Today is the day. Thousands have camped out overnight to witness yet another inauguration, as Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States is sworn in at noon. Over a million people are expected to gather on the mall, facing the Capitol, to witness this event.
Today will be especially important to some because Barack Obama will be the first black to assume the office of president. Many people never thought they would live to see the day, considering the race struggles our country has endured.
This day is truly a salute to democracy. Very few countries in the world can change leadership in such an orderly, expected fashion. Today is a tribute not only to America but also to the founding fathers, for their vision and to those who have carried the tradition down from the time of George Washington to the present. There have been slight changes in procedure, but the charge remains the same: an orderly transition of power from one leader to another.
Welcome to the Obama Family. They are fired up and ready to go!
Police closed the Mall around 9AM this morning. They declared it full. That’s 1.2 million people. The crowds are past the Washington Monument now and people are still coming.
Another peacful transition. Doesn’t get much better than this –
God Bless Obama, his family, his advisors, and the millions who gathered to celebrate.
The views of the flag-draped Capitol, the sunny day, the uniformed Marines, the music–wow. What a great country.
I agree with all of you all. What a gorgeous day. I have been so impressed with the graciousness of those coming and going. The fact that John McCain was honored at a dinner last night. Civility rules.
What touched me the most during this entire inauguration was a brief glimpse of a little black boy on tv who couldn’t be more than 10. He had tears streaming down his cheeks with joy. Who would think the significance of the day would affect one so young?
Once again, Slowpoke has impressed me with his eloquence. Not many words but the ones he choses count.
My 17 year old grandson and his friends were at the Vienna Metro station around 4 am. He was SO excited about being a part of the inauguration. Can’t wait to hear about his experience. and, what a perfect day for this ceremony. The weather gods were certainly with the organizers this time. –
I watched most of it on CNBC World. They didn’t have their commentators yakking all the time about what was on the screen like the other channels.
Obama’s speech was sobering and thoughtful.
Is it in bad taste to comment on the former vice presedent’s exit?
At least it was self inflicted.
“president” of course
They’ve update the whitehouse.gov website already.
I liked the luncheon speech better than the inagural address. Prayers with Ted Kennedy.
I thought that Rev. Lowery’s Benediction at the end of the proceedings was one of the high points of the whole morning. Blacks-don’t go to the back, Browns- stick around, Reds-get ahead etc. He sumed things up pretty well.
Lowery rocked it. I was stunned at how plastic Warren was. Reminded me of a second rate emcee.
I enjoy watching the older daughter take photo after photo of the events around her. Kind of simple and sweet.
have fun!!
http://www.adgame.de/bush-ego-shoeter/
“We the people …”.
Our saga expands, grows, changes and endures – God bless the Republic.
A great day, a great country.
Bush is speaking at his welcome-home rally now. Why couldn’t he have been that eloquent and articulate over the last eight years? He’s tearing up during what is a very moving speech. May the Bush-bashing stop now. President Obama deserves our respect, and so does our former President. It has to go both ways.
I believe almost everyone here at Anti has been respectful of President Bush today. I wish I could say the same of all the blogs and that all the blogs showed the same respect for the newly elected President. I have read some pretty disrespectful things about both the incoming and outgoing presidents on other blogs that shall go nameless.
The Bushes have been extremely gracious and helpful during the transition–more so than any other administration I have seen. Both will long be remembered for their graciousness and good manners.
I think history will be kinder to Bush than many in the press and on Capitol Hill are willing to be now. There were some hateful demonstrations during the inaugural festivities four years ago–for example, demonstrators maliciously removing bolts from security gates causing serious injuries to security personnel. I haven’t heard of anything like that today, thank goodness, and I was moved to see a very decent George Bush salute the new President before he boarded the helicopter to Andrews AFB. Hopefully, Democrats will be more gracious in victory than they were in defeat over the last eight years.
As a side note, Katie Couric has apparently expressed some regret today over her treatment of Sarah Palin. Too little, too late, but at least she admits to her complete lack of journalistic objectivity.
Overall, a great day, and the Obama kids were adorable. I’m hoping for the best.
Emma,
All of our President’s deserve our respect. That is something that appears to escape most of those posters on BVBL. Please ask your friends on BVBL to be a little more respectful of our new President. The posts over there today made my blood run cold. I am happy to see that you did not join in with them.
Today was a great day for our nation. Every election and inauguration is special but today we saw history being made. In the words of one of my favorite people, Tim Russert “What a Country!!!”.
I already made a comment to that effect there earlier today, Marie, but they are entitled to their opinions, too, and I share many of their concerns. I’m just too caught up in the fun today to get too wrapped around the issues, and I refuse to be anything but hopeful that the new President has good intentions for our country. Believe me, I’ll be very vocal with my opinions when the occasions arise, but not today.
And I do miss Tim Russert 🙁
Did anyone notice how poorly Dad Bush was walking today? Does anyone know what has happened to him? I saw him on a face to face interview a couple of weeks ago, and he seemed really well and talked about doing another sky diving jump on his next birthday.
Today he had trouble just walking.
“No other President in our time did so much to summon the American people
to the Realities of their responsibilities.
No other President in our time did so much to bring hope to the world – hope for
a life of decency and peace.
He restored learning to the seats of power and pride in the hearts of his countrymen.
He was eloquent but never pompous, tough but always gentle, an idealist but still
a realist. He was a thinker and doer who both studied history and changed it.
He loved words and knew their power.
He was blessed with a beautiful and courageous wife and two wonderful children and
one could not doubt the bond of understanding and love between them”
Theodore Sorenson (A Tribute to John F. Kennedy, 1964)
Would add that Kennedy’s election had much the same impact on Catholics as
Obama’s on Afro-Americans – a long sought dream come true. People
of all ages coming to a cold Washington in January 1961 to witness the
inauguration of “one of us”.
Ted Sorenson was right – “we’ll never be young again” (and that was even before
the horrible deaths of Dr. King and RFK) – but many of YOU are “young now” and
witness to a great American event today. The torch has been passed –
don’t let it go out.
Wonderful words, Poor Richard. Thank you for sharing and for inserting your own also.
Emma,
Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinions. Most of us do have differing opinions. The difference is many of the opinions expressed on BVBL tend to be hateful, instill fear, and are quite disrespectful. When one expresses an opinion it should be coupled with respect and responsibility. It is certainly ok to disagree but it is not ok to be disagreeable.
Yesterday’s London Times had an article on threats to President Obama and
noted they were primarily not from foreign sources, but from American based
racist /hate groups. The story awakened anguish from decades ago.
Dynamic young leaders – full of promise – shot and killed. May this generation
never know that pain and horror.
There is no such thing as “too much” protection for the President.
May God be with him, his family and those that protect them.
Marie, No argument. However, if the velvets are entitled to their opinions, regardless of how hateful, have you noticed how at least some of them do not extend that privilege to others? Did you not tell me that you have banned from posting there?
I guess you weren’t entitled to your opinion. I wonder if Emma will defend you as strongly as she did them?
Tehran – “Anti-American demonstrators burned pictures of Obama on the grounds
of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran hours before his inauguration.”
WaPo (1-21-2009)
P.W.C. – “That flushing sound you heard was our constitution. We are now governed
by the law of the jungle.”
BVBL (1-20-2009)
Dr. Pavlov, we note your dogs are up to the same old tricks.
Was the “jungle” comment anonymous? I hope so. We don’t need another infamous incident of racism in PWC.
The “jungle comment” was in Greg Letieq’s original posting on the topic
of the inauguration. You can read it on Black Velvet Bruce Li.
I’m sorry, was I being “disagreeable,” Marie and MH?
Geez
Poor Richard, good analogy there. Is this where someone comes along and brilliantly reminds us that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks?
Emma, not that I noticed, at least not here.
I have never understood the whole banning phenomenon over at BVBL. What is Mr. Letiecq so scared of? Surely if he had the confidence in his views and the views of the majority of his posters, he would not be afraid to allow dissenters free rein to comment. Or even non-dissenters. As Chris has pointed out, she was banned when she posted on the study groups. Few if any people have been banned from BVBL because of uncivil language. And besides, Greg L. doesn’t seem to mind inflammatory language if it comes from him or his fans, who lately have been outdoing themselves. Read the inauguration thread, for example, or maybe any selection of citizenofmanassas posts such as the one where he advocates the death penalty for identity theft, with no exceptions. Slick too has been especially busy if numbingly repetitive in her(?) slurs of late. Please don’t be offended if I left anyone out. There are so many to honor.
Mr. Letiecq, why not be a man and start the year off in another direction to allow more than a token few to disagree with you and your fans? Or if you won’t do that, at least post and explain BVBL’s ultra-high wussiness content, despite the frequent talk of guns and ammo.
Emma,
I am sorry. I did not mean to infer that you were being disagreeable. I was making a general statement about many of the posts I have read on BVBL.
The mind (at least mine) often works in strange ways. This morning I
woke up wondering if Barack Obama had ever seen the great
Hammerstein/Kern musical “Show Boat” and thought of the anguish of
sweet Julie over having “a drop of Negro blood” in her veins. Even
when I performed in a production twenty years ago (OK, as a member
of a “the crowd”, but was on stage) – the “book” made sense.
Now, today, it seems beyond dated.
Thank goodness.
Bravo, BVBL Watch
BVBL Watch, you make some interesting points and you ask some very interesting questions. I am surprised the minions haven’t come over here and devoured you alive for having the audacity to suggest that Mr. Letiecq behave any differently than his sainted self.