DC resident sees the culture wars up close

“I am a chiropractor, who has lived in the DC area for 35 years. During that time, I have had the opportunity to treat Generals, Colonels, employees of the CIA, the FBI, hundreds of government workers, as well as members of all of the branches of the military. I have never, in that time, encountered the intolerance, racism and hatred that exists in the Democratic party today. Some of my dearest friends are Liberals, and have been for years, and it is only recently that their sanctimony and animosity has gotten to the point that we can't have a civil conversation regarding our President. I kept quiet during President Obama's two terms, because I knew that if I had dared to disagree with him, I would have been labeled a racist. I am saddened by the 'soundbite nation' that we have become. Fact and truth seem to have no place in the Democratic Party, nor in the Liberal media, for that matter.”

(from the Walk Away site on Facebook)

She’s in the belly of the beast. . .

Wisdom according to Joan

“Sanctuary” cities (in clearer language) are hideouts for lawbreakers. These cities are providing “aid and comfort” to people who have broken our laws to enter this country. Aiding and abetting criminals is not a “humanitarian” goal; it is, in itself, another crime. If I provide a place for a burglar (another kind of lawbreaker) to evade capture, I am also arrested and charged with a crime. Why is this not applicable to those local elected representatives who openly help lawbreakers evade the law?”

Joan Shaw Turrentine is blogger and Facebook friend, former teacher and pastor’s wife.  And also,

"The truth about all the political crazy that's creating havoc in DC? It's not about immigration. It's not about Trump. It's not about taxes. It's not about the wall or even abortion. It IS about hanging on to power and keeping a seat on the gravy train that is public office."

I agree with Joan on this, and I add that no one in my lifetime has threatened that power base as much as President Trump. So by deflection he is hated, and those of us who voted for him are reviled and kicked out of our social circles and families.

Monday Memories-- Medical Library Association, Washington D.C. May 15-21, 1992

I arrived in Washington around noon on Thursday, May 14, and was picked  up at the airport, then we rode the metro to a shopping area and had lunch at Slades.  We went to choir rehearsal at Immanuel Presbyterian and also got to see a video tape of the Spring musical.  Really cute.  We saw the famous Falls, after which I assume the towns are named. We ate those yummy cinnamon biscuits in the morning after our walks (surely they cancelled each other out).  There is a very convenient shopping center, Loehmann's Plaza, next door to the apartments where she lives.  Friday we toured Alexandria, an old restored village with lots of cute unique shops. We explored the Torpedo Factory with its wonderful crafts people and had lunch at a little deli overlooking a river (not sure which one).  We shopped on Saturday and bought yummies to eat at a health food grocery. That night we went to see a Goldie Hawn movie, "Crisscross," that was sort of a downer--not her usual comedy stuff.

The area she lives in is really lovely, and Virginia is so pretty in the spring.  She says I missed the peak color, but for one who has lived all her adult life in central Illinois, central Indiana and central Ohio, it looked pretty darn peaky to me! Sunday we went to Boulevard Baptist church where she plays the organ and in the afternoon went to a play, "How to succeed in business."  Karen picked me up there and we whipped into DC on a parkway that Karen knew about so I could register at my hotel and attend the conference of the Medical Library Association.

Washington is such an impressive city--there must be a million things to see and do there.  But the extent of my sight-seeing was one quick walk to the zoo, which was close to the hotel, and a 2 1/2 hour trolly/bus tour around the famous places.  I did get out and walk around the Vietnam Memorial.  It was good to see my friends from the other Veterinary Medicine libraries.  We only see each other once a year, but we have our electronic mail on the computer and a newsletter, so we keep in touch. The group visited the Zoo and talked to the veterinary staff and attended many meetings, none memorable enough to include either then or now!

One highlight of the meeting was when Compact Cambridge (an abstracting indexing service located in Cambridge, MA) took us all the Kennedy Center Tuesday evening for either a performance of the symphony, an opera, or a cabaret.  I saw "Pump Boys and Dinettes" and it was just fabulous.  It was rock, rock-a-billy, gospel, blues, honky tonk, and ballads, all taking place in a gas station with an adjoining dinette.  The actors were so versatile.  We had the best time. After the play we had a chocolate extravaganza, with fabulous desserts. 

The conference met Sunday through Wednesday. The veterinary medicine librarians met with the pharmacy librarians.  In 1993 the conference was planned for Chicago, (see my blog here) and I decided to fly out in the afternoon instead of the evening.  It is just too hard to get going the next day. This year I was back at work for 1 1/2 days, then we had a 3 day holiday, and then a 4 day week.  So I needed a little more adjustment time.

Later in May 1992, the Mid-Ohio  Health Sciences Librarians had their spring meeting in Columbus.

On Wednesday, the Mid-Ohio Health Sciences Librarians met for their spring meeting and we first had a guided tour of  "In Black and White" at the Wexner Center, our very controversial arts center here at Ohio State.  No, it wasn't a show about race, but fashion and the curator was Charles Kleibacker, Designer in Residence in Ohio State's Dept. of Textiles and Clothing (he died in 2010).  The show brings together actual examples of fashion from the 1920's to the 1990s by designers such as Chanel, Dior, Galanos, Givency, Armani and Mackie.  Everything was either black or white, even the sets.  Samples of designer's studios and workrooms were also worked into the show.  One thing was apparent--if the fabric is lovely and the design good, the dress is timeless.  The dresses from the 20's and 50's looked just as good as the day they were first paraded down a runway in Paris.  (Images of Kleibacker shows)

Then as an unexpected bonus, we slipped into a lecture by designer Shannon Rodgers, (d. 1996) who designed clothes for many movies.  He was designing back in the 1930's so he was in his 80's, but his presentation was very interesting and witty.  He was still working for the fashion museum at Kent State.  He did a mini-fashion show for us with three models.  One was wearing what he designed for Rosalynn Carter, one he did for Dinah Shore, and various other famous people. The Wexner Center is so impossible to show anything in, that a special exhibition space had to be designed to fit within the exhibit area, and that was interesting too.

After the show, we all walked to a campus dive/restaurant to have our business meeting.  As 15 middle-age librarians trooped in, all the tie-dyed, earringed -shaved heads turned to stare. We librarians really know how to shake up a place. The food was great.

(Notes on this memory are from my 1992 letter to my parents about MLA and Mid-Ohio.)

Can the government steal a trademark?

So the government can just take away a patent or trademark because Harry Reid says so? "Redskins" wasn't offensive to 90% of native Americans who were surveyed, in fact, some of their high schools use that mascot name. What's next? Indian...a? Indianapolis, Starbucks, Chicago (shikaakwa, wild onion), Illinois (Illini) Chautauqua, Miami, Peoria, squaw (means woman in many tribal languages), Erie (the nation of Cat), and thousands of other loan words to English from native American culture. Native Americans were battling each other long before the Europeans arrived, had probably wiped out the indigenous people here before them, and now their reward for being revered for their bravery and sacrifices is cradle to grave hobbling by our federal government with the "honor" of being sovereign nations living in poverty (unless they own a casino to rot their souls).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/us-patent-office-cancels-redskins-trademark-registration-says-name-is-disparaging/2014/06/18/e7737bb8-f6ee-11e3-8aa9-dad2ec039789_story.html

Let’s rename the team. How about the Washington Liars, or the Washington Veterans Waiting, or the Washington Lost E-mails, or the Washington Bureaucrats, or the Washington Snoops, or the Washington Cover-ups. No ethnic slurs there, just plain old ethics violations and no one worries about that anymore

                  

41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Today, approximately 250,000 people will descend on Washington, DC in the annual March for Life--41st anniversary of legal killing the unborn. About 56 million. Pray for them--it's terribly cold and snowy. Also pray for abortion providers that they will leave their careers. Also I've seen about 15 seconds on Fox, but I doubt the other media will even give it that much. EWTN usually has great coverage if you can get that cable network. Right now I’m watching the closing mass at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., scene of the crime.

On this 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade when the Supreme Court invented a law roughly half of Americans now identify themselves as “pro-life,” and strong majorities support commonsense policies to protect women from abortion’s harms. Abortion harms all of us. It has created a culture that disregards the dignity of human life, endangers women, demeans motherhood, and denigrates men’s role as fathers. http://www.scribd.com/doc/201208788/How-to-Speak-Up-for-Life.

“Pro-choice” has certainly become a misnomer.  It is estimated that over 60% of the women and girls who have abortions do so because of pressure from boyfriends, husbands, parents, or peers.

http://www.publiceye.org/ark/reproductive-justice/articles/forced-abortions-america.php

Some clergy don’t have enough to do

More than 60 clergy of the Washington, DC area have signed a letter to the NFL and Washington team owner Dan Snyder calling for D.C.’s football team to change its name (Washington Redskins). I wonder if they could get 60 DC clergy to protest abortions in Washington, which is about 30/1000 compared to 19.6/1000 in the rest of the nation. I wonder if 60 clergy join in the March for Life that is held every year on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Which kills more people--a sports name (also used by American Indian schools as a mascot name) or dismembering and decapitating living babies in utero. Have they protested this: "Multiple individual plans available on the D.C. health-insurance exchange specifically cover elective abortion but not hearing aids, routine foot-care, and routine eye-care." Where's the outrage about 40% of the abortions in DC are for low-income minority women?

Those aren’t footballs in those bellies.

Aren’t you glad Obamacare is saving health care dollars

According to data released by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the three major carriers in the D.C. exchange only signed up a few each; a fourth signed up no one.

Care First, Blue Cross Blue Shield: two enrollees from Oct. 1, 2013, through Oct. 30, 2013.

Kaiser Permanente: three enrollees from Oct. 1, 2013, through Oct. 31, 2013.

United Healthcare: no enrollment data from the exchange as of Nov. 4, 2013.

Aetna: No enrollment data as of Oct. 24, 2013.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have posted the amount of grant money given to the D.C. exchange. The total from these publicly-released figures are $133,573,928: $72,985,333 for an "Establishment Grant Level Two Application Summary," with an "Administrative Supplement Award Amount" of $16,969,089; $8,200,716 and $34,418,790 awarded separately for an "Establishment Grant Level One Application Summary;" and $1 million for s "State Planning Grant."

This means that the cost to the American taxpayers per enrollee in D.C. has been $26,714,785.60 each.

Information link here.

There is nothing government can do cheaper than private industry, but there are a few things it must do according to the Constitution.  Health care isn’t one of them.

Free DC to be more corrupt?

The Mayor protests giving DC children a chance at a good education with DC scholarships (vouchers), or even a life. And he wants statehood.

. . . the mayor of Washington, D.C., Vince Gray, already serving under a cloud of corruption, was arrested while protesting Congress’ budget agreement. Gray, city council members and more than 200 protesters blocked Constitution Avenue and diverted police resources, shouting, “Free D.C.” and “We can’t take it no more,” all in response to new restrictions on spending that Congress placed on the District of Columbia. But they should have been protesting outside Constitution Hall, not the Capitol, because that is where the Framers created the role for our nation’s capital that Gray is complaining about today.

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Something's not right in Fairfax County Virginia--is it the government bubble

According to 2009 county data, the median family income in Fairfax County is $122,651. Unemployment is way below the national level--Gosh--Franklin County would kill for their rate (5.4%). Nearly 60% of Fairfax Country residents over 25 have better than a bachelor's degree. A single family home median value is about $550,000. So with all this affluence and education--42% of the students in Fairfax County schools are eligible for free and reduced price meals. What's going on? If this rich county with its abundance of college degrees and government workers can't spring for their kids' lunches, who can? Something is really screwed up in the D.C. suburbs.

Echoes of the Great Depression

Phil Gramm lays out the similarities and differences between the 1930s and today, and between the American people then and their willingness to try collectivism and their unwillingness today. He's put a pretty positive spin on November's election. I'm not so sure. My generation, although we heard about the Great Depression all our growing up years, has become very careless, and the Boomers? My, they've always expected more and better, and they are the parents of the Gen-Y and Gen-X who just a few years ago needed toys, trinkets and prizes just to show up to work (I assume that has changed since 2008).

Barack Obama is a Marxist--true, not a terribly successful one, but you can see the power of his supporters, now angered by his ineffectual programs, when they show up tomorrow in Washington as One Nation of Trouble Makers Asking for More and More and More. Every Communist, Socialist and crooked union leader will be there, paying the way for their lackey workers to assemble and protest a administration which promised to steal from the rich and give to the middle-class while ignoring the poor (who already have 70 or so programs to help them stay at the bottom).

Phil Gramm: Echoes of the Great Depression - WSJ.com

Why does the President hate black children?

No, I'm not referring to his stance on abortion, which kills them before birth, in higher percentage than other groups and races.  It's the DC scholarship program that he has ruined for them.

In the fall of 2008, 216 new low-income students were notified by the Department of Education that they had been selected to receive scholarships to get out of violent DC public schools and attend alternatives, like the ones the Obama girls, Malia and Sasha, attend. But the NEA and the AFT teachers' unions helped elect Obama, and now Obama has torn up their winning “lottery tickets” to a good education and has taken back the scholarship money. Most of these kids are black.

This report by the Department of Education is not exactly a page turner, and it's stuffed tables and graphs, but it does say children in the Opportunity Scholarship program had statistically significant better reading scores than students who applied to the program but were not offered a scholarship. Also, read it now, because reports that go against Obamaplans have a tendency to disappear from the internet.

All the NBC channels and cable affiliates are promoting Obama's and Arne Duncan's education plans and theories this week. Why not discuss the alternatives? Because NBC is in Obama's hip pocket and he belongs to the unions who helped him get elected (and will be appearing in full force in DC on 10-2-10 along with the Communist Party USA and other radical groups).

President Obama calls his followers to DC on 10-2-10

to meet with hundreds of other communist and socialist organizations. This was planned in response to the 8-28-10 Glenn Beck gathering of 500,000+ of ordinary Americans who paid their own way to sing, and pray and listen to inspiring speakers talk about love of country and God. It was peaceful and a family event. The Washington Mall was spotless when they left.

The Communists among us are now fighting back. They'll be bussing them in, paid for by your tax dollars and union dues. CPUSA, is just one of many. Go to One Nation Working Together and look at the sponsors. With all this public and private money they should be able to gather a few million, not just half a million like 8-28. Check out some communist sites. You are known by your friends, Democrats.

Communism has failed in every country that tried it, and has resulted in the deaths of millions. How quickly Americans forget--at least my generation. My children's generation never even learned the facts of what happened in the Soviet Union and China and Vietnam.

Young Communist League

Federal workers--I have relatives who are but. . .

the gravy train has to roll to a stop somewhere. And I know, I know, I was "on the dole" many times through various government grants. They were interesting jobs (USAID, FIPSE, JTPA), they paid well, I worked hard and had very committed co-workers, but hey--nothing we did mattered after the contract ended. We just have way too many people at the public trough.

"In their campaign blueprint released this week, GOP lawmakers proposed a hiring freeze on non-security federal workers to help slash $100 billion in government spending. On Capitol Hill, they've tried to block President Obama's proposed 1.4 percent pay increase, to furlough federal workers for two weeks to save $5.5 billion, to fire workers who owe federal taxes, to shrink the pool of political appointees, to freeze bonuses and even to shut down the government. None of these ideas has gotten much traction in the Democratic-controlled Congress, but the resurgence of a GOP majority after the November elections could change that."

WaPo Link

Teachers union helped defeat Adrian Fenty

Why it's so hard to get a good education in a city school system. Did you know that even the non-union teachers have to pay dues to the union in order to teach in the system? They have a lot of money to defeat a politician who tries to change things to favor the students rather than the teachers--and there was indeed change happening in DCPS.

Teachers union helped unseat Fenty - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com

Four years ago the newly elected Adrian Fenty, mayor of DC and a man with a passion for improving education, appointed Michelle Rhee chancelor of the DC Schools.

"Rhee hit the ground running. She closed schools. She removed principals (who are not covered by a union) whose schools scored low on tests with more reform-minded replacements. She proposed to the Washington Teachers' Union a contract that sharply curtailed job protection. And as the contract worked its way through an interminable set of negotiations, Rhee terminated hundreds of teachers in layoffs she attributed to budget shortfalls. And she brought the union contract negotiations to a successful conclusion, trading higher salaries for less job protection.

Rhee got results. The year after she arrived, DCPS had the greatest gains of any state in fourth-grade math and was one of only five states to show increases in math for both fourth and eighth grades. The high school graduation rate increased faster than in previous years. And last month, the U.S. Department of Education awarded D.C. one of its highly competitive Race to the Top grants." NPR Report

Murray reports on 9/12, pt. 2

The March began an hour early because the plaza could no longer contain the number of patriots as they just kept coming in with each Metro stop. So at 10:30 they began the March up Pennsylvania Ave. with a small but appropriate Revolutionary Band leading the way. It started smooth with the patriots positioned by state as best they could. I heard that every state was represented. As we marched the patriots would break into song and chant. The ones in the back would start a voice wave that was awesome. You could hear it coming from behind and reaching a crescendo as it got to us. We then joined in and you could hear it progress on up to the front. The singing and voice wave repeated as we progressed up Pennsylvania Ave. There were people on the sidelines cheering us on with personal cameras everywhere. There had to be a million pictures taken that day.

Capitalism was not dead as there were people selling flags, tee shirts, food and beverages. One old timer was pretty clever. He set up shop right in the middle of Pennsylvania Ave. selling bagels and bottled water. The patriots were young, old, people limping and in wheelchairs. It was a fantastic sight.

When we reached The National Mall it was an impressive sight. People as far as your eye could see. They were everywhere. The Fox news truck was there and as we paraded past their truck the people chanted we love Fox News. The CNN truck was there also. ABC, NBC, and CBS choose not to show up for this un-newsworthy event. We stood and listened to the various speakers for about an hour on the far side of the pond.

Unfortunately the sound system was inadequate and could not provide enough power to reach the thousands in attendance. We could only understand the speakers with the loudest voices. It was here that we started to hear from the crowd about how many people were in attendance. The numbers were from 10,000 to 2 million. It was next to impossible to be accurate because as we were walking back to the Metro around 2:00 p.m., people were still showing up and arriving. My best guess would be around 50,000 to 100,000. But to put this number into it's proper prospective, you must understand that not only were we on the far east coast but there were over 800 other "Tea Parties" going on in major cities all over the country.

So, what do we have here? We have one of the largest civil protest ever against our federal government in this country and the news media ignores it. ( Except Fox News) Our President leaves town to continue to campaign for HIS causes and our representatives cower where they can't be reached. Now, here we are at the very spot that thousands of citizens (many who are in this March) paid their respects to our new President at his inauguration and what does he do in return ? He and his cohorts turn their backs on the patriots of this country and refused to even acknowledge we exist. To me, this is like a declaration of war against their own countrymen! When you consider that our representatives, our President, the newspapers and the video news media all ignore the patriots of this country, there has to have been a carefully planned conspiracy that has been a long time in the making. There can be no other conclusion. They are muting the spirit of hope and change that is driving the patriots to rise up and be heard. How else can you explain that our President and the media are together to fight the spread and existence of the grass-roots movement if it isn't a conspiracy? Why, every major newspaper is involved.

All I can say is what I saw on 9/12 tells me that the patriots are prepared to fight for the preservation of our great country. They are definitely not going to sit idly by and watch the current administration destroy the greatest country in the world. Do you want to join this fight or watch this great country be destroyed? If you are interested in joining then you can do yourself a favor and watch Fox News as they are the only news service that I know of that keeps you up to date on what your government is doing to you while you are not looking. Someone said, "Do not pay attention to what Obama says, but what he does!" I wish I would have said that.

Murray reports on 9/12, pt. 1

I would have sent this sooner but you have to understand that you're dealing with a 71 year old that drove 950 miles, marched 3 miles, and then drove back 950 miles over 4 days. I was pooped. But it was worth every minute and I would do it again.

When we got to the Freedom Plaza at 9:30 a.m. on 9/12 and saw the thousands of patriot grass-root protesters already filling the square it was AWESOME! It was emotional, inspiring and encouraging. It was all of those things because it proved that the SPIRIT OF AMERICA was alive. The spirit that started this country of ours and built it to greatness.

I left Mt. Morris and picked up my son-in-law in Sidney, Ohio. We stayed at a motel in Rockville, Md. When we went for breakfast the next morning the motel breakfast area was packed with patriots from Michigan. The excitement had already started. These people came prepared to voice a message to our President and representatives. The message wasn't just about healthcare as some will lead you to believe, it was about that plus all the reckless spending that has taken place the last several months. These people weren't the dangerous, threatening, angry "mob" that the Democrats claim is behind the protest. They were simply frustrated grass-roots taxpayers who do not agree with the direction our government is taking us. They wanted someone to listen to the voices of the masses. So far they have been muted by the press, the video networks and their own representatives. The lens caps remain on the network's cameras.

We took the Metro down to the Freedom Plaza where the March was to begin. While I was waiting at one of the changeovers I had two young ladies eyeing my sign which read PUT "WE THE PEOPLE" BACK IN GOVERNMENT. One of them ask what it was all about. I ask them if they knew what was happening that day and they said no. They had not heard of The March on Washington. So I turned my sign over to the message on the other side which read WHERE IS? NBC, CBS, ABC and said this is the reason why. I told them this was going to be one of the largest civil protest ever and the media has not considered it newsworthy. They asked good questions and I provided answers. Healthcare care up and one lady said she didn't have health insurance. I told her that if Obamacare went through she would have no choice, she would have to buy health insurance. She didn't know what to say. When it was time to leave they shook my hand and thanked me for providing them with the information about what was happening that day in their city and to their country.

We boarded the Metro and the excitement was mounting as we made each stop along the way and more and more patriots boarded. By the time we reached Freedom Plaza the Metro was so jammed packed it was almost impossible for passengers to get on or off. Then it happened. We walked out to the plaza around 9:30 and there they were. Thousands of grass-roots patriots already assembled in the square for a March that wasn't to begin until 11:30. There they were both young and old from everywhere across the country. Signs and flags waving with singing and chanting U.S.A ! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! I was moved. I was overjoyed. I was proud. I was glad I was a part of this and wished every grass- root patriotic American could feel that moment of electricity and power that can be achieved peacefully. The crowd was in unison singing, "God Bless America" and The National Anthem. Their many sign messages were clear, precise and to the point. There where no disagreements or arguments taking place as to what direction the country should take. People were friendly but focused and determined to have their messages be heard and seen by their representatives.

No trash day

Over at The Lonely conservative there is an interesting photo essay about the lack of trash left by the tea party folks. She has photos of the Obama inauguration compared to the 9/12 tea party. Maybe it's people who walk the talk, (the green-goes have bad manners but talk a good line), or maybe these protesters just bent over during the walk and looked for a trash receptacle. Being primarily conservatives, they've probably figured out tax dollars have to clean up trash. The photos of the trash left after the Obama event were the worst I've ever seen and apparently there wasn't a very timely pick up afterwards. Sort of a foretaste of what would happen to the economy. But just as the media has underestimated the number who attended, they'll probably over estimate the trash problem it created.

We'll try to get a first hand report from Murray when he returns.

Banana Republic

Yesterday we had brief catch-up discussions with two different Columbus couples who had recently returned from Washington DC. They'd done some interesting tourist things, but the only location both saw was Arlington Cemetery. And this wasn't their first visit. Both commented on the trash and clutter--one said the area they were in still hadn't had the trash picked up from July 4 celebrations, and public restrooms were the worst they'd seen. But Obama posters were everywhere. Benevolent. Ubiquitous. Omnipresent.

NYT needs to encourage births

Babies grow up to read newspapers and pay the salaries of journalists and editors. I heard about the March for Life because I listen to Christian radio, but I think that was the only outlet that mentioned it around here. Maybe the media were still drunk from the Tuesday festivities.

“More than 300,000 people assembled in Washington, D.C. [January 22] for the 36th Annual March for Life. But as far as The New York Times is concerned, it never happened,” Feder observed. [BoycottNYT.com editor Don] Feder was the keynote speaker at the event’s Rose Dinner.

He continued, “If 50,000 feminists had gathered on the Mall in D.C., to demand passage of the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, it would have been above-the-page-one-fold coverage in The Times, accompanied by an aerial photo of the crowd.” From Accuracy in Media

If 10 Code Pink ladies stood under a street light at 3 a.m. outside a veterans' hospital protesting, the NYT would have sent a crew. Didn't they get front row seats at the inauguration?

Invitation to President Obama.

From Washington Post story (section A):

"Deirdre McQuade, spokeswoman for Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said turnout at the annual Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast on Wednesday night filled the basilica's 16,000-person capacity and spill into two overflow buildings. A morning youth concert and Mass yesterday at Verizon Center also filled up -- there were 20,000-plus seats -- and crowds were sent to nearby churches. . .

For eight years, marchers had been greeted by a message from President George W. Bush, who supported their cause and appointed two Supreme Court justices who voted to uphold federal restrictions on some abortion procedures.

In contrast, Obama issued a statement yesterday reaffirming his support for a woman's right to choose to end her pregnancy. Roe v. Wade, the statement said, "not only protects women's health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters."

Of course, Washington Post is bi-lingual: "abortion foes," "abortion opponents," on the right side, and "a woman's right to end her pregnancy," and "reproductive freedom" on the left side.

It was a much kinder, gentler inauguration than the last two

Comments a James Taranto reader: "The Mall was a lot friendlier this week than during the past two inaugurations, so I did an anecdotal survey. Turns out most of my conservative friends who went to the last two Bush inaugurations (and are still in D.C.) also went to Obama's inauguration and were there chanting for the new president too. Because my friends were there cheering and decked out in red, white and blue (which liberals can now be seen wearing again), everyone thought they fit right in.
Contrast that to 2001, when they had to tolerate screaming liberals protesting Bush's "selection" by the Supreme Court's "partisan decision to place him in the White House," and 2005, when they had to put up with the CodePink and MoveOn.org protests.

When you cast it in that light, of course the atmosphere this week was nicer! Of course there were fewer people being divisive!"

So it was the polite, well behaved conservatives who made the Mall in Washington a pleasant place to be on January 20. Amazing! How different than the treatment of Bush.