About half a million people are expected Friday on the National Mall in Washington for the nation’s birthday celebration, but they may be shocked at what they see.
This gathering place known as America’s “front yard” stretches from the Capitol to the Potomac River and is home to the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials and Washington Monument, but it’s starting to look like “an old rundown, worn-out mall that looks like it was abandoned 30 years ago,” says Judy Feldman of the National Coalition to Save Our Mall.
Just a reminder, a Capitol Fourth will be on PBS in a little bit, in case you are in an area with really crappy weather. Personally, the Marine Corps Marching band alone makes it worth watching.
***Update ***
The Boston Pops 4th on CBS is better than the PBS one, for you west coast types.
But I Digress
Oh I don’t know. I was just up in DC being a tourist two weeks ago and it’s still damned impressive. I was prepared to hate the WWII Memorial, but it fits into the whole plan quite nicely. And as far as no restaurants, well G-d forbid you should walk two blocks up onto Pennsylvania. There are also restrooms in every FREE museum up and down the block. If somebody wants to get their knickers in a knot about something ugly in DC, I nominate the area around the Capitol. They’ve been working on that Visitors Center for a millennium.
Delia
Why does CNN hate America?
Smudgemo
Proof that government does not work. Time to sell all the old stuff to private industry that can charge for admission and keep it up properly…
nightjar
What is Obama’s position on this, and why did he allow it to happen? This is the question that haunts us and why we must let him know of our heartfelt patriotic concern, that flip-flopping GOP Manchurian Candidate with a tan.
P.S. Hillary would have this fixed by now, yes she can.
gbear
Government buidlings in MN are doing as well as our bridges. The MNDot building, just down the block from the State Capitol, has scaffolding with a protective roof all around the base of the building and entry is restricted to one door because the clips that hold the stone facia panels to the building have all rusted and the stone is in danger of falling off. Tim Pawlenty, one of the top picks for McCain’s VP, has been the go-to guy for cutting the budgets that make sure the state infrastructure is in good shape. He’s full of fail.
Public buildings aren’t the only thing that’s been allowed to go to hell. Dams everywhere are aging and wearing out. It’s only a matter of time before we have a non-coastal Katrina in some river town.
Libby Spencer
I think they’re lying about getting rid of all the garbage by Saturday. The White House and Capitol Hill will still be occupied by trash come Monday.
gbear
‘government buidlings’ are not trolls who try to get state contracts. It is a mis-spelling of buildings. I hope I have not caused any inconvenience, distress or confusion.
Notorious P.A.T.
Is it really a metaphor if most of our country, our currency, our military, our standing in the world, our belief in the future, etc. is at least as run down as the Mall?
Libby Spencer
My man Bob Reich has the answer for that.
Polly
The Mall has always been a little scruffy, at least the whole 20+ years I’ve lived here. Not sure why it’s the focus of attention now, except for the easy lazy metaphor for the media story. Then again, if anyone knew how it has looked over the course of the past two centuries they’d realize what we have now is better than the old swampy morass, factories, encampments, etc.
SteveinSC
Huffpo has two stories of Bush heckled at Monticello. Yes! (Wahoo Wah.) The A$$hole Press, dba AP has always provided a bodyguard of lies for Bu$h and his gang. CNN no model of objectivity at least had the video, alowing one to draw one’s own conclusions. AP on the other hand, mostly regurgitated the text of Adolph Bu$h’s address, like good stenographers. The sheer gall of that asshole giving a speech at Monticello is beyond outrageous. If they listened they could have heard Ole Tom down the hill rolling in his grave.
Delia
Huffpo has a lot of good pix and vid. LAT has a more extensive story on George’s unhappy day defending Freedom at Monticello.
Tim (The Other One)
I guess that mall won’t fit on my lapel.
Doug H. (Fausto no more)
Is Jimmy Smits on uppers or something?
Also: Following Huey Lewis with Taylor Hicks. Kinda like following up a good burger with some warm Bud Light.
John Cole
I actually am watching Born on the Fourth of July on HBO and I flipped back for the Marine Corps band and the fireworks.
I absolutely love Stars and Stripes Forever, although wtf was up with the xylophones instead of piccolo?
John Cole
And while people like to rag on Tom Cruise, myself included, he is magnificent in Born on the Fourth of July.
Just Some Fuckhead
Watching O Brother Where Art Thou myself. Lord and Big Oil willing, we’ll catch Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys live somewhere between here and West Virginia this summer.
PeakVT
Since I grew up in the DC burbs and regularly went to the Mall as a kid, I can say there never was A Golden Age™ for the space. In some ways it is better than it was in the early 1970s (which are very vague memories) because a bunch of streets that used to run parallel to Madison and Jefferson were paved, and the Metro now has a stop there. There’s also more museums.
But like nearly everything, more money would help. I’d rather rebuild the Mall than, say, send money to Israel or Iraq for another year. Priorities.
And Born on the Fourth of July almost made me not hate Cruise. That phase passed, fortunately.
John Cole
I just watched O Brother the other day.
TCG
O brother where art thou rocks. I got the military channel on now with an episode of “the Revolutionary War: Cornwallis Surrenders” pretty sure this episode has a good ending.
DrDave
No doubt the guy can act, even if he is a narcissist of the first order. And he was first rate as Ron Kovic.
We spent a couple of hours this afternoon at the National Constitution Center on Independence Plaza. Sadly, the museum store doesn’t stock this. I guess every available roll is in use at the White House.
Damn, Jerry Lee Lewis looks and sounds great for 105 years old.
tom.a
You’re all missing out, there’s a Steven Segal marathon on SpikeTV, the dude is kicking bad guy ass all over the place!
libarbarian
Time for a broken-down car on cinderblocks.
nightjar
Bout half-way thru watching the original Vanishing Point running circles around smokey. As American as a body can get.
phobos
I just watched The Last Mimzy for the third time in a row.
I’m trying to rid my mind of all things political.
Genine
I liked that movie. Some of the pacing was a bit slow. But, overall, I found it enjoyable.
Mrs. Peel
I love Tom Cruise, up ’til he pulls his “raving Scientologist trying to hold in his inner homo” routine.
ThePirate
The Mall looks fine. The grass is a little run down, but what else do you expect when you’ve got thousands of tourists tramping all over the place all day.
Dennis - SGMM
Yesterday (Thursday) I had to drive my son to work and pick him up afterward. In years past yesterday would have been a getaway day and the freeway (It’s one of the main routes East out of L.A.) would be packed with cars and RV’s. Instead, traffic was light and I saw only one small RV.
Today there was only one family picnicking in our city park. Last year people were there at 6AM to get a picnic table. It’s been that way every year ’til now.
Maybe it’s just coincidence. It was kind of sad though.
Svensker
But but but…spending gummint money on Americans is teh Communist! A real free market capitalist patriotic ‘Murrcan spends our tax dollars blowin’ up furriners. Wassamatta you?
Vanishing Point! Wow, haven’t seen that in a 100 years. Hello, Netflix?
ET
The Mall is a place where lots of tourists and locals spend lots of time. It will never be manicured perfect – which is not to say that a serious lack of funding is not having a negative impact.
When will whoever puts together the PBS holiday specials (Memorial Day and 4th of July) update the program for the 21st century? This years 4th special wasn’t as bad as it has been. At least Huey Lewis and Jerry Lee Lewis got the audience a little peppy.