"11:37: Olbermann noted that the inauguration is already 15 minutes behind schedule."

Liberals can't even run a love-fest on schedule. Just imagine what will the next four years be like.

The Bush dynasty seems to be parked for good.

I will be ending my boycott of the US in exactly 16 minutes. Have refrained from traveling to the US, and dealing with US companies, since the invasion of Iraq ...

Hoping for a better future.

Olbermann also pointed out that the announcement of Michele Obama was hard to hear because the crowd was singing "Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye" to W.

Man, this is gonna be a long twenty minutes!

It's amazing to watch. The people have taken the country back - no politician can ignore this manifestation, in the true meaning of the word.

you aren't...

unreal...

Hey...Diane the Repub-lite is on! Grrrr....

I'm on the verge of losing it. This is just breathtaking--and in HD it's even more awesome...here comes Rachel's favorite: Rick Warren...

Oy gevalt, Warren...

Wow, Rick Warren is an even bigger jackass than I thought..

Trivia.
Warren just said this is the 44th peaceful transfer of power. Even if no president served more than one term it would be the 43rd peaceful transfer of power. For example, the transfer from Washington to Adams, i.e. from the first to second president was the first peaceful transfer of power.

I'm done now.

Somebody cut that fucker's mic.

The Queen of Soul!!! Sing it Aretha!

Olbermann also pointed out that the announcement of Michele Obama was hard to hear because the crowd was singing "Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye" to W.

Well, Barack Obama is a White Sox fan, and "Na Na Hey Hey" is the de facto Chisox anthem...

This is history - I can't believe I am posting a comment in a liveblog post on the inauguration of America's first mixed race President.

Hilarious side note...check out what the
Red Staters are saying right now!

nice weasel, warren

....treat everyone with the respect they deserve.....

hmm, i guess it is all in the definition of respectable...

Al can suck on it for eight years! yes!

Dick Cheney is no longer Vice-President. He is no longer part of the U.S. government.

And there was much rejoicing.

rege,

They probably count the transition from the Continental Congress to George Washington as the first.

On the broader issue, I don't think the gravity of this has hit me yet.

Obama is now officially our President--it's past noon!!

It's done deal!

I can't believe it, but I'm actually tearing up right now.

And now Bush is out of government, too. Our long national nightmare is over.

Barack Hussein Obama is our President. At last.

And there is much rejoicing.

Congrats President Obama. Congrats America!

The Chief Justice of the United States can't even get the oath of office right.

Fucking Republican.

I hadn't realized the Constitution says that by 12 noon the new guy is in-regardless of whether the oath has been done--CNN is doing great factoids on their screen!

doubtful, even if that's true, we have had numerous presidents who have served more than a single term which cuts the number of transition down considerably from the number of presidents.

John Williams' music as played by those fab musicians (how can you not smile back at Yo-Yo Ma?)
has me bawling. How glorious.

Obama must have been just a tad nervous when he took the oath of office. Yes, he's human.

I'm so excited and happy.

God help us all now.

I think I just heard a great sigh of relief across America.

Al,
Other than you being an a$$hole, they probably got thrown off schedule due to wheeling Cheney around. The Dick in a wheelchair on his final day, how appropriate.

Hey, Al, got a suggestion for you. Go over to little green footballs to do your pissing and moaning.

You ain't raining on this parade today.

You chanting Rush's mantra? "I hope Obama fails." Not much for patriotism, are you?

John Williams music and musicians awesome. Aretha? Not her best performance.

President Obama just mentioned the shifting ground... The left coast, meanwhile, feels the collective weight of the George W. Bush administration lifted off its back...
http://www.sacbee.com/827/story/1558148.html?mi_rss=Latest%20News

I think Obama was wrong when he said he was the 44th person sworn to office. He's actually the 43rd. Grover Cleveland had two non-consecutive terms, but he's only one man.

Gawds, what a powerful inauguration speech so far. Kennedy would have been proud.

For anyone interested, I wrote my own invocation here:
2009 Inaugural of Barack H. Obama: Nihilist Invocation

1) Roberts ruins the oath
2) John Williams rips off Copland
3) Everyone looks miserably cold
4) Aretha and her hat should have retired decades ago.

Just your typical inaugural.

The Chief Justice of the United States can't even get the oath of office right.

Fucking Republican.

Let me be the first to propose it was an attempted right wing attempt to invalidate the oath so they could bring a constitutional challenge claiming he was not properly sworn in and therefore everything he does after is invalid.

That and he wasn't born in this country and is a secret Muslim!

He's hitting all the right notes so far...magnificent speech.

Yes !!! Yes !!!

Much less "rah rah," much more, "we are fucked, we better toughen up."

Great moment...ok speech....nothing of that speech will be remembered

She may be a great poet, but she has no sense for delivery.

Nothing about no torture (a principle, you know), no renditions, no secret stuff/FISA/black holes (bad law, you know)--it's just--let's appeal to our better senses, Americans, and hope that we'll get along and All Work Hard.. It seems like the Cheney/Strangelove statements stuck and the Bad Guys are defined as before and to be punished accordingly.

EIGHT YEARS OF ARROGANT INCOMPETANCE IS OVER!!!!!

Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and clean up the mess they left.

Wrecked: John Williams incorporated the Shaker tune, just as Aaron Copland did previously. FYI, many composers create music based on previous melodies. Some even quote their own tunes. It's an established musical tool. 'k?

I thought the Williams piece was spot on, haunting, and finally joyful. Brilliant. One of the best of his compositions IMO.

Nice speech by Obama. He continues to tell us nothing is easy. The Rs had better pitch in to fix things or they will suffer in Nov 2010. Suffer again, as they did in 2006 and 2008. I love what Obama said to the world as well.

Go Rev. Lowery! (I left the room for Warren.)

Ding! Dong! The W's Gone!

"Wrecked: John Williams incorporated the Shaker tune, just as Aaron Copland did previously. FYI, many composers create music based on previous melodies. Some even quote their own tunes. It's an established musical tool. 'k?"

Especially by Williams, who is never afraid to "borrow" from the greats.

I've never cried at the national anthem before, but the words take on a whole new meaning today.

Okay. Let's get to work!

The only way it could have been better would have been if Fed Marshals came out and slapped the cuffs on Bush and Cheney.

The poem was perfect. The delivery was deliberate. Our society has lost its ability to appreciate poetry.

For the record, Roberts completely messed up the oath. And Obama, who had probably memorized the correct one, ended up saying something just as garbled, trying to mend the two versions.

Also, the timing was off. Don't people usually start with just, "I " and then pause? Roberts just keeps going.

I agree, the poem was perfect, but a slightly different delivery would have made it so much more powerful and moving.

Apparently the html-reader didn't like my less-than greater-than sign around "insert name here".

Which ends up making my previous post kind of funny.

Franklin,

I doubt this is the last time Roberts will trip up Obama. A sure sign of things to come.

A side note...anyone notice that Cheney more than ever looks like Mr. Potter in that wheelchair?

I hope everyone who booed today when President Bush was announced remembers what jerks they were when it was their chance to show class instead of blind partisanship.

This is a great day for all Americans.

As a loyal supporter of President Bush, I salute the incredible American ideal of the peaceful transfer of power with pride, respect and while holding onto the partisan values that made me vote differently, I honor the choices of the American people. I hope that we someday will realize the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. where it really does not matter what race the leader of the free world is and we are truly ones who care more about the content of character, than the color of skin.

Please remember this when the transfer of power is back to the Republicans at the end of the term(s) of Obama or some other Democrat. I pray that my fellow Republicans will be well behaved, respectful Americans on that day. And not jerks like was demonstrated by some Democrats today.

The chopper is taking Bush and Cheney out of our lives.

O happy day!

I've never cried at the national anthem before, but the words take on a whole new meaning today.

I have to admit I have no idea what this person is talking about. This has always been the greatest country on earth. Could the original poster please comment?

Maybe the poet should have practised a bit?

@wrecktum - good ear!

I enjoyed it all, though.

Cheney in a wheelchair is a dead ringer for the dastardly banker Mr. Potter in "It's A Wonderful Life."

God Bush America!

(and he did)

Now Obama has the daunting task of picking up the pieces.

George and Dick you are now free to be dumped into the dustbin of history.

Yipee Kiy Yay.

To all you Al's and those of similar ilk.... in Dick Cheney's immortal words... Go F**K yourselves.

I hope everyone who booed today when President Bush was announced remembers what jerks they were - John Hanson

Sorry - but after eight years of lies, wars, shredding of constitutional protections or safety/banking regulations, insults and arrogance, you get zero sympathy from this corner.

Obama's speech was fundamentally good and he made many cogent and zingy points. I wish he'd addressed the festering Israel/Palestine issue and that of sexual preference rights directly.

Buh bye incurious and insolent George ...

"I hope everyone who booed today when President Bush was announced remembers what jerks they were when it was their chance to show class instead of blind partisanship."

And how much class did "Mr. Uniter" show when he interpreted his electoral margin of 50%+1 to mean he had some sort of broad conservative mandate? None. Instead, he thumbed his nose at liberals every chance he got. There was no "reaching out across the aisle", as he promised during his election campaign. It was all, "My way or the highway".

If he feels like he is being run out of town on a rail, he should be happy he wasn't tarred and feathered first.

Could the original poster please comment?
Posted by: John Hansen

Seems you have a big problem with the concept of free speech. Michael W. is not obligated to explain his views to you.

Some may tell you to STFU, but I won't — I encourage you to comment freely here. Just know you will be mercilessly mocked. The Bush Reign of Error has passed into history. As President Ford said after he took the oath, "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over."

But you keep dreaming, John.

I thought the Williams piece was spot on, haunting, and finally joyful. Brilliant. One of the best of his compositions IMO.

Yes. I also liked Reverend Lowery's prayer. The content of Obama's speech was good, as was his delivery. Obama not only wore the American flag lapel pin, but it gleamed in the sunshine from time to time.

This was a sweet moment, another milestone, in American history.

And it was the largest congregation in American history, when you include not just the people on the Mall but also all the people who were watching the broadcast in churches and stadiums. I wonder how many Americans were watching, and how many others around the world.

Irony alert: John Hansen complains about blind partisanship.

Here's a clue, you dishonest toad: These threads contain a lengthy record of your dishonesty, blind partisanship and willful ignorance. Your long support of Bush's criminal, incompetent, utterly shameful Administration exempts you from any standing to call anyone else a jerk.

As for Bush, booing is the least he deserves. I'd be partial to that great American tradition of tar and feathers.

This has always been the greatest country on earth.

Save for the last eight years, when its government embraced torture, tyranny and war of aggression. Now that the criminal, incompetent regime you blindly support is gone, we have a chance to make it so again.

Jackass.

That goes for you, too, Marler. You aren't fooling anyone with your pretense -- your long record of dishonesty in support of a criminal and inept regime speaks for itself. Go sit on a tack, you mendacious toad.

Jackass.

I've never cried at the national anthem before, but the words take on a whole new meaning today.

I have to admit I have no idea what this person is talking about. This has always been the greatest country on earth. Could the original poster please comment?

While I don't know exactly what the original poster was saying, where does the national anthem say this is the greatest country on Earth? (And yes I know about the relatively unknown verses, which also do not mention anything about being the greatest country on Earth.)

"I hope everyone who booed today when President Bush was announced remembers what jerks they were when it was their chance to show class instead of blind partisanship."

This isn't a T-ball league where every player gets a trophy no matter how good or bad they are.

As a loyal supporter of President Bush,

John, someone as lacking in moral judgment such as yourself is in no position to be sanctimonious and running around telling others what the "right" thing to do is. You had the chance to do the "right" thing and you failed.

As for the booing: I would have preferred another time. I'd actually prefer a serious inquiry into war crimes, just to make sure this type of thing doesn't happen again. While I think Bush was trying his best to avoid another attack, I think he wildly misjudged what are effective and legal ways of accomplishing that job.

I have to admit I have no idea what this person is talking about.

Patriotism is hard to explain - especially when it washes in waves over the heart of the jaded. It's a cathartic release after the violence done to common sense by the last administration. Crying - or at least feeling tears well up - makes perfect sense to me.

'doubtful, even if that's true, we have had numerous presidents who have served more than a single term which cuts the number of transition down considerably from the number of presidents."

Posted by: rege on January 20, 2009 at 12:08 PM

REGE you didn't really write this? Take some time to think about what you are saying.

I hope everyone who booed today when President Bush was announced remembers what jerks they were - John Hanson

Bush is reaping what he has sown. You'll note his dad got cheers. The Bush II administration did everything it could to stifle and disenfranchise those who disagreed with its actions. You may remember that we were called traitors.

That bastard earned every boo.

You had the chance to do the "right" thing and you failed.

What in the world is this supposed to mean? I know most of the people who post here disagree with me, but please make your disagreements at least intellectually honest and with some substance to them. Then we can have good discussion.

Gregory. - Name calling and vague statements may get applause from the choir, but I think we would all rather see a meeting of the minds than churlish ignorance on display from either of us. Wouldn't we?

But how does Obama being President hurt Obama's chances of becoming President?

Mary?

I'm glad Obama mentioned those without faith. I wonder if that's the first time a president has acknowledged that about one in five Americans are non-religious.

Slappy- Did Mary even make the transition from CP?

Great Obama speech --

The boos for Bush and Cheney were totally deserved. Remember, Bush and Cheney told us over and over that they did not care what the people thought. They avoided real public exposure as well.

Today, the people told THEM what they thought. Very symmetric and justified. It will be the ONLY justice that those contemptible people will receive.

I loved the inaugural poem which was wonderfully presented.

Aretha is gettin old -- this was a stretch for her voice given that reality but the spirit was there and she tried to bring it home with a flourish at the end..

The John Williams arrangement (not composition) was beautifully performed -- I really enjoyed it

Revered Lawrie's closing prayer injected a little humor (much needed) at the end..

Barack was great -- as usual, but want him to relax a little and maybe show us a little of those pearly whites again...

Irony alert: John Hansen calls for intellectual honesty.

Again, Hansen: These threads contain a lengthy record of your churlish ignorance and intellectual dishonesty -- that's your churlish ignorance, none on the part of "us," though your dishonesty at pretending it's mutual is noted.

No one is fooled by your pretense of wanting "good discussion" or "a meeting of the minds;" you've more than abundantly proved that you're insterested in no such thing. Like Bush, you deserve all the disrespect you've so richly earned. Go peddle your papers.

Jackass.

Liberals can't even run a love-fest on schedule.

In other words, Jonah Goldberg is wrong and liberals aren't actually fascists?

but please make your disagreements at least intellectually honest and with some substance to them. - John Hanson

Really? Would you describe your comments as intellectually honest and with substance?

For example, you write, I hope that we someday will realize the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. where ... we are truly ones who care more about the content of character

Consider Bush's character of invading Iraq based on selective and even invented intelligence (Niger docs, Curveball, aluminum tubes), or his Swift Boat campaign, his smears of "cut and run" against those who felt our Iraq policy was neither good for the US or Iraq, or "weak on terror" for those who objected to torture and warrantless wiretaps. Consider McCain/Palin's "pallin' around with terrorists" or McCain's claims of support for the 21st Century GI bill after opposing it all the way. By contrast Obama ran a very fair campaign, challenging policies, but not through insincere innuendos or blatantly false interpretations of McCain's proposals. And Obama is inclusive - he's far more tolerant of you than I am, or than many of his supporters. The problem you will find is not that Obama hates conservatives, but that the conservative ideology is a phony construct designed to transfer wealth to the very few.

I love the people who are oh-so-concerned that the man who told a US Senator to fuck off on the floor of the Senate was booed by the crowd.

Here's a hint, fellas: if you want people to respect you, you have to do things worthy of respect. You can't go around wearing hiking boots to memorial services, swearing at Senators, and shooting people in the face and still expect people to respect you.

If Cheney (and Bush) wanted people to respect them, they should have done things worthy of respect.

Did he say "those of no faith" or "those with no faith" ?

@ Hansen:

To echo some of the other commentors here, the disagreement with you is already intellectually honest and substantive, and moreover the point has been made several times by several people, myself included: Bush and Cheney deserved getting booed.

I notice you don't have any good discussion to refute this point. Indeed, showing the intellectual dishonesty you're famous for, you simply ignore it.

Shame on you, Hansen.

Rick Warren's use of the Lord's Prayer was completely inappropriate. The President represents all Americans, not just Christians. He can pray at his church however he wants, but this is not his church, it's a presidential inauguration. I actually don't even think it's appropriate to invoke God at something like this, but specifically invoking Christianity was way out of line. It was also strange and ironic, given that Obama himself, in his speech, went out of his way to be inclusive. He mentioned Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and (very unusual for an American politician) unbelievers. Listening to Rick Warren, you'd never even know any of these people existed.

Four friends came over and we watched the ceremonies. When Obama was sworn in, I had glasses of Martinelli's sparkling cider and we all raised our glasses and toasted and cheered. We truly believe that a hopeful new era has come.

Will Obama do everything we'd like to see done? No. Will there be a lot of difficulties ahead? Yes. Will he be perfect? No. But he is an unusual combination of visionary and pragmatist, and, if his campaign is any indication, will pick advisors with expertise, and he will listen to different points of view. Today he also seemed so aware of the burdens he will be carrying.

Re Williams and Simple Gifts: no, Wreckum, Williams did NOT rip off Copland. I've sung Copland's Simple Gifts and it is nothing like Williams' arrangement. I would agree that Williams is somewhat derivative, but his work hearkens back to the great Romantic composers, not to Copland. As a matter of fact, this particular rendition of Simple Gifts was one of Williams' more original arrangements.

The armed forces choir which sang the Star Spangled Banner, or as I often call it, the Star Strangled Spanner, did an excellent job and stayed right in tune. This is from someone who has no trouble in singing the high notes in that piece. They started off in Bb and ended in Bb. (I have perfect pitch, which is why I know this.) Good blend. One of the best I've heard. Most people don't sing the Star Strangled Spanner well.

Unfortunately, the brass playing earlier weren't in tune. Perhaps the weather was affecting them. Thankfully, it didn't affect the playing of Simple Gifts.

Overall, a moving ceremony, and I'm glad I could toast with good friends. May Obama live long and prosper.

to amy:

he said non-believers

"Unfortunately, the brass playing earlier weren't in tune. Perhaps the weather was affecting them. Thankfully, it didn't affect the playing of Simple Gifts."

Yeah, I was amazed at how great they sounded, considering the cold. It is so hard to keep your instrument warmed up and in tune for the moment you have to play.

John Hanson - and if you want to talk about tokenism, look at Rod Paige, Alberto Gonzales and Harriet Meirs. For Dems, you can have Joe Lieberman. But to suggest that Obama got elected because he is black is just absolute nonsense.

Rick Warren's use of the Lord's Prayer was completely inappropriate.

I'm going to have to disagree. If the Christian president invites a Christian pastor to give the invocation, then it's going to be a Christian one. There's no point in papering over it and pretending it's something other than what it is. I think the appropriate thing to do is not have an invocation at all, but once you've crossed that line, we shouldn't be surprised at what the result is, or even be upset about it.

John Hanson - and if you want to talk about tokenism

Good Ford -- the sanctimonious prick really did imply Obama was elected just because he's black, didn't he? Let's go to the videotape:

I hope that we someday will realize the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. where it really does not matter what race the leader of the free world is and we are truly ones who care more about the content of character, than the color of skin.

Well, here's some "good discussion" for you, you intellectually dishonest worm: Obama won, and the voters repudiated Republicans across this great land, because we care more about character. They rejected a once-great man who sold out his honor to embrace any number of scurrilous lies -- I can see why you liked McCain, Hansen! -- and a Party whose policies have failed this nation but favored the plutocrats -- while being cheered on by hypocritical self-professed so-called "Christians" like you, Hansen.

Shame on you.

I was there today, so let me tell you what actually happened, as opposed to what happened on your couch. Aretha sounded amazing to all who attended, and the mood was excited, happy, relieved and grateful. There was great excitement when Biden and Obama were sworn in, and when Obama gave his pitch-perfect speech. It was an amazing, wonderful day, despite the cold and the crowds. Rick Warren was by far the low point.

Sorry if it looked different from your TV, but I think I'll take this time to be thankful rather than blathering on like a pundit.

I was there today, so let me tell you what actually happened, as opposed to what happened on your couch. Aretha sounded amazing to all who attended, and the mood was excited, happy, relieved and grateful. There was great excitement when Biden and Obama were sworn in, and when Obama gave his pitch-perfect speech. It was an amazing, wonderful day, despite the cold and the crowds. Rick Warren was by far the low point.

Sorry if it looked different from your TV, but I think I'll take this time to be thankful rather than blathering on like a pundit.

This has always been the greatest country on earth.
...
Save for the last eight years, when its government embraced torture, tyranny and war of aggression. Now that the criminal, incompetent regime you blindly support is gone, we have a chance to make it so again.

And yet, the criminal gangs in the Republican government permitted widespread dissent (3 millions of Americans took to the streets in opposition to the invasion that the Congress had authorized) and allowed a Congress dominated by the opposition party to win the elections, and then permitted a president of the opposition party to win the presidency. In their lasts weeks in office, these same criminal gangs cooperated heartily in promoting the transition to the new administration.

Is it "blind" to point out that the U.S. is so popular that people still come here, legally and illegally, by the millions? Or that, despite the economic incompetence, the economy of the U.S. has, during the Bush years, experienced a faster GDP growth rate and less destabilizing housing market crash than the GDP?

Today, about 2 million people celebrated the peaceful transfer of power in person in D.C., and millions more watched on screen in homes, and in theaters and churches and in shopping malls. You should celebrate America's continuing capacity to re-invigorate and renew itself.

You should celebrate America's continuing capacity to re-invigorate and renew itself.

We are, Marler, in case you aren't paying attention.

But that doesn't include forgetting the dishonesty of conservative dipshits like you carrying water for the criminally mendacious, incompetent and corrupt Bush Administration, or pretending even for one day that you do anything but argue in bad faith on behalf of the Republican Party that gives you those sweet, sweet tax cuts.

"Reinvigorating and renewing" America means rejecting slimeballs like you and your fellow movement conservatives, not letting bygones be bygones and forgetting just how disastrously wrong you've been for the past eight years, and how dishonestly you defended that wrongess.

Shame on you, Marler.