Barack Obama Inauguration Day: Live Diary!
We've got the play-by-play of the oaths, the entertainment, and the fashion on Barack Obama's historic inauguration day.
President-elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama depart the Blair House before his Inauguration -
Getty Images
It's a great day for television -- nay, America! -- and we've got the play-by-play of Barack Obama's historic inauguration day. Stay with us all day as we provide a rundown of the oaths, the entertainment, the fashion, the history! Please note: Time-stamps are EST. 10 AM: Man, there are a lot of people on the Mall. 10:28 AM: The VIP area just behind the presidential podium is starting to fill up. No way the congresspeople and Supreme Court members are standing in the cold a minute longer than necessary. 10:41 AM: Senators are arriving now, including Ted Kennedy. Good for him. 10:43 AM: Wolf Blitzer is frazzled, confusing the Capitol with the White House. 10:45 AM: Dick Cheney leaves the White House in a wheelchair. That's got to be a metaphor for something. The transformation into Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life is now complete. 10:48 AM: George W. Bush leaves the White House for the last time. 10:53 AM: Chris Wallace is relating the history of outgoing presidents and their successors not speaking to each other. As if Fox viewers needed reassurance that it's OK to hate Barack Obama. 11:11 AM: Former vice presidents are being introduced. Dan Quayle is still alive! 11:21 AM: The former presidents are arriving now. Clinton may have to be tied down to prevent him from sneaking in and taking the oath himself. 11:38 AM: Obama looks cocky. And why shouldn't he? 11:48 AM: Rick Warren gives the invocation. The anti-gay stuff is bothersome, but the idea of a pastor named "Rick" is taking a little getting used to as well. 11:53 AM: Aretha Franklin sings "My Country, Tis of Thee." The guy on the BBC, who probably wondered what she was doing to his national anthem, still seems astonished that African-Americans are a big part of this day. And truth be told, it is amazing. 12:05 PM: Chief Justice Roberts is a wee bit nervous, isn't he? I've never heard the oath of office muffed before. 12:06 PM: OMG OBAMA IS PRESIDENT NOW 12:08 PM: Obama is speaking now. Bush looks unhappy, perhaps because the round of applause for him was grudging at best. 12:11 PM: Obama: "Our challenges will be met." I'll get right on that, but not until after the Lost premiere, OK? We've been waiting for eight months. 12:14 PM: Obama has a red tie--a bipartisan sign, a nod to the red states? He's got to be cold up there. 12:24 PM: Obama coming to the big finish, stating that his father could not have eaten at many Washington restaurants sixty years ago. And now, he brings on the big gun, George Washington. 12:26 PM: Speech over. Now on to serious business: do we like Michelle Obama in the yellow? I have to say Malia in the striking blue and Sasha in the pink with orange scarf are the fashion leaders up there. 12:28 PM: Elizabeth Alexander (me neither) is delivering a poem for the occasion. The word boombox was just spoken from the inaugural platform for the first time. 12:32 PM: Civil rights hero the Rev. Joseph Lowery delivers the benediction. This is a day for all of us, but some more than others. 12:37 PM: Lowery finishes with some of the most irreverent language I can ever remember hearing at this occasion. "Brown can stick around"? I guess it's like your own grandparents (Lowery is 87): you can get away with saying pretty much anything you want after a certain age. 12:41 PM: Sasha looks like she's doing the peepee dance. I foresee her cracking America up for at least the next four years. Most Popular Stories
Popular Photo Galleries
Sexy AliensIf all space invaders looked like this, we'd be in trouble.
Joanna KrupaModel and Dancing with the Stars contestant Joanna Krupa
Twilight Saga: New MoonTeam Edward or Team Jacob?
FREE Movie of the Week
Love the Hard WayFilm.com's FREE movie of the week is "Love the Hard Way." Oscar-winner Adrien Brody and Charlotte Ayanna star in this drama about a thief who falls for a curious, beautiful young woman. As their intimacy grows, a slick cop (Pam Greer) is closing in.
Terms of Use |
Privacy Policy |
RealNetworks |
| FAQ |
RSS |
Mobile |
SiteMap |
Blog
|
Partners
Browse All: Movies | TV | Celebrities
Visit other RealNetworks sites: Rhapsody | Rolling Stone | RealGuide | RealArcade | LillyLikes | Ringback Tones | Advertise
© 2006-2009 RealNetworks. All Rights Reserved.
|