Gee, you think the Post is unhappy?

Gotta love the tone of some of this Washington Post pre-inauguration coverage.

Courtland Milloy: "For instance, during Bush's first inaugural speech, it sounded to me as if he said: 'Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity.'
Take a look at the 2004 election map of red and blue states and tell me: Do I need a hearing aid, or what?"

And that's all Bush's doings, of course. Because before Bush, we were a happy, united land where everyone agreed that the liberals were always right about everything, and Bush was supposed to make us even more so. (For a refreshingly alternative take on this tired little tirade and about five million others like it, check out P. J. O'Rourke's fantasy inaugural address.)

Oh, and then we have this from Linton Weeks: "You may want to get close to the pageantry, to join in the exquisite ritual that defines our nation, but unless you are a close friend or follower of this president, chances are you will have to watch it from afar. He may seem looser, more relaxed this second time around, but no closer to us really." And in what universe is this new? Did I just forget all the people that were allowed to swarm all over Clinton while he was being inaugurated, or something?

But wait: There IS a difference. You see, "Roger Wilkins, a history professor at George Mason University and civil rights champion, was on Johnson's inaugural committee. 'Ever since the start of the Cold War,' Wilkins says, 'presidents have become more and more layered in security. But the Bush administration, Wilkins says, is different in tone from earlier administrations "because there is such a certainty that emanates from them about the rightness of what they do.'" Oh, okay. There's that extra layer of righteousness for added protection from us commoners. And to think all Clinton had to do to achieve the same result was close a section of Pennsylvania Avenue.

And then there's this:

"'Welcome to the greatest [bleepin'] country in the world!' Fuel frontman Brett Scallions unwisely hollered during his rock band's set yesterday at 'America's Future Rocks Today,' the for-the-kids inaugural concert at the D.C. Armory.

"'Oops,' the rocker said after realizing his no-no. 'I wasn't supposed to say that.' . . .

"Seeing as how President and Mrs. Bush were in the house [editor's note: Actually, they weren't there at the time], Scallions might get a bit of a scolding for his slip of the tongue. (Someone should also say something about his ill-fitting American flag pants. Ick.) But truth be told, the shaggy singer's 'ooh'-inducing profanity was the rare exhilarating, unscripted moment during a two-hour show that at best felt like a lame-o prom night and at worst felt like a cable-access telethon.

"The refreshing blast of profanity also reminded you how much more fun -- or at least edgy -- this staid musical event would have been had Southern-fried rapper Kid Rock, initially rumored to be on the bill, been invited instead of goody-goody pop stars like Hilary Duff, JoJo and 'American Idol' Ruben Studdard."

Now just pause and imagine the tone of that piece if Tipper had planned the shindig for someone else's inauguration. But it was almost worth it to read Sean Daly's little diatribe, just for this line: "And Brian Coleman, 17, from Houma, La., isn't too sure about being 'moderate,' but he is darn sure that he would rather have seen rap-metal bands Korn, Linkin Park and Slipknot last night instead of Mississippi roots-rockers 3 Doors Down."

Darn sure? Why, Mr. Daly, how very un-edgy of you.