ONE MORE DAY TO GO!
With less than 24 hours to go, there’s a lot of excitement in the air. Both the Washington Post and the Huffington Post referred to yesterday’s concert as “Obama-Stock.” It was estimated that the crowd was at least as large, if not bigger than the earlier 500,000 prediction.
Today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States of America, and many people are paying tribute to the man by helping others, volunteering to make a difference for others in need.
BBC World News America has unearthed a fascinating video clip of Dr Martin Luther King speaking to the BBC’s Bob McKenzie in 1964 in which Dr King predicts an African-American president “in less than 40 years.” Click here to see his clip.
A.P. had a story about the pricetag of the big inauguration, and how the whole thing may cost $150 million.
Luckily, there’s some folks like Media Matters putting the matter in perspective:
It’s hard to find journalism more shoddy than this, courtesy of the AP’s Matt Apuzzo [emphasis added]:
The price tag for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration gala is expected to break records, with some estimates reaching as high as $150 million. Despite the bleak economy, however, Democrats who called on President George W. Bush to be frugal four years ago are issuing no such demands now that an inaugural weekend of rock concerts and star-studded parties has begun.
Where does that jaw-dropping number of $150 million come from? The AP never says. It doesn’t quote anybody, it doesn’t point to any facts. There’s no nothing. The AP builds an entire story around how much Obama’s inauguration might cost (why stop at $150 million?), yet never substantiates the what-if estimates.
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As we said, journalism doesn’t get much worse than that.
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For an ind-depth look at the phony controversy over Obama’s possible inauguration costs, click here.
