pick up the recently released album Live at the Hideout in Chicago. Lady can still sing her ass off.
Thought Maya Angelou would be a slam dunk for the poetry reading even though she was part of Clinton's Inauguration. Maybe she was asked but declined because of age or travel issues.
Craven hypocrite? Give me a break. Always blame your own crimes on other people.
It's Clinton's fault didn't. Now give Obama a ruined country and world economy and hope he fails to clean up Bush huge mess.
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Michael Levinson is reason to consider limiting the commentary lines--or at least put the most recent comments on the top as most sites do, so that Mr. Levinson's can get pushed into oblivion as quickly as possible.
No long M.Levinson-rants here!: All I want to say is I liked this article and found it interesting! Palin is the fly in my face. Please Sarah-just stay in Alaska! Not all us religious-type moms identified with you,or agreed with almost anything you said! I was most offended that you seemed thrilled that your son was in Iraq. Mine was there twice and I wore out several rosaries over it,not to mention the blood pressure meds I had to go on. The Sarah Palin candidacy: NEVER AGAIN.
does one screw keep a man that should have been!!!!!!!!!!
I think it's important to distinguish between "uninvited" vs. "overlooked". The former is intentional' the latter is not. Before ascribing motive to Obama or his team for some who may have been missed in the process, consider the complexity of what has been going on in the last month (at least). Obama has been the de facto president and assembling a team (below the Cabinet level) to hit the ground running. Isn't it likely that Mavis and others "missed" are an oversight in the middle of all of this? Before we trot out accusations of "hypocrisy", I think we need more facts. We are so trigger-quick as a nation to make judgments on our leaders. Let's give this administration a chance. There is SO much to clean up, SO much room for improving how our federal government runs, SO much to do on the economy and SO much to repair internationally that we all have a stake in its success.
I can tell you, from personal expierence being an unfortunate resident of Lee County, that Mike Scott, while a fine sherrif, is an arrogant, (most likely a racist, though I wouldn't know), asshole! And, so shove it Mike-y, hope you enjoy watching the Inauguration of Barack HUSSEIN Obama.
pssst....what's Joe the Plumber doing today??
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I think the crave hypocrite left by helicopter with the stepford wife.
Do you know for a fact that Mavis wasn't invited? Maybe we should let the new president make his own "choices"...part of being a grown up wouldn't you say? I love mavis btw...but won't make a judgement without all the relevant facts.....feels foreign after the last 8 years huh?
-finally proud to be an American.......
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