On 2nd term eve, Obama cites commitment to service

[No Elephants]

Jan 19, 10:45 PM EST

On 2nd term eve, Obama cites commitment to service

By DAVID ESPO
AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) -- On the brink of a second term, President Barack Obama invoked Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to service Saturday as inauguration-goers flocked to the capital city for a distinctly American celebration including an oath-taking as old as the republic, a splashy parade

and partying enough to last four years.

"I think we're on the cusp of some really great things," Vice President Joe Biden predicted for a country still recovering from a deep recession.

<snip>



Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton headlined a National Day of Service gathering under a tent on the National Mall, where she said she had been inspired by her grandmother, as well as her famous parents. She urged her audience to become part of a "chain of service" by helping the less fortunate.

Biden and his wife, Jill, spent time at an armory pitching in as volunteers packed 100,000 care kits for deployed members of the military, wounded warriors, veterans and first responders.

Biden credited former President George H. W. Bush, a Republican, for starting the "Points of Light" program, which was a sponsor of the event. He said service was an antidote to "the coarsening of our culture. We've got to get back to reaching out to people."

In the evening, Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden hosted the Kids' Inaugural Concert, an event paying special tribute to military spouses and children.

Families invited to the event cheered Usher as he sang his hit "Yeah!" Katy Perry, who donned star and stripes for her song "Firework," told the audience, "I'm very proud to be here ... and to see the Obamas and the Bidens here for four more years."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ALGERIA_KIDNAPPING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-01-19-19-57-03

Brink of a second term? Splashy parade? Partying enough to last four years? Why do I get the feeling Mr. Espo is not a fan of Obama?

As for the rest of the above, no comment.

[Enthusiast]

1. I could do without praise for the "Points of Light" program.

Or praise for any Bush.

http://youtu.be/y9SMXkpowo0

[No Elephants]

2. The program must have been a resounding success.

I've posted pictures of Obama medaling Bush the Elder and meeting with him in the Oval Office too many times to google again.

Ah, bless Mr. Google.

People have always been at the center of change.

http://www.pointsoflight.org/who-we-are

Shut up! I thought inanimate objects were at the center of change. Or rabbits. I am shocked, shocked to learn people are responsible for this mess in which we find ourselves today. Why, people why?

Well, once it was asteroids and dinosaurs. Tsunamis, hurricanes and other climate/weather events have done a lot as well. Change the shorelines of entire continents, they have.

But, okay, let's go with people. "Corporations are people, my friend."

Corporate Institute

The Points of Light Corporate Institute enables companies to engage their employees and customers in service in the communities in which they do business.

http://www.pointsoflight.org/corporate-institute

Civic Engagement Highlights

2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service: Points of Light mobilized more than 203,000 individuals to serve in honor of the MLK Day of Service, including President and Mrs. Obama and Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden. In addition to volunteers, Points of Light trained and activated more than 4,000 volunteer leaders supporting more than 2,700 projects across the nation. We also engaged 7,900 veterans and military families.

Well, that may explain why yesterday, Obama said he was thinking of today not so much as his inauguration, but as a day of service. Of course, I took him at his word.


"Leadership Partners are: American Express , Hasbro, the notorious Phoenix University, UPS (known in some circles as the future location of the United States Post Office) and Excelis. Never heard of Excelis, but its customers are governments, militaries and industrial around the world. How very cosy!

Oh, I kid. Far be it from me to cast asparagus (or even aspersions) on any organization seeking to do good deeds.

Looking around the website, though, I am pretty sure it qualifies for a variety of federal grants.