Inaugural Brothel?

Everyone heard the fact Barack Obama's Inauguration was the most expensive in history. Cha-ching. $170 million worth of "change." Even adjusted for inflation, the new Party of the Rich (and infamous) would make even Marie Antoinette blush.

Most of the cash is coming from you, the taxpayer. In more than one way.

First, there is the $124 million directly from government. Then there is the $45 million from Obama's personal Inaugural Committee. That's the highest yet, Bush spent $42 million in 2005, $33 million was spent in 1993 by Bill Clinton. But what if nearly 20% of that $45 millon was recycled bail out cash?

The real kicker is the number of Wall Street fat-cats on the receiving end of the first round of bailout funds and lined-up for the second round of Obama-backed pork spending. These are the one's who pumped cash into the confab. One watchdog group called these donors the "elite of the elite," with average "gifts" at $50,000.

The bailed out financial sector, according to ABC News, pinched their pennies and put in $7 million to get ringside seats for the top brass. But clearly this was simply done out of civic pride, not an attempt to game the system for more bailout funds or to lessen scrutiny of their current spending.

$hange you can believe in.