Obama Center opens, and Joe Biden displays his ability to get lost on stage * WorldNetDaily * by WND Staff

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A concrete tower in Chicago that is the presidential library of Barack Obama has opened.

Friday was the first day the public was invited to pay $20 or more to enter, and on Thursday a cast of stars danced to music in a grand opening.

Of course the Obamas were there, with Michelle boasting about Barack’s Nobel Peace Prize, and they were joined by ex-presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, with their former first ladies.

Other celebrities were Bono and the Edge, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Marc Anthony, Eddie Vedder, Christina Aguilera, Stephen Colbert, Dave Chappelle, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, George Lucas, David Letterman, Gayle King and LL Cool J, Mark Hamill, Jon Batiste and Quinta Brunson.

The project, often compared to a Star Wars space prison, had promised Chicago officials a $470 million fund to make sure the maintenance didn’t fall to taxpayers, and had $1 million at opening. The costs were estimated to be about $350 million but most recent totals have surpassed $850 million and rising.

And there remain fights over a multitude of subcontractors who say they have yet to be paid, sometimes owed millions.

One of the more notable events of the spectacle was when a number of big names were on stage, including Biden.

Reports revealed, “The incident occurred on Thursday, June 18, as Biden joined former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W Bush, along with their spouses and former Vice President Kamala Harris, for the opening celebration in Chicago. After the program wrapped up and music began playing, Obama appeared to leave the stage in high spirits. Former first lady Jill Biden followed behind him, while Biden remained standing alone near the podium as others walked away.”

Then he, alone on stage, asked about his granddaughter

The episode recalled many times during his presidency when he appeared to be completely disoriented while on, or off, a stage, and his uncertainty about what to do and where to go. His lesser abilities to function in public were confirmed by leaks of written instructions from his staff on where Biden was to go, what to do, even where to sit and who to recognize, for various events.

Of course, his catastrophic debate stage work in the 2024 presidential race triggered his withdrawal, and the ultimate selection by Democrat party elites of Kamala Harris as their candidate.

Hillary Clinton recently gave an interview blasting Biden for even trying to run in 2024, calling his decision a “terrible mistake.”

A report from Fox noted the opening followed “an expensive and controversy-laden construction history.”

Among the headwinds it still faces, the report said, are “opposition from locals, anger over the use of tax dollars to support surrounding infrastructure, critiques of the building’s design, alleged failure to pay contractors and even a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination.”

In fact, taxpayers have been billed about $120 million for street changes and other infrastructure to support the center.

“It’s a monstrosity. It’s over budget, it’s taking way too long to finish and it’s going to drive up prices and bring headaches and problems for everyone who lives here,” one Chicago resident who grew up in the area near the campus’ location told the Daily Mail. “It feels like a washing away of the neighborhood and culture that used to be here.”

President Donald Trump has ridiculed the design, using AI to place a giant garbage bag on top in an image widely circulated. One commentator called it the “Obamalisk.”