talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

I don't read Frank Rich's column all the time, but his piece in today's Times caught my attention. In it he writes:

Washington's next celebration will be the inauguration. Roosevelt decreed that the usual gaiety be set aside at his wartime inaugural in January 1945. There will be no such restraint in the $40 million, four-day extravaganza planned this time, with its top ticket package priced at $250,000. The official theme of the show is "Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service." That's no guarantee that the troops in Iraq will get armor, but Washington will, at least, give home-front military personnel free admission to one of the nine inaugural balls and let them eat cake.

My day-to-day life hasn't changed since the war in Iraq began. My father, who served his time during World War II, describes the changes the average citizen had to make, changes that would be unthinkable now--can you imagine the S.U.V. set being told that their gas and tires were being rationed? I'd certainly accept limitations of those sorts if it meant that the men and women whose lives are on the line could have the equipment they need, and it's a shame that our president and his cronies won't put aside their revelry when American troops are dying every week to implement their ill-conceived plans.