Will Economy Tone Down the Inauguration?

Opulent or muted, Obama has chance to set tone for presidency
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Dec 7, 2008 4:22 PM CST
Will Economy Tone Down the Inauguration?
Workers construct the inaugural platform at the west end of the Capitol in Washington in preparation for Barack Obama's presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, 2009.    (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Unemployment is on the rise. The stock market is in the tank. Is this any time for a party? For the sake of the masses expected for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration, let's hope so. While Obama must be sensitive to the nation's time of war and recession, there's still reason to expect a rollicking time. "Americans are people who love to indulge," one expert says.

"We're mindful of the fact that people in this country are hurting," says a spokeswoman for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which has disclosed few details. "On the other hand, we see this as a time for people to celebrate their shared aspirations and goals." Though never cheap—George W. Bush raised $42 million to finance his second inauguration—an inauguration helps set the tone for a presidency, says a political scholar. (More President Obama stories.)

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