RadioBanter - Protesters to turn their backs on Bush

The Gilded Age has returned. In fact, this PR for fat cats even uses
the world ''gild''. This country was started by rabble-rousers who
hated the idle rich and old money. Georhe Bush wants to reverse the
American Revolution and return this country to the British East India
Company's heirs.

''D.C. hotels gild inauguration with deals up to $1 million

By BOB DART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/09/04

WASHINGTON — Polish that Rolls. Chill the champagne. Deck out in
diamonds and furs.

High-rolling political revelers are coming to celebrate President
Bush's second inauguration next month, and hotels are ready.

Consider the Mandarin Oriental's Presidential Privilege package Jan.
17-21. A private jet will ferry a couple from anywhere in the
continental United States to the 3,500-square-foot Presidential Suite,
which has 14 rooms, including a gym, a kitchen, a game room with
leather walls and a parlor with 25-foot ceilings, and of course its
own butler.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel's Presidential Suite has a view of the
Jefferson Memorial.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is offering a $200,500 Presidential
Privilege package in which a private jet will ferry a couple from
anywhere in the continental United States to the capital.

To get around, the couple will have a choice of a
Hummer, Maybach or Rolls Royce, with a chauffeur on call 24 hours a
day.

There are tickets to "an inaugural event," but don't bother packing.
The package includes a wardrobe from Neiman Marcus — Oscar de la Renta
evening gown and matching Manolo Blahnik shoes, Judith Leiber handbag,
emerald ring and full-length mink coat for the lady, and a Kiton
tuxedo, Burberry reversible coat, 18- carat gold Cartier watch and
jeweled cuff links for the gentleman.

The couple will host a private, five-course dinner party for eight
guests prepared by the hotel chef and sommelier. Every evening, they
will be served Krug champagne and Beluga caviar in the suite while
they enjoy a panoramic city view.

The cost is $200,500 — not including tax and tips.

If you'd rather go upscale, though, there's the $1 million
inauguration package at the Jefferson Hotel, four blocks from the
White House.

What inspires such excesses of luxury? Inaugurations traditionally
provide the biggest boost to the capital's hospitality industry.

"There will be some times during the year when we have more people in
the city — the Fourth of July, for instance — but for sheer impact in
hotels, retailing, restaurants and transportation, this is our No. 1
event," said Bill Hanbury, president of the district's Convention and
Tourism Corp. "It brings in $50 million plus."

That generates luxury hotel packages costing tens of thousands of
dollars, many with presidential themes.

The $1 million Jefferson Hotel package, in addition to most of the
Mandarin Oriental's features, includes his and hers gold Presidential
Rolex watches with diamond dials (hers comes on a diamond bracelet)
with a private fitting in the hotel's Presidential Suite. The couple
will pick out their ballroom garb from Saks, and the lady gets a
matching diamond necklace, earrings and bracelet set from Tiffany's.

The guests get a private tour of the exhibit "Jacqueline Kennedy: The
White House Years." This entails a second jaunt by private jet,
because the exhibition is in Chicago.

There the guests will spend one night in a suite at the House of
Blues, eat a dinner for two inspired by JFK's inaugural dinner and
splurge at a private shopping spree at Marshall Field's.

Or consider these deals, at $150,000 or less:

• The Fairmont Hotel wants its guests to experience being "president
for a day" and "first lady for a day," so its package includes two
actors portraying Secret Service agents. In their Presidential Suite,
the couple will host a "state reception" for 10 people, who will sip
Dom Perignon champagne and eat Beluga caviar. The cost is $10,000 per
night, with a four-night minimum.

• The Sofitel Hotel on Lafayette Square across from the White House
will fill its Presidential Suite with fresh yellow roses for four days
for its $75,000 Don't Mess With Texas package. Upon check-in, the
guest couple will have vodka martinis flavored with habanero peppers
and Texas beef carpaccio served in their suite. There's a keepsake
honoring the Lone Star State's favorite son every day — sterling
silver spurs engraved with the inaugural logo, eight four-piece place
settings of official White House china, and his and hers Tony Lama
snakeskin cowboy boots and gold Cartier watches with an inauguration
inscription.

• For $100,000, the Four Seasons is offering a Whistle Stop Tour
aboard Amtrak's high- speed Acela, which runs from Boston to
Washington, with stops in New York and Philadelphia. Guests get limo
tours and luxurious treatment in stays at Four Seasons hotels in all
four cities.

• With the Ritz-Carlton's $150,000 Presidential Package 2005, you'll
get personal service a president might envy. In a nice touch, a butler
will fly to the guests' home to pack for the trip — in an included
$20,000 set of Louis Vuitton luggage. The butler will remain on call
around the clock in Washington, along with a chauffeur and personal
massage therapist. Parts of the package serve a full four-year term:
two weekend stays at the Ritz-Carlton every year until the 2009
inauguration, and a Hermes scarf for the lady and Hermes tie for the
gentleman every month until the next president is sworn into office.

Information

• Washington Convention and Tourism Corp., www.washington.org. ''

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 21:05:59 -0500, "John A."
wrote:

"MnMikew" wrote in message
...

"David" wrote in message
...
BTW: Bush is breaking another tradition. He is the first wartime
president to have lavish inauguration parties while our soldiers and
Marines are on the ground facing a hostile enemy.

What utter BS.

In what way is this BS? Please do explain.
John