Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2009 > January > 21 > Entry
Obama Inauguration Day 15
The last of 10 inauguration parties that I attended on Jan. 20 might have been the best, if festivity is the litmus test. I didn’t stay until the salty end.
City Council Member Bruce McCracken, Austin Adams
The Bush Retirement Party at Antone’s proved the most partisan event of the day, with a shoe-tossing target out on the sidewalk and Democratic officeholders, past and present, thick on the floor. Travis County Democratic Chairman Andy Brown was able to pack the place — and a reportedly more elegant matching gala at the Driskill Hotel on Saturday — partly through social media. He’s learned how to energize the body politic through Facebook, etc. Oh, and he raised $50,000.
Beto Lilly, Veronica Bernal, Haya Alaxan
Democratic regulars Ann Kitchen and Nona Niland expressed wonder at all the unfamiliar faces in the crowd. Would they continue to remain engaged in politics after the bloom is off the Obama rose, they asked. The service aspect of so many of the events over the four-day weekend suggest so.
Nona Niland, Ann Kitchen
Veteran comedian and Bush impersonator Kerry Awn got in some final kicks, well-practiced from his Esther’s Follies years. Yet some partiers expressed sympathy for the ex-prez and even admiration for the way he left office. My social engagement with Inauguration Day ended with the blazing sounds of the Heartless Bastards, whose tone matched the mood of the remaining brood.
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By chris wilson
January 26, 2009 8:53 AM | Link to this
The Antone's Inauguration & Bush Retirement Party was so much fun. Great music and fun people made for a good time! It was nice to see alot of the friends I met during the journey.