President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrive for the Obama Inauguration Celebration on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Sunday January 18, 2009. (Brian Baer/Sacramento Bee/MCT)
by Frank James and Jill Zuckman
Joined by tens of thousands of well-wishers who gathered at the foot of the powerfully evocative Lincoln Memorial, President-elect Barack Obama celebrated his imminent inauguration at a star-studded gala Sunday afternoon filled with the electric sense of history as the nation prepared for its first African American president to take office.
With the theme of "We are One" meant to reflect the unifying spirit of Obama's presidential campaign and the presidency he has promised, the various celebrities from Hollywood and pop music each tried to capture some part of what this remarkable moment in the nation's history represented.
Though the temperatures hovered around freezing and the sky overcast, the excitement of the crowd was palpable as the nation readied to end the controversial Bush presidency and usher in the new Obama era.
After nearly two hours of performances, Obama took the stage and added his interpretation of the event's meaning:
"... I stand here tonight, what gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us today, but what fills the spaces in between," Obama said. "It is you - Americans of every race and region and station who came here because you believe in what this country can be and because you want to help us get there."
Garth Brooks performs "Shout" at the Obama inaugural celebration at the Lincoln Memorial January 18, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Musical performers Betty Lavette, an African American and Bon Jovi, who's white, for instance, performed a duet of the most powerful songs of the 1960s Civil Rights era, "A Change is Gonna Come," which speaks plaintively of pain of racial oppression but also of the hope that America would one day progress to the point of justice.
At another point, actress Laura Linney introduced a video of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's inauguration by citing the difficulties he faced which bore a striking similarity to those the nation is experiencing today. "When Franklin Delano Roosevelt arrived at the inaugural stand on the steps of the Capitol in 1933, 25 percent of workers had lost their jobs, banks were closed, foreclosures were mounting and the American people were terrified."
She was accompanied on the stage by Martin Luther King III, a living reminder of one of the most historic moments in U.S. history, his father and namesake's "I Have a Dream" speech which also famously used the securlar temple dedicated to the nation's 16th president as a backdrop. Adding to the poignancy of that moment was that the nation would be celebrating the national holiday dedicated to the American Civil Rights leader on Monday.
Bono, of U2, spoke for many when he said " On this spot where were standing 43 years ago, 46 years ago, Dr. King had a dream. On Tuesday, that dream comes to past," before he launched into the song "In the Name of Love," the Irish rock group's tribute King.
The event started with Aaron Copland's iconic "Fanfare for the Common Man" after which Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill were introduced then followed by the president-elect and the future first lady, Michelle. The two couples briefly acknowledged the cheers of the vast crowd before joining their daughters, Malia and Sasha, and the rest of their families in their seats to the left of the stage.
Throughout the performances, Obama often smiled broadly, and nodded or rocked his head to the beat of Bruce Springsteen who sang "The Rising" and Mary J. Blige who crooned "Lean on Me." Meanwhile, Malia, his oldest daughter frequently snapped pictures with a small digital camera.
The choice of performers was meant to capture the many facets of American culture, with jazz performer Herbie Hancock, country star Garth Brooks, operatic soprano Renee Fleming, and folk singer Pete Seeger who performed "This Land is Your Land" near the end of the event.
Brooks was responsible for one of the most joyous moments of the afternoon. After he launched into an especially rollicking version of the song "Shout." The entire National Mall erupted in dancing. The president-elect could be seen demonstrating for his daughters how to sing the "shout" chorus as he danced. Even stoic Marian Robinson, Obama's mother-in-law began throwing her arms in air.
At other moments, the huge crowd was hushed. Standing on the hill rolling away from the west side of the Washington Memorial, those with a milelong view of Lincoln Memorial the crowd watching Jumbotrons would grow silent with an extraordinary reverence to hear speakers like actor Tom Hanks who narrated Copland's "A Lincoln Portrait."
For many at the big inauguration kick-off event who were also hoping to get as close as possible to the inauguration, there was a sense of great fulfillment in joining the grand opening celebration of the man they voted for in November.
Larry Bryson and his wife, Candice, drove in from Canton, Ohio. They had attended one of Obama's campaign rallies at the end of October in their critical swing state and they voted for him. "I knew I was going to drive seven hours to stand in line several hours," Larry Bryson said as he waited with his wife, daughter and daughter's friends to get into the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial.
Bryson is retired from the Hoover Company, which has since closed up shop in Canton.
"Hopefully, Obama can stop the companies from leaving and bring back more jobs," he said. Asked if people in Canton were hurting, he answered slowly but surely. "Yes, yes they are."
But when they left Canton on Saturday, it was minus six degrees outside. Their thoughts were on more practical matters: whether there would be enough Porta Potties in Washington.
"But it looks like there's plenty," he said, surveying the lines and lines of blue and beige Johns.
At the Canton campaign rally, Candice Bryson said the event was jam-packed, but they got in and heard Obama speak.
This time, she said, she knows that might not happen.
"Ideally, we want to hear Obama and see him, but we might have to see him on screen," she said.
Those who heard Obama, heard him caution the nation that relief from its current crises would not come quickly during one of the less buoyant moments of the afternoon. "There is no doubt that our road will be long," Obama said. "That our climb will be steep. But never forget that the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease, but by the right we do when the moment is hard. I ask you to help me reveal that character once more, and together, we can carry forward as one nation, and one people, the legacy of our forefathers that we celebrate today."
Stacy St. Clair, Mark Silva, Robyn Abcarian contributed
Comments
The Obama inauguration is expected to draw a record-setting crowd of between 1.5 and 4 million people. Both of George W. Bush's inaugurations drew about 300,000*. On a cost per person basis the Obama inauguration will be much less expensive, possibly a fourth the price of Bush's events
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http://www.selectsmart.com/DISCUSS/read.php?16,679433,679470
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Obama needs to demonstrate to recalcitrant Republicans that the public is behind him. Not many GOPers will have the courage to be obstructionists in the face of popular support. Obama really only has hundred days or so to accomplish important legislation and needs momentum going in. So that stagecraft might seem like a lot of money, but it's really an investment in good government and policies.
Posted by: Big Orange Satan | January 18, 2009 5:05 PM
Completely inappropriate to have such extravegance in this economy. Selling the rights to the concert, how about the hobama bobblehead doll. What a hypochrite.
Posted by: truthurts | January 18, 2009 5:05 PM
"Completely inappropriate to have such extravegance in this economy."
I disagree, 'truthhurts'. Here's some truth that really hurts: Your crowd wrecked the economy, got thousands of Americans killed for nothing, and left this country dispirited. What we need, more than anything, to get this country going again is a party. Let the band play "Happy Days Are Here Again". It just might help change the national mood. And that is certainly what will keep us from falling into a depression.
Posted by: David V | January 18, 2009 6:06 PM
how about the hobama bobblehead doll. What a hypochrite.
Posted by: truthurts | January 18, 2009 5:05 PM
Ya right. Look whos calling the kettle.. Cry us a river GOP! The majority of the American people love Obama and hope for a great administration and legislation. You, the minority, lost, stop your whining and keep your baseless rhetoric to yourselves ok. Or better yet, keep it up! Wah Wah!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | January 18, 2009 6:07 PM
Hey, truthhurts...yes, the truth does hurt. Truth is...it appears that your guy lost. Get over it and get with the rest of us who wish Obama and our entire country well.
Instead of crabbing and bellyaching (the GOP's typical response to losing), pick yourself up and help this country do something positive. The old crybaby politics were voted out in November.
Selling the rights to the concert helps offset the cost of the inaugural. Sounds fiscally responsible to me. And the cost per person of this inaugural will be much lower than W's inaugural parties.
Truth hurts, I agree. But you'll need to deal with it.
Posted by: Truth is... | January 18, 2009 6:19 PM
For the media, simply reporting on the cost of the Bush inaugurations proved to be a challenge. Most major outlets stuck to the lower, albeit still unprecedented, figure of $40 million, which the Presidential Inaugural Committee said it hopes to raise from private donors. But a more accurate figure may be $50 million. That's the amount cited by the Washington Times (which is plugged in to GOP circles). But even that number doesn't take into account the nearly $20 million that's being spent for security, putting the real cost at closer to $70 million, instead of the media's preferred $40 million.
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/01/20/media_on_inauguration
...and Bush did this at the height of his Iraq war screw-up.
I've found the OFFICIAL GOP MASCOT for the next eight years:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/gop%20crybaby/PsychoPsonic/Repugs/crybabyrepug.jpg
Posted by: Teresa | January 18, 2009 6:25 PM
Catch the rebroadcast of the concert for free on www.hbo.com at 6:00 p.m. (Central time) and 10:30 p,m. It was reflective, stirring, emotional, joyous, and very appropriate to the occasion. The music and song selections were excellent. You will not be disappointed!
Posted by: Marty | January 18, 2009 6:44 PM
Uh, Marty, guess what? A lot of us don't HAVE HBO. Can't afford it.
This is a ridiculously expensive inauguration. And while I loathe Bush, where are all the Democrats who criticized his last inaurugation? Out thinking it's great, when the Messiah does it.
Posted by: beth | January 18, 2009 7:00 PM
Ha!
The party for the downtrodden is inundating dermatologists for 'cosmetic procedures' to look their best for the inauguration
http://usatoday.com/news/health/2009-01-18-Obamainauguration-cosmeticprocedures_N.htm
Oh, and love how spending more money is 'really' spending less.
Posted by: MCD | January 18, 2009 7:01 PM
OM... Garth Brooks performing??? How many followers will he lose???
Posted by: lochnessmonster | January 18, 2009 7:46 PM
I am so proud of our country and hope, pray and believe that we will be stronger together. What others divided, let us unite!!!
Posted by: lochnessmonster | January 18, 2009 7:49 PM
The democrats started the slide towards this recession with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac crisis...thank-you B. Frank and C. Dodd.
And now we get this clueless idiot (who thinks he's Lincoln) in two days.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 18, 2009 7:55 PM
I am so sorry I missed the desention of the messiah. Oh well I got to go to work.
Posted by: clarity | January 18, 2009 8:27 PM
In Canada we don't have inaugurations. Everyone just sits down and gets to work. Having a reserved society can be a benefit. None of our five major banks needed any assistance. The only major banks in the world to do so.
Posted by: Sean | January 18, 2009 8:46 PM
In 10 months America will have forgotten all about how Obama promised to fix America. The war will still be going. Americans are against putting more troops into Afghan. On 34% support more troops. Obama had better rethink sending in more. The economy will be worse. All this spending is not going to fix the problems that Barney Frank put us in. Unemployment will be over 12%. People will turn against Barry. I hope he can pull it off. I don't think that Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid will let him do anything. Nancy wants tax increases. She wants them now.
Nancy wants to spend the first year of Barrys Administration holding hearings on the Bush Admin. This will may the Democrats and Obama seem like old Washington Politics. The luster will fade and America will turn against Obama.
I hope America can rebound. We need to get our economy going. We need to pay off our 10 Trillion of debt. We also need to keep this Country Safe.
God bless America.
Posted by: Democrats for Truth | January 18, 2009 9:02 PM
I'm happy that the Secret Service and others are providing proper security for the President-elect. But I have to wonder how on earth that is costing $20 million when everything else is costing $50 million.
Posted by: Hank | January 18, 2009 10:00 PM
The Repuglican rallying cry for the next eight years:
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, Waaaaaaaaah, snifle snifle, Waaaaaaaaaah....WILL SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO US, PLEEEEASE!!!
Posted by: bebop | January 18, 2009 10:06 PM
I'm available for advice only.
Posted by: Jack Kevorkian | January 18, 2009 10:20 PM
Beth, you don't need to subscribe to HBO to see it.
Pay attention, instead of whining, please.
Posted by: Flo | January 18, 2009 10:23 PM
Sean, good points. But this is the U.S. We have an unhealthy need to make everything bigger, better and more annoying than anyone, including our subtle neighbors to the north. Thanks for all the help in that Normandy thing by the way, I think history tends to forget that.
I would like to add, however, that our country has been repressed, violated, endlessly screwed and ultimately embarrassed by it's poor leadership over the last 8 years, so I am basking in the changing of the guard this week.
Nice work with your banking system. You must have completely unregulated financial institutions, like the neocons are preaching for here.
ha.
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | January 18, 2009 11:40 PM
Can we pass a law right now to make Obama President for Life? Can't we get the Pope to make him a saint? Isn't it possible that he is the REAL Messiah? He's bigger than Jesus! Yes, he can!!
Posted by: lightnin | January 19, 2009 12:03 AM
I am ANGRY....... HBO was the sole media outlet for the Inaugural Concert. They eliminated the opening ceremony and the opening prayer.
With so much controversy over the bigot Warren invocation during the inauguration on Tuesday, and the subsequent adding of gay Bishop Gene Robinson to open the inaugural activities with a speech and a prayer. It was horrifying to me that HBO chose not to air or recognize the opening prayer on their broadcast.
They further acknowledged Josh Groban and Heather Headley when each entered and appeared on stage with subtitled introduction and ignored that they were singing in front of the Gay Men's Chorus. HBO couldn't even acknowledge them.
When there is only one source to a media event, there needs to be fair and impartial editing and there should be full recognition.
I am horrified that once again "WE" are to stay in the background, ignored and unrecognized.
I am canceling my HBO service. I EXPECT AN APOLOGY from Barack Obama to all Gay people.
This is not an acceptable CONSOLATION PRIZE.
Posted by: MARK | January 19, 2009 2:03 AM
Hats off to the Obama's! They look well dressed on the front page. Fortunately, he's not dressed in the Chicago staple of a 'pea coat' with a baseball cap and dirty tennis shoes no matter what the occasion. I think ya'll needed him Chicago! Now try to follow the leader.
Posted by: Way Different | January 19, 2009 2:45 AM
Some say Pres-elect Obama is cool and detached, does not get angry quickly -- attributes which are a testatment to an advanced Soul.
There has always been a Plan for Humanity, as there has always been Dedicated, advanced and Awakened Souls to that Plan -- who point the way, and who live by the below creed "that we are One" -- and -- to their mission to help implement and fulfil that Plan for Humanity, which began so many years ago by our Solar Logos, and implemented by those messengers of Light: Christ, Buddha, and others (lesser and greater).....
"I am a messenger of Light. I am a pilgrim on the way of love. I do not walk alone but know myself as one with all great souls, and one with them in service. Their strength is mine. This strength I claim. My strength is theirs and this I freely give. A soul, I walk on earth. I represent the ONE." -- Discipleship in the New Age I, pg. 140
These advanced and awakened or enlightened Souls know that we are one. That we incarnate into the body, the flesh, from that one Source and that when we die or leave that body, we return to the One Source, which each thread of living, lighted, loving Soul originates from (for the blood is the life, and all blood is one colour, red). And to that they are dedicated -- to that conscious knowing and thereby living on earth.
Posted by: Angellight | January 19, 2009 7:31 AM
Unsettlingly, Obama takes office as the most opaque of all Presidents, having so little of real substance to show for in his past. The flip-flopping stances, refusal to answer questions, and serial opportunism all point to someone whose main goal is to get elected to the next highest office- as one of his earlier associates noted “he was always running for something”.
Except for sheer arrogance, why does this man think he can lead the US to better times? His proposals, based on failed policies of the past, i.e. New Deal-style programs and a pacifist foreign policy based on appeasement- have no precedent of success in this, or any other, country.
Nothing since his nomination has changed my opinion of this teflon coated, inexperienced, unaccomplished (except for writing 2 self-absorbed books) political chameleon who was crowned by the media… and George Soros. On the contrary, there’s new red flags almost everyday. And, instead of the media checking out his association with felons like Blago, Rezko, etc, we get stories on how “cool” he is, his puppy-vetting process, and how he likes to play basketball.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
Posted by: Reaganite Republican | January 19, 2009 7:54 AM
Wonder who paid for Michelle's clothes...
Posted by: liz | January 19, 2009 8:51 AM
More of the same....
Brothers and sisters if Obama is to be believed why did the Lincoln Memorial event go to HBO the highest bidder...at least $5 million dollars so all of Americans couldn't see this event....so much for rhetoric and no transparency...
How can Obama diss Gov.Blagojevich when the Lincoln Memorial is a definite "PAY TO PLAY' EVENT.
I am disappointed....
Posted by: archive | January 19, 2009 9:43 AM
Today is Monday celebrating Martin Luther King...the day before the inauguration of Obama...I noticed:
Martin L King was for integration yet all I see are tax payor funded private charter schools that are all black and either all girl or boy so much for fairness and integration...the uniforms and matching clothing these students wore ( are they also payed for by tax money or government grants of tax money) as priviledged not only academically but to have special status at the inauguaral events that leave out the children of white americans and others. Something is wrong with this picture...and pitting the races against one another while we the people of all races are referred to as the "masses" (cattle) by the Obama team...
Posted by: archive | January 19, 2009 10:05 AM
Listen to the angry and hatefilled right whine and moan. They have nothing positive to offer this nation, as the effects of the morally and intellectually bankrupt Bush Adminisration shows. You've had your chance. You failed miserably in every area. Step aside.
Posted by: Lou | January 19, 2009 10:44 AM
How stupid do you think people really are?
YOU CANNOT COMPARE ONE INAUGURATION 'S COST *WITHOUT* THE COST OF SECURITY TO ANOTHER INAUGURATION 'S COST *WITH* THE COST OF SECURITY!
Do you really not remember the crazy security lockdown at the last inauguration? It cost the City of DC 115.5 million for additional security and cleanup which is not included in the figure for some reason.
I suppose you could either include the security cost or not include them for both, but this apples and oranges nonsense is patronizing at best and embarrassing at worst.
STOP WATCHING FOX AND REPORTING DISTORTIONS WITHOUT CHECK FACTS!!
Posted by: Unca Jim | January 19, 2009 10:51 AM
The Tribune has gone from a fairly objective, center-right paper to nothing more than a shameless propaganda rag for Obama. Over the past few months almost every section of the Trib- Food, Sports, Business, Travel, Fashion, contained some superfluous puff piece regarding Obama. I’m surprised the Obituary Editor did not run a month long tribute to Obama’s recently deceased grandmother. John Kass is the only reason I have not cancelled my subscription. Just get it over with and change your name to the Chicagobama Tribune.
The Swamp posts are populated by the same dozen or so hard core Democrat cheerleaders and Obamapologists. All of Obama’s unfulfilled promises and failures will be explained away by the media sycophants. I don’t love Bush or the Republican Party so I don’t want to hear the Chicagobama Tribune’s moral relativism arguments or schoolyard name calling of Bush.
Obama’s universal excuse card is printed on both sides- Side A- “It is all George Bush’s fault and the mess created by the Republicans.” Side B- “It is all racism. All critics of Obama are racists and Obama’s failures were the result of a vast right wing racist conspiracy”.
You Obama fans will be saying that for the next four years.
Posted by: St. Elutherius of Nicomedia | January 19, 2009 11:34 AM
Liz--probably Mrs. Obama paid for her own clothes as she always has.
Posted by: Janstress | January 19, 2009 2:07 PM
"Get over it and get with the rest of us..."
As you have been "with us" for the last 8 years?
Be prepared for exactly what you gave.
Obama is NOT going to get a free ride.
You people have lost your minds.
Posted by: Last8Years | January 19, 2009 5:00 PM