Classical musicians Itzhak Perlman, left, and Yo-Yo Ma performed during the inauguration of r President Barack Obama at the Capitol, missing the window-washer behind them. (Photo by Mannie Garcia / Bloomberg News)
by Andrew Zajac, Josh Meyer and Mark Silva, photos by Meyer
Sometimes, so much attention is paid to the show, that the sideshow is overlooked.
There was a high quotient of spit and polish at the inauguration, of President Barack obama, but someone on the Capitol staff may have taken it a little far during ceremonies this morning.
Just prior to Obama's fumbled oath-taking, thanks to the miscue of Chief Justice John Roberts, as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman and two other classical musicians played the somber and contemplative "Air and Simple Gifts,'' somebody inside the Capitol began wiping the window to the right of the west balcony entrance, immediately behind the dignitaries.
Clearly visible to pretty much everyone in the audience was a light colored cloth moving from one pane of glass to another.
"Look at that guy polishing the window. Find another time to do that," said a miffed Jerry Flavin, 61, an Obama volunteer from Fredericksburg, Texas, who was seated in the last row perhaps 100 yards from balcony.
"That's ridiculous."
For that matter, the publicists for Oprah Winfrey and Denzel Washington probably weren't paying close enough attention to their clients when our wandering reporter caught some close-ups of two of the star guests in the inaugural crowd.
Washington watched the inauguration from just below the lecturn, standing in the middle aisle with a direct view of the new president. He declined comment on how he felt on the occasion or what brought him to the ceremony. But as Obama spoke, Washington punctuated many of his calls for action with a ``That's right. That's right.''
There's plenty of time still for stagecraft, scripts and makeup. There are enough inaugural balls tonight to stump the stars.
As for Ma, the band played on.
Comments
Watching the celebration of America that is today's inauguration festivities, one thing strikes -- the difference between our version of patriotism and the Right's.
For the Right, it's jingoistic: "USA! USA! WE'RE NUMBER ONE AND WILL KICK YOUR BUTT!"
It's alway us versus someone else. It's confrontational.
Our version of patriotism is a celebration of what makes our nation great. It's the diversity, our people, our communities. Rather than confrontational, it's communitarian.
We don't need to start wars and kick someone's butt to feel proud to be American.
Posted by: Dave Rexmoore | January 20, 2009 6:51 PM
Not since Pablo Cassels and Robert Frost graced the platforms of JFK has there been such royalty of the arts as was on display this morning.
Posted by: ornery | January 20, 2009 10:14 PM
"Not since Pablo Cassels and Robert Frost graced the platforms of JFK has there been such royalty of the arts as was on display this morning."
I wish there were less celebreties and more regular people. I found the TV shots of just normal people far more inspiring than Denzel or Oprah.
On that note, the parade coverage also annoyed me. Far more time was spent with the talking heads babbling on rather than the people in the parade.
It is time the "people" are the focus, not the celebs and what they are wearing.
Posted by: JRP | January 21, 2009 9:44 AM
To Mr. Rexmoore, to stigmatize half of the country (to wit Republican leaning) as being xenophobic and confrontational and imply that the other half (to wit Democrats) as being calm, reserved, and measured is not only naive but divisive. Many elements of both political camps in this country are impassioned and aggressive.
Apparently you overlook (either intentionally or not) that the majority of union workers, agenda-driven community activists, and the celebrity community in this nation have been nothing but confrontational, provocative, and downright abusive for the past 8 years. I find nothing patriotic, intellectual, nor dignified about the way that much of the "left" have acted since the controversial election in 2000.
Bush may not have been the right man for the job for the past decade, but the Democratic party and much of their supporters are just as complicit in the decline of our country this decade.
I support President Obama wholeheartedly because he is our leader and I implore all camps to give their support of his efforts as we move forward. That left needs to realize that ugly organized ridicule does nothing but divide and undermine our national efforts.
What an assinine statement to make that yesterday's heartwarming and spirit raising inauguration was a limited reflection of only half of our country. Don't you realize that such a statement only contributes to the ugly us/them mentality that has dominated our country for the last 10 years?
Posted by: Dan Parry | January 21, 2009 11:09 AM
Well, Stedman at Oprah's side. What a joke! He only wants to be her sidekick when it suits him. I'd rather watch the window washer than Oprah!
Posted by: From Indiana | January 21, 2009 11:13 AM
Oh right, the Democratic party is filled with only upstanding, classy individuals. Like the throngs who booed BOTH Bush presidents during the country's inauguration. And the very patriotic Democrats who defaced President George HW Bush's monument at the Capitol.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6615053
Posted by: Jim Tandy | January 21, 2009 11:13 AM
I didn't notice the window washer.
But please, I agree with the earlier commenter: fewer celebrities! Please, focus on the ordinary people. As I watched that Lincoln Memorial event with Springsteen, Tom Hanks, Beyonce, Denzel, Tiger Woods, etc. I was reminded of how people criticized the Clintons so much for their "Hollywood" connections. I was hoping Obama wouldn't be the same....
Posted by: Vulture Breath | January 21, 2009 11:27 AM