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"Pre-Inaugural Celebration: (01-22-2009) The Highty-Tighties, the regimental band of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, helped warm up the crowd gathered at the Lincoln Memorial before the pre-inaugural celebration on Sunday, January 18th. Photo by Jim Stroup."
"Pre-Inaugural Celebration: (01-21-2009) The Highty-Tighties, the regimental band of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, helped warm up the crowd gathered at the Lincoln Memorial before the pre-inaugural celebration on Sunday, January 18th. Photo by Jim Stroup."
Inauguration Day news:Stars and StripesInauguration practice makes perfect By Leo Shane III, Stars and StripesMideast edition, Monday, January 12, 2009
Leo Shane III / S&S
Army Staff Sgt. Derrick Brooks of Fayetteville, N.C., has the honor of filling in for President-Elect Barack Obama during a rehearsal for the upcoming inaugural ceremony Sunday, January 11, 2009 at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. At right, representing Michelle Obama, is Navy Yeoman 1st Class LaSean McCray of Miami, Fla. See more photos here.
WASHINGTON — Army Staff Sgt. Derrick Brooks was sworn in Sunday as the 44th president of the United States.
Read the whole article here.Snippet(s):
"OK, maybe he was only a stand-in for President-elect Barack Obama. And maybe Sunday’s event was only the military’s practice run for next week’s actual inauguration. And so what if his entire acceptance speech was “My fellow Americans, God bless America.”"
"On Sunday, members of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee ran through every song, step and salute expected from the military during next week’s presidential ceremony."
&
"Hundreds of band members, honor guard members and logistics experts from each of the services marched around the Capitol, down Pennsylvania Avenue and up to the White House. Crowds gathered along the route, cheering on the fake president and his fake family and clapping along with “Hail to the Chief.”
Higgs said the 17 military stand-ins for the day — nearly every high-level dignitary was covered, including two daughters of troops who played Obama’s young girls — were all selected from the committee staff based on their height, weight, and how busy they were in the days leading up.
Army Sgt. Bruce Cobbeldick, who got to play President George W. Bush, called the job an honor and noted that his co-workers are already worried the role will go to his head."
Inauguration Day news:Jamaica GleanerObama's inauguration by the numbersPublished: Sunday January 11, 2009
Preparations continue for President-elect Barack Obama's Inaugural reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, yesterday. - ap
WASHINGTON (AP):
One ton each of chocolate and cheese. About 1,500 cases of beer. Eight hundred pounds (363 kilograms) of bison.
Those are just a few items that the Marriott Wardman Park, Washington's largest hotel, is stocking for the 49,000 meals it expects to serve January 17 through Inauguration Day. The hotel is among many businesses and government agencies trying to quantify whatever they can before President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in on January 20.
Read the whole article here.Snippet(s):
"For inaugural planners, dealing with the numbers at first was daunting, said Peter Gage, parade director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
The trick to keeping track? "You've got to break it down," Gage said.
A rundown of the numbers, including more than a few estimates:
$40 million, the estimated cost of the inaugural parade, balls, opening ceremonies, giant television screens on National Mall and other expenses for the Presidential Inaugural Committee."
"58, law-enforcement and other agencies working on security.
8,000, District of Columbia police officers on duty, and those hired from departments around the country.
1,000, US Park Police officers on duty, and those hired from outside departments.
550, Metro transit police on duty, and those hired from outside departments.
10,000, National Guardsmen helping law-enforcement agencies in and around the city."&
"13,000, military and civilian participants in the inaugural parade, including marching bands."
James Joyner at Outside the Beltway ("an online journal of politics and foreign affairs analysis") notices something that was nagging at my consciousness.Money quote(s):"Barack Obama has been in DC for days and days. Half of DC was shut down so he and his family could stay at the Hay-Adams and his girls could start at their $30,000 a year (each!) private school on time. We know he was still in town as late as Thursday afternoon, where the objective reporters of the Washington Post were going ga-ga over his visit.
So, why in blazes is he pretending that this is 1860 and he’s arriving in DC for the first time from his home state?"
Joshua Keating at Passport ("A blog by the editors of FOREIGN POLICY") explains a traditional aspect of U.S. presidential inaugurations.Money quote(s):"While U.S. ambassadors and their spouses are invited to attend the event, foreign leaders have been asked to stay home."This is not something new. This is still an American event; foreign ambassadors who are accredited to the U.S. (there's kind of a difference between them and "U.S. ambassadors") are welcome to attend (and will get fairly good seats, plus lunch at Blair House, IIRC) but every head of state who's hoping to scrape up air fare and a winter coat is expected to stay home.
The other day, Charlie at Undiplomatic ("dedicated to covering the intersection of diplomacy, global issues, U.S. politics, and pop-culture") had a thought worth sharing:"It’s important that we not forget, in the middle of an economic crisis and the inauguration of a new President, that we’re still fighting two wars."
