OK, folks, live-blogging the inauguration from Alana’s house, where she is graciously fixing up an amazing celebratory breakfast!
08:13 AM PST
Jana and Meryl: Why are the senior Bushes wearing purple and yellow?
Me: Signifies royalty!
08:14 PST
Carter looks pretty happy.
Jana: I guess after you retire from the presidency you’ve got to attend all these symbolic events for the rest of your life.
Me: That’s the price of that Secret Service detail! And the library.
Why are the Clintons going in with the ex-Presidents instead of with the cabinet?
08:29 PST
Eating delish breakfast–NOM NOM NOM.
MC voice is waaaay over the top. It would suck to be married to this guy. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CAN SOMEONE PASS ME THE BUTTER?” “HONEY, DO THAT AGAIN, JUST LIKE THAT”
Crowd is chanting, “OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!” Malia is taking pictures. The Obama girls are soooo adorable!
08:37 PST
Why are the Republican leaders coming out with the President and VP? This makes it seem much more partisan than it could be…
Alana, on seeing W.: I wonder what’s going through his head at this moment?
08:38 PST
Just announced the Congressional leaders and VP Elect. Obama sighted. He looks pretty stiff.
08:42 PST
Obama just announced: “Barack H. Obama!” Photojournalist leaning over and taking pictures of Obama’s right ear from about 5 inches away.
Trumpet fanfare was awesome. Totally had Monty Python flashback.
08:45 PST
The random audio picked up by the CSPAN mikes is awesome. “Get down, boys!” and “I decided to come back–groundhog day” (by Harry Reid?).
Diane Feinstein is kicking verbal ass right now: totally dissed undemocratic transfer of power.
08:48 PST
Not much applause going into Warren’s invocation.
Holy fucking shit! Warren’s preaching a sermon, not petitioning! I’m having a hard time with the all of history is for you, Dad in Heaven. All this father/man-heavy language offends the feminist in me.
Aretha Franklin! Woot!
08:58 PST
Biden just sworn in. Realizing just how much Bush/Cheney failed their in their oath to protect the Constitution in their zealousness to protect the country.
Jana’s commenting on Biden’s smile. We have a beautiful presidency now.
They just the announced the dream team of classical artists playing before Obama’s swearing in:
Composition by John Williams, Yoyo-ma on cello, Itzak Perlman on violin–anyone know the clarinetist and pianist?
Reverent composition becoming more jubilant now. They’ve got the shaker song: Tis a Gift to be Simple in there!
Roberts kinda choppy through the adminstering of the oath. You’re not in public much, are ya?
OBAMA IS PRESIDENT!!!
09:10 PST
Obama is speaking. Points out our collective guilt in the current economic crisis. Addressing crisis of confidence. “We have chosen hope over fear. Unity of purpose over discord.”
“The time has come to choose our better history.”
On our nation: “Greatness is never a given. It must be earned.”
Science restored to its rightful place!
Malia still taking pics. MySpace later?
Camera focusing on Bush while Obama states that we don’t have to choose between security and ideals.
“America is a friend of each nation that seeks a future of peace and dignity”…emphasizing “enduring alliances” and “security emanates from the justice of our cause.”
Finally included “non-believers” with religious. Meryl: is this a first?
“It is a firefighter’s willingness to charge up a smoke-filled stairway, *but also* a parent’s willingness to a nurture a child…”
09:29 PST
Elizabeth Alexander, Inaugurate Poet, speaking.
Is Obama crying, or wiping his nose in the cold (29°F, feels like 14).
09:33 PST
Joseph Lowery’s Benediction: simple, poetic, humble, more inclusive in its more gender-neutral and non-denominational language. Less divisive, more embracing than Warren’s.
Heh. “Beating tanks into tractors.”
“When the red man, can get ahead man…Say Amen!”
09:45 PST
No time for analysis, unfortunately–gotta get back to work! Thanks for joining me!
10:12 PST
I lied. Here are a couple more things:
The photo op Bush leaving in the helicopter and the Obamas and Bidens lined up on the steps of the Capitol waving them off–very orchestrated, ritualized. Probably goes back to Jefferson. (Imagining a Da Vinci-esque steampunk chopper here).
Obama talked much about the founding documents. I like this focus.
More photos:
