- President Bush didn't get much of an ovation when he was introduced.
- Rick Warren gave the invocation which sounded more like a speech than a prayer. There was even applause during it!
- Many wondered whether Warren would use Jesus' name in the prayer. He did but in a weird way -- he used about four different variations. I'm not sure I understood that.
- Edit: Warren called Jesus, "Yeshua, Isa, Jesus [pronounced hay-zeus], Jesus." And I found the explanation as being: He said Jesus' name in the language of the world's three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. (And also in Spanish.)
- Aretha Franklin then sang "My Country Tis Of Thee" (or whatever the name is). She had one crazy tricked up hat on.
- The number of people on the mall is absolutely amazing.
- Justice John Paul Stevens (a good one) then gave the oath of office to Joe Biden. (There was some guy about 10 feet back wearing a cowboy hat.) That, by the way, is one long oath. So I guess at that moment W was the President and Biden was the Vice President.
- Then there was a four piece ensemble that played a very reverent piece. Nice touch. It was called "Air and Simple Gifts" according to CNN.
- Odd: It 12:04 p.m. Eastern and NBC just said, "Barack Obama became the President four minutes ago even though he hasn't taken the oath."
- Time for the oath. Uh. Oh. We had a little bit of a stumble. Man, I've got to watch that again. I'm not sure Justice John Roberts didn't mess up.
Roberts: "I Barack Hussein Obama."
Obama: "I Barack . . . "
Roberts " do solemnly swear."
Obama: "I Barack Hussein Obama do
solemnly swear."
Roberts: "
That I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully."
Obama: "That I will execute . . . [awkward pause]."
Roberts: "the off . . . faithfully the Pres . . . the office of President of the United States faithfully."
Obama: "The office of President of the United States faithfully."
Roberts: "And will to the best of my ability."
Obama: "And will to the best of my ability."
....[rest said correctly]
- I'll get a video of that. It'll be up in seconds I bet. Edit: Got it (it starts at the 33 second mark.)
- Edit: Woah!! Roberts did mess it up. He should have said: ""I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States"
- A commenter and I posted the error at exactly the same time.
- There goes the white man trying to keep the black man down again. :)
- Someone wants me to point out that Obama's sideburns are uneven.
- Now for speech. It's a firey tone!
- "With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
- Then there was a poem. Kind of like something you'd hear in a Beatnik bar on open mic night.
- Later .... Watching Obama escort Bush to the helicopter is just an amazing and moving sight.
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