President Barack Obama marks Inauguration Day with an address in front of thousands in the nation's capital and millions watching at home.
Obama's speech comes just after his public swearing-in, amid several days of celebration marking the start of his second term.
Watch Obama's speech above, and follow along with the latest updates on the inauguration:
The U.S. Capitol is shown following the public ceremonial inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
| @ FLOTUS : Just danced to "Let's Stay Together" with the love of my life and the President of the United States. I’m so proud of Barack. –mo |
HuffPost reports:
It seems like only yesterday that First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage at the Inaugural Ball in that sparkling white gown and immediately made Jason Wu a household name.Four years later, at the Obamas' second and final inauguration, Michelle stunned in a long high-neck red Jason Wu gown with velvet details and an armful of sparkly bangles. She wore Jimmy Choo shoes, and a ring by Kimberly McDonald.
Click here to read more and see a photo of FLOTUS's gown.
Per a White House pool report:
From a WH official: After today's swearing in ceremony at the Capitol this afternoon, at the request of the King family, the President and Chief Justice Roberts inscribed the traveling King family Bible.
Guests at Monday night's main inaugural ball for President Obama will be well served to eat a hearty dinner beforehand, and bring plenty of cash.
The main ballroom floor of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center was festooned with disco balls and thumping Madonna's "Holiday" as the doors opened to guests at around 6:45 p.m., but the bars and food tables were far from lavish: A cash bar required that customers purchase drink tickets from a separate location, while the food laid out on tables consisted of peanuts and pretzels.
Inauguration officials said in December that this year's festivities would be scaled back -- Obama's first inauguration included 10 balls, a fireworks show and a Bruce Springsteen concert. This time around only two official balls were scheduled, the main ball and the Commander In Chief's Ball, for military personnel and VIPs.
The main ballroom space was the least exclusive of the various events taking place tonight in the convention center -- upper floors contained various receptions for donors, diplomats and administration officials. Still, tickets for the main ball initially sold for $1,000, a lot of money to pay for for pretzels and a cash bar.
The cost of tickets was cut to $500 in recent weeks, leading to speculation that inauguration fundraising was lagging behind expectations.
-- Christina Wilkie
HuffPost reports:
A .gif of Sasha Obama is becoming quite the viral smash, after the younger First Daughter was caught yawning during her father's inauguration speech.According to the Atlantic Wire, 11-year-old Sasha's mighty yawn was captured on camera Monday while President Obama was speaking about education policy.
"No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people," the president had said, before pausing for applause.
Click here to read more.
| @ ChadPergram : DC's security and emergency mgt agency says turnout for #inaug2013 was 800,000 and maybe higher. |
HuffPost reports:
Most kids get squeamish at the sight of their parents canoodling, but Sasha and Malia Obama love them some good parental PDA.While watching the Inauguration Day Parade on Monday, the First Daughters got President and Michelle Obama to pose for a quick kiss -- and captured it on their cell phones. First FLOTUS gave her best duck face, then she and POTUS locked lips ever so briefly... then Malia and Sasha examined the results on their small screens and tried out some duck faces of their own.
Click here to read more.
The AP reports:
That's how it goes with kids. You hardly notice how fast they're growing up, then suddenly big sis is nearly as tall as Mom and the little one is a tween, gently sassing Dad.On the inaugural platform again four years later, a more mature Malia Obama, 14, and Sasha, 11, smiled, sometimes giggled, and chatted with their cousin Avery Robinson as they awaited their father's arrival. Sasha bounced on her feet a bit as if chilly in temperatures hovering around 40 degrees, and later huddled in her seat. Malia, looking poised in calf-high black boots, rivaled her mother's 5 feet 11 inches. Like any girls their age, they whipped out their smartphones in the parade reviewing stand to take photos.
Click here to read more.
HuffPost reports:
Al Roker scored a split-second, wild chat with President Obama and got a handshake from Vice President Biden during the inaugural parade on Monday.Roker was standing in the crowd, watching Obama go by. NBC colleague Brian Williams wondered if he was going to be able to get Obama's attention.
"I think we can pretty much assume that it's going to be a failure," Roker said. When Obama got near enough, he started hollering with everything he had: "MR. PRESIDENT! MR. PRESIDENT! MR. PRESIDENT! HOW'S IT GOING!"
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| @ ChadPergram : White House estimates attendance for #inaug2013 is at least 1 million. |
HuffPost's Luke Johnson and Sabrina Siddiqui report:
Four years ago, as the United States inaugurated its first black president amidst the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, an estimated 1.8 million swarmed the National Mall to savor the historical moment and looked to incoming President Barack Obama for his message of hope and change.On Monday, that hallowed affair was altogether routine. Jobs continue to grow -- albeit not fast enough for those under- or unemployed -- and the housing and financial markets appear stable.
The atmosphere was less dramatic, but the excitement had not dissipated. Much like in 2009, the crowd erupted into cheers at the sight of the first family on a Jumbotron.
Click here to read more.
After Monday's inauguration ceremony, Vice President Joe Biden sent an email to supporters about the road forward:
Taking the oath of office is a serious piece of business.And being part of an inauguration has a way of focusing the mind on what's to come. That's what President Obama meant earlier today when he said, "My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together."
In the months ahead, we're going to be tested, and nothing about the challenges we face will be easy.
So we're going to need you with us -- to build support for solutions, to help move the country forward.
...
As citizens of the United States, we're a people who draw strength from our diversity of opinion. We take pride in that.
When we disagree, we debate. And where there's common ground, we act -- even though those solutions may be less than perfect.
But we never stop moving forward. That's our obligation, the responsibility for which we've been entrusted.
And a duty like that is impossible to fulfill if you act alone.
We need you to step up. Pledge to stand with us, and we'll reach out to add your voices to the debates in Washington, to work with you to make this country a better place for everyone.
The Huffington Post's Elise Foley reports:
Immigration reform activists came to the National Mall on Monday with a slightly different attitude than other revelers. They, like everyone else, were excited to be there and happy for the president to be starting another term. They were thankful to him for a policy implemented last year that gives some undocumented young people deferred action so they can work and remain in the country for at least two years.But the 120 people from the immigration advocacy group Casa de Maryland who gathered near the Washington Monument want more. For many, their attendance was part celebratory, part a call for action.
"What do we want?" asked Ricardo Campos, an undocumented 23-year-old from El Salvador, his voice growing hoarse from yelling.
Click here to read more.
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have arrived at the White House, where they are scheduled to watch the remainder of the Inauguration parade from the official review stand opposite Lafayette Park.
-- Michael Grass
| @ mpoindc : GHW Bush: "Barbara and I send President and Mrs. Obama -- and their wonderful girls -- our best wishes and prayers on this historic day." |
The Associated Press reports:
The second inauguration of President Barack Obama gave television networks a chance to bask in the majesty of a Washington event that unites Americans of all beliefs and ideologies – at least for a moment.Then it was back to business as usual: the dissemination of widely divergent views on what people had just seen for themselves.
ABC, CBS and NBC, along with the cable news networks, cast aside regular programming on Monday to carry the ceremonial swearing-in and Obama's inaugural address. It didn't carry the same sense of history that Obama's first inauguration did. In 2009, even ESPN and MTV covered the swearing-in. This year, ESPN stuck to talk about the upcoming Super Bowl, and MTV aired "Catfish: The TV Show."
Click here to read more.
| @ markknoller : These parades date back to a time when few Americans had ever seen the President. Now there's hardly an event that cannot be seen LIVE. |
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, after getting out of their limousine near the Navy Memorial, walked about three blocks before getting back into their limousine just outside the Old Post Office Pavilion.
-- Michael Grass
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| @ markknoller : The Obamas walk a few blocks and now are back in the limosine continuing parade to the WH. |
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama got out of their limousine around the Navy Memorial and are walking up Pennsylvania Avenue toward Freedom Plaza and the White House.
-- Michael Grass
Obama has stepped out of the presidential limo and is now walking down Pennsylvania Avenue with First Lady Michelle Obama.
From the Associated Press:
The Barack Obama "brand" was on full display along the parade route as fans waited for the president to travel from Capitol Hill to the White House.Many wore Obama t-shirts, ski caps, hoodies and buttons. One woman wrapped herself in an Obama beach towel for extra warmth. A popular item was the canvas tote bag with pictures of the Obama family on the front and back. Some waved small flags with Obama's likeness on them.
Meanwhile, TV cameras are busy "pre-positioning." They're getting ready to get video of Obama's limo in the motorcade, including when he gets out to walk the route.
Four flatbed trucks – after being given the once-over by Secret Service, of course – are allowed to join the motorcade in front of Obama's car. Reporters, photographers, TV cameramen and anchors ride in the open-air bed, facing the motorcade to take pictures, to film tape and to see what's happening. You may even see some anchors doing live stand-ups with the motorcade in the background behind them.
The Huffington Post's Arthur Delaney reports:
In almost every major speech during his first term, President Barack Obama has lamented that the American Dream -- in his view, the promise of a good life in return for hard work -- is under threat.In his second inauguration speech on Monday, Obama evoked the threat by pointing to income inequality, tying the woes of the middle class to the gains of the super rich.
"For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it," the president said. "We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class."
Click here to read more.
The inauguration parade, which features 59 groups and about 8,800 people, left Capitol Hill more than 40 minutes behind schedule.
-- Michael Grass
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Posted: 01/21/2013 11:57 am EST | Updated: 01/21/2013 1:55 pm EST