Harford County Councilman Dion Guthrie (District A) said today it was very exciting to have President-Elect Barack Obama’s train stop in his district at the Edgewood Train Station on Saturday afternoon.
Reacting to the news reported on The Dagger, Guthrie said the inaugural train would naturally have to pass through Edgewood after picking up Vice President-Elect Joe Biden in Delaware and on its way to Washington D.C. as Guthrie noted with a laugh, “because that’s where the tracks were.”
But Guthrie said he, Harford County Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti (District F/Havre de Grace) and Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger had all contacted Democratic party officials and the Obama campaign to make the case for a stop in Edgewood. Guthrie said that in politics “you always want to send a message” and that officials were likely to have recognized that District A (the Edgewood/Joppatowne area) was a stronghold for Obama in an otherwise GOP county that voted overwhelmingly for his rival Sen. John McCain.
In looking forward to the visit by the soon-to-be 44th President and Vice-President of the United States, Guthrie said: “It’ll be cold, but the cockles of our hearts will be warmed enough to withstand the cold.”
Be aware, according to the Associated Press:
“Mary Ann Lisanti, a member of the Harford County Committee to Elect Barack Obama, said the train will make a “rolling stop” in Edgewood. She says the train will slow to about 1 mph.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-trainviews0116,0,3700260.story
Dion will be having an obomagasm along with the rest of of the socio-marxists. Enjoy the fruits of my labor. $11,000,000 of out tax dollars go down the crapper for this nonsense.
I would be out there standing in the Edgewood parking lot in sub-freezing weather for hours, waiting for our new leader to wave (OMG! He looked right at me!) as his train slows down if I didn’t have something better to do.
Thank God I do.
I’m staying home.
That, along with EVERYTHING ELSE I CAN THINK OF, is something better to do.
You have got to be kidding, right. Regardless of you political leanings, this is a historical moment in the history of our nation. To relegate it to less that that is ridiculous.
Speaking of money, I am sure that the Obama/Biden team had control of how many people want to come to DC for this event? That is what is making this so expensive. Washington DC is OUR city. Were they supposed to close it?
Of course Councilperson Guthrie should be proud of this weekend. He and Councilperson are the only members of the Democratic Party on the council. Like the President, they wear two hats. A representative of all of their constituents, and a representative of their Party. Just like the republican members wear two hats.
I have to wonder if some of the commentators on this topic actually took a government class?
DaddyRabbit took more than that, he has an advanced degree in political science. DaddyRabbit thinks this entire train ride is a huge boondoggle and waste of serious tax payer money. Spout historic moments, first African American, first committed Nazi or anything else. THE STATE IS GOING BROKE! We do not have the funds for the conduct of show crap. Stop the train, fill it full of goods to be transported and then send it down the track. How in the name of anything that’s holy can we justify flying (by Government source) from Philadelphia in order to take a train back to DC be anything but foolish. Even if George Soros foots the bill, it’s a waste of money.
How about a simple economics lesson? The folks who are working and earning their own way here in Maryland are having about 60% of their hard earned dollars confiscated in the name of taxes. That includes the federal, state and county income tax, the social security tax, the property tax, the sales tax, the gas taxes, the cigarette, beer, wine, etc taxes. That means that for the first 219 days of the year you are giving away your hard earned wealth.
Please go spend it on a train ride.
First, why hide behind a pseudonym? As for the 60% of Marylanders ‘earning their own way’ – I suppose none of them ride on public roads, went to public schools, enjoy safe drinking water. You get my point, you know, since you have an advanced degree in poli sci (notice I am not spouting my degrees to make my point). Your Chicago School of economics has been so successful. Let’s just keep going with that. Thank you Milton Friedman and DaddyRabbit – hope 95 gets sold to the highest bidder/contractor. Maybe it will be a company from China?
I agree with Phil Dirt. I’am not going to edgewood, to freeze to death for something I can see later on the tv. as for china. last check. japan was takeing the lead in owning the u.s.
This inauguration is costing money because of the historical significance and enthusiasm surrounding the soon-to-be president. D.C. officials just cut estimates of attendance in half…which still put it at 2 million people!!! George W. Bush’s first inauguration drew 350,000. That many people coming to D.C. and the surrounding area costs money, not to mention security measure to deal with that many people. Maybe they should only have allowed a certain number of people in the district that day; that would cut down on the costs.
As far as the train ride, which will cost Maryland money dealing with security and crowd control, I think doing something historically symbolic near the anniversary of Lincoln’s 200th anniversary is poignant. People downplaying this type of thing (calling it an obamagasm) are ignoring the historical significance of the historical timing between the first black president and the president who ended SLAVERY! I mean, come on! And I’d rather spend the money on an inauguration than between 4 and 7 billion each month in Iraq (that’s $14 billion estimated paid by Maryland so far, if Daddy Rabbit’s $11 million estimate was on the state level).
Do you enjoy following the Dem party model of always attacking the messenger first Kim? I cited my degree only because you had a really snotty comment about attending American Government classes. I truly don’t give a rat’s ass about the President elect one way or another, just that the message of the train boondoggle doesn’t resound too well in view of the “Change” thought. It’s just some more of the imperial presidency.
DaddyRabbit very well said. the change should have started. as soon as he was elected. by simply’ reduceing or down playing, this event & saveing the tax payers thousands of dollars.
This is a non-political comment, but I am wondering if the photo accompanying this story was taken by someone in the crowd or if it was taken by a local/national news photographer. Whichever, it is a truly awesome picture. We see pictures like this in the news every day and we never stop to think about the stories behind it. Now that it’s in our backyard, wow! Incredible! I think the photographer needs to be credited, if you know who he/she is. On a side note, did anyone notice Mrs. Biden (or whoever the female was standing next to the VP-elect) on the front steps of Baltimore’s City Hall wearing a purple scarf that was decidedly Ravens in color? I thought folks up that way were Eagles fans or was she just placating the hometown crowd? Just curious….