Even President Bush — who presumably counts himself among that group — said last week that Obama's inauguration is "a moment of hope and pride."
That's not exactly how Michelle Malkin describes it."Jan. 20 has turned into a schlock inauguration, (where) every last moocher has come to cash in on Obama," says the conservative blogger and pundit. "There are some of us who want to bang our heads against the wall." There are some of us who would like to help you do that.
While most Republicans now in office are saying all the right things about Tuesday's proceedings — roll tape on "peaceful transfer of power" and "historic moment for the country" sound bites — some conservatives can't quite get themselves in the "We Are One" mood.
Not even for a day. I can understand that feeling. I've had it for eight very long years.
On his radio show last week, Rush Limbaugh railed against "people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds. We have to give him a chance.'"
"Why?" Limbaugh demanded. "They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated, the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I'm not talking about search-and-destroy, but I've been listening to Barack Obama for a year and a half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don't want them to succeed." Well, if you makes ya feel any better, it may very well take more than eight years to shovel out of the steaming pile Bush is leaving the country in, big boy.
In the wake of the disputed 2000 election, only 47 percent of the public predicted that Bush would be an "above average" or "outstanding" president. In a new Associated Press-GfK poll, 65 percent of the public attaches those words to Obama. On the other hand, the public actually elected Obama.
Asked about Obama's inauguration last week, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay hammered on the cost.
If Obama were "serious" about changing Washington, DeLay said, "He would announce to the world: 'We are in crisis, we are at war, people are losing jobs; we are not going to have this party. Instead, I'm going to get sworn in at the White House. I'm going to have a nice little chicken dinner, and we'll save the $125 million.'" Wow, I agree with Tom Delay? I knew that cheese I just ate smelled funny. Seriously, it is an obscene waste of badly needed public funds, but inaugurations always are.
DeLay said he understands why Republicans in Congress aren't complaining about this publicly: "Those in elected office are looking at Obama's popularity numbers and don't want to be perceived as anti-American by being anti-Obama." Sucks when your own tactics work so well that they turn on ya, doesn't it, Kenny?
He didn't name names, but the normally outspoken Rep. Michele Bachmann might fit the bill. Just before the election, the Minnesota Republican told Chris Matthews that she thought Obama might have "anti-American views." Last week, she told The Hill: "I look forward to working with him and I would expect to be as friendly as I would be to [any president]." A double-talking politician? Stop the presses!
Or, as Bob Anderson put it: "Pffffffffffffffffft."Anderson, a retired chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, is the founder of the conservative grass-roots organization "What are we fighting for?"Asked to elaborate on his onomatopoeia, Anderson said that "Obama-mania" is leading the country into bad times."The only positive thing I can see is hopefully it will be bad enough quick enough that the people will stop drinking the Kool-Aid and see what we're about to lose," he said. "I think we have a very short launch window." This is how they begin shifting the blame for the failure of Republican economic policy to Obama and the Dems. Mark my words.
RedState's Erick Erickson is blasting off.... "The first time Obama uses the bathroom, Newsweek will do a five-page spread." And it will be more entertaining and informative than anything you've ever had to say.
Tom Hoefling, the political director for Alan Keyes' group America's Revival, has had it with all the talk about the "historic" nature of Obama's inauguration.
"What's historic about it?" he asked. "So it's historical because of his skin tone? Isn't that a racist idea in the first place? ... I could care less what color his skin tone is. What matters is his philosophy -- his political philosophy and his ideology." I love how much it bugs guys like this whenever a minority group celebrates a step towards real equality. 
Anderson suggested that squeamishness about race is silencing the dissent."We're so focused with political correctness people are uncomfortable in saying your baby is ugly and stuff is broken," he said. "While we're sitting around the campfire and trying to sing Kumbaya, our country is slipping away from us." It's our country now! No givsies -backsies!
Anderson won't be watching the inauguration. DeLay will be out in California to rally conservatives. And Richard Viguerie, the king of right-wing direct mail, said Tuesday will be "just another day at the office.""Yeah, sure, we can be happy that we've taken another step in the racial progress, but I just am not about race, quite frankly," Viguerie said.
No, Rich, you're not. You're about conservative spin via direct mail.
He doesn't necessarily begrudge those who will celebrate this week, so long as they keep it short. "You can take a sip of Kool-Aid. It's OK to smell it, stick your finger in it. But on Jan. 21, let's get back to business." Gosh, thanks, but keep your fingers out of our kool-aid, we don't dip into yours.
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