The New York Times Has Skin in Obama's Inauguration

It will be interesting to see if the New York Times runs negative stories on Obama's inauguration. They slammed President Bush in an Op-ed piece on the cost of his inauguration and then had the audacity to state that the Iraq war should have been cause for restraint in spending for the inauguration.

The New York Times on the Bush inauguration.

At the rate President Bush's supporters are giving money, his second inauguration threatens to stand out in the history books like the common folks' muddy boot prints on the White House furniture at Andrew Jackson's gala. The $40 million record for inaugural partying set four years ago for Mr. Bush is expected to be shattered this month. The only limits for this binge of giving are the private inaugural committee's maximum of $250,000 for corporate donors (more than 40 have pledged so far) and $100,000 for individuals (60 and counting).

The root cause of this criticism by the editorial staff at the New York Times as was previously stated; the Iraq War.

Ordinary citizens might have hoped that the overriding issue in Washington - the perilous Iraq war, with its drain on the nation's blood and treasure - would dictate restraint. But plans for the four-day extravaganza roll forward with nine celebratory balls being underwritten by the usual corporate and fat-cat supplicants in the political power mill.

There's nothing new in Washington's triumphalist celebrations, festooned with price tags for access, but war usually mutes the singing and dancing. Not this year.

Let's move on to today with the economic problems that face this country....

During these hard economic times, what does Obama do? Obama's inauguration set to be the most expensive in US history

What is interesting is the New York Times position on the inauguration...

They have skin in the game. And what do I mean skin? They want to profit off of the inauguration.

For Obama’s swearing-in as U.S. president on Jan. 20, publishers of the New York Times, Washington Post and newspapers across the country are planning to sell millions of extra copies, special editions, books and other memorabilia. That’s after Nov. 5 newspapers attracted bids of almost $100 apiece on EBay.

“Every newspaper is getting in on this and they really have to,” said John Morton, a newspaper analyst and president of Morton Research Inc. in Silver Spring, Maryland. “It’s a chance for some quick profits and many are struggling.”

The inauguration of the first black president in U.S. history may be a boon for publishers suffering from a drop in circulation, down 4.6 percent in the year through September.

Washington Post Co.’s flagship newspaper is raising its newsstand price to $2 from 75 cents on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21. It will publish 1.7 million copies in four editions on those days, to be sold at newsstands, vending machines and by hawkers on the street, said its spokeswoman, Maria Cereghino. The newspaper typically prints 589,000 weekday editions.

New York Times Co. will print a commemorative Sunday magazine on Jan. 18, raise the print run of its namesake title by about 75 percent to 2.2 million on Jan. 21 and sell newspapers out of its Manhattan headquarters lobby, according to its spokeswoman, Diane McNulty.

Now the common person has to say to those media elitists who have shown a clear bias in reporting the news; The New York Times will look out for the "common people" when it is Bush's inauguration, but will look out for their own interests, when it comes to Obama's inauguration.

Note to the New York, don't expect a bail out from us common people.

H/T to Texas Darlin for pointing out the basics on this.