observations from the inauguration II

And then, this from the C-J...

"Yes we can" was the mantra of the Obama campaign. But for tens of thousands of revelers in Washington, Tuesday's inauguration was a day of "No we can't."

In some parts of the capital, chaos reigned. Some visitors waited four or five hours in sub-freezing temperatures at inadequately staffed security checkpoints. Thousands of people with coveted tickets to the "purple" viewing area were left waiting in a tunnel below the National Mall, with little law-enforcement presence and no official explanations. In the evening, some young people with $75 tickets to the Youth Inaugural Ball were kept out for hours because of limited space inside.

Many of the frustrated visitors were campaign workers who had paid their own way. Others were drawn, at their own expense, to witness the inauguration of the nation's first black president.

No one thinks an event that attracts up to 2 million people will go without a hitch, but this was ridiculous.

Sorry to hear that. But that's government for you. One just wishes the C-J (and many others) would catch the difference between theory and practice when it comes to hopes for government activism.