Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Sunday, January 18, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC, READIES ITSELF FOR THE BIG DAY



Sunday, January 18 – An official welcome concert will be held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to kick off the inaugural celebration. The event will be open to the public and broadcast live exclusively on HBO. See details including the lineup of performers.


Monday, January 19 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - To honor Dr. King’s legacy, Obama, Biden and their families will participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, DC area. Additional events will be held throughout the week. See the schedule of events.Inaugural Eve Concert for America's Children - A free youth concert will be held at the Verizon Center. The concert will be broadcast on Disney Channel 8:00 - 9:30 p.m. EST. Read more.

Tuesday, January 20 - Inauguration Day- Swearing-in ceremony, Inaugural Parade, and official Inaugural Balls. (See details below) The 2009 inaugural events are expected to draw record breaking crowds to Washington, DC. Getting around the region throughout the four-day inaugural weekend will be challenging. Washington Metro is gearing up for the events with increased hours and security. See Inauguration 2009 Transportation Guide for details.
Inauguration Swearing-in Ceremony -

BROADCAST LIVE AT 11:30 a.m. ESTJanuary 20, 2009 - The oath of office will be administered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Following the oath of office, the President will give his inaugural address, setting out his vision for America and goals for the nation.

The public should be aware that no website or other ticket outlet actually has inaugural swearing-in tickets to sell, regardless of what they may claim.Those who come to witness the swearing-in ceremony will be able to watch and listen to the ceremony on large screens that will be set up along the National Mall.

Presidential Inauguration ParadeJanuary 20, 2009, 2:30 p.m. Tickets are not required. The public will not be allowed to lineup along the parade route before 7 a.m.Location: Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DCViewing stands and bleachers will extend from 3rd to 17th Sts.The presidential inaugural parade is coordinated by the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC) which includes members from all branches of the armed forces of the United States. Since 1789, the U.S. armed forces have participated in this important American tradition honoring our commander in chief with musical units, marching bands, color guards, salute batteries and honor cordons. Read more about the inaugural parade.

Inauguration BallsMany inaugural balls and galas will take place at venues throughout Washington, DC from January 15 - 24, 2009. The official balls are planned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee and unofficial balls and parties are planned by the State Societies of Washington, DC and a variety of other organizations. Dozens of events will be announced in the coming weeks. See a guide to Inaugural Balls and Galas.

14 comments:

libhom said...

It's so depressing that Obama has completely ruined this by inviting a dangerous and bigoted religious extremist like Rick Warren to play a role in it.

Shaw Kenawe said...

libhom,

I was upset as you over this. But Obama somewhat mitigated it by inviting Gene Robinson to be part of the invocation. For me, that cancels out Warren's divisive and bigoted attitude.

dmarks said...

It looks like the President is more tolerant than a lot of his supporters are, as shown by the Rick Warren issue.

(Yes, I call Obama President now. It's less than 48 hours, and I should get used to saying it.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Rick Warren's opinions on homosexuality are based on a book that was written thousands of years ago by Bronze Age desert dwellers and are based on fear and ignorance.

I do admit I am NOT tolerant of people who hate based on superstition.

Anonymous said...

Obama made a big mistake allowing this bigot such a role.

Oh well.

Wasn't the first. Won't be the last.

Anonymous said...

Considering what a dangerous and bigoted religious extremist Obama is, I'd say inviting Rick Warren is a step up.

After all, Obama was for gay marriage, until he decided to run for higher office. Then he changed his mind because the polls told him it was the way to go.

libhom said...

dmarks: you are borrowing a rhetorical ploy that originated with the Ku Klux Klan and is quite popular with Christian Right hate groups. You are saying that it is "intolerant" to speak out against intolerance.

dmarks said...

Libhom: Of course it is not intolerant to speak out against intolerance. I never said it was. So your attempt to link me to hate groups and the KKK falls short because there is no link, and I was not condeming speaking out against intolerance.

The intolerance involved here is wanting to silence someone, exclude them from the inauguration (interestingly, because of one of their views, which happens to be close to that of the new President, who opposes gay marriage).

Those on the right are outraged by about Gene Robinson, and want him silenced too. Sorry, I don't get bent out of shape about either of them.

When you say that the Warren invitation "completely ruined" the inauguration, that strongly implies that you'd rather have him silenced. Barred. Squelched. That's not "speaking out against intolerance", it is speaking FOR intolerance by wanting someone's voice silenced.

Intolerance like yours closes doors. You never know, Warren might have some things to learn from Obama.

dmarks said...

Arthurstone: Obama has made another big mistake. He's nominated a tax cheat for Treasury.

The argument has been given that the ethical standards should be lowered because the job is so tough. I just don't buy that.

I agree with the high standards under which Clinton Adminstration nominees Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood were forced out due to similar crimes. We should build on such standards, not lower them.

Or maybe we should welcome Timothy Geithner, with his policies of "only pay the taxes you want to pay".

Shaw Kenawe said...

Considering what a dangerous and bigoted religious extremist Obama is, I'd say inviting Rick Warren is a step up. --Gordon

The American people don't vote for extremists. This is a silly charge.

You know better, Gordon.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Or maybe we should welcome Timothy Geithner, with his policies of "only pay the taxes you want to pay".

Why not? It's always been the way the super wealthy have gamed the system.

dmarks said...

So you might agree that we are better off without him as Treasury secretary.

I have at a minimum mild praise for most of the rest of the President's cabinet picks.

(I'm not even outraged at the pick of Peneta for CIA. He has a good deep resume that makes him OK for just about any department. However, with his focused interest and experience in hunger issues, the oceans, and budget, I do wonder if he would have been a better choice for another department).

President Obama? Yes, there's a good chance that by the time you read this, Obama will be President.

Anonymous said...

Geithner isn't a mistake. He will be a great asset.

I agree with Lindsay Graham on this one. Perhaps the only time.

dmarks said...

So, I guess we need to lower the bar for ethical standards? A tax cheat for Treasury. What next, a slum lord for HUD and a Klansman at Civil Rights in DOJ? Perhaps a KGB agent would be good for the CIA post instead of Peneta?

I wonder what you'd have to say about this if it were Bush nominating a guy like this instead of Obama.

No, I just do not think it is time to lower the bar.