"Lincoln Memorial (Washington DC)" by Flickr user ~MVI~

Obama will continue following the example of Abraham Lincoln; the two may be very different in terms of policy, but they match up pretty evenly in style. January 17th will feature a railway trip for the Obamas that will begin in Philadelphia and end in Washington DC. Like Lincoln, Obama will make stops for speeches and events in Philadelphia and Baltimore before arriving in the Capitol to begin Inaugural Festivities. One kick is that Obama will break from Lincolnian tradition by stopping in Wilmington, Deleware, to pick up Vice-President-Elect Joe Biden and family.

The Washington Post reports that the Obamas have not yet announced specific plans in any of the cities en route, but that city officials were making preparations for large crowds. Baltimore Mayor Sheila Jackson could call upon M&T Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, or Fort McHenry as potential locations for speeches by President-Elect Obama.

Once in DC Obama is expected to hold a major event on the National Mall, where he will appear in person on January 18th.

"Inauguration" courtesy of Flickr user martinstelbrink

This week the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced the theme for next month’s Inauguration, “Renewing America’s Promise.“

In a press release sent to DC Metblogs this week President-Elect Obama comments that, “At this moment of great challenge and great change, renewing the promise of America begins with renewing the idea that in America, we rise or fall as one nation and one people.“

While the theme is kinda interesting, the real news I wanted to write about is the preliminary schedule that was also released this week (as released by the PIC):

Sunday, January 18th
The schedule of official inaugural activities will begin with a welcome event on Sunday afternoon that is open to the public.

Monday, January 19th – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
In 1994, to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service.  To honor Dr. King’s legacy, the President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families, like Americans in communities all across the country, will participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, D.C. area.

Tuesday, January 20th – Inauguration Day
The President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will participate in the traditional inaugural ceremonies and events, including the swearing-in ceremony on the West Front of the United States Capitol, a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall, the 56th Inaugural Parade, and official Inaugural Balls.  Details about the Inaugural Balls will be released at a later date.

Wednesday, January 21st
The newly-inaugurated President and Vice President of the United States will participate in a prayer service.

I think the interesting note of the schedule is the Welcome event- as soon as more details get released on this event I can expect this event to get mobbed as people try and find someway to see the new President. Will this be an event on The Mall? Maybe Obama should take a page out of his convention playbook (and the Pope’s playbook) and hold an event at Nationals Stadium.

Also released this week was a list of organizations that will be participating in the parade. I heard on CNN that thousands of marching bands applied earlier in the year for the honor. You can look at the list that will be updated regularly on the committee’s website. Some of the notable to me include the local marching band from Howard University and the World Famous Lawn Rangers of Amazing Arcola- a weird named drill team that’s partied with Obama before.

For more information stay tuned to DC Metblogs and you can also head on over to the Washington Post who just created an “Inauguration Central” section of the site which includes a live webcam of the construction of stage in front of the Capital.

"National Mall" courtesy of Flickr user NCinDC

Everyone is trying to figure out where to watch the ceremony, especially those that are coming into town tickets or not.

It’s been already assumed by many but the Inaugural committee has announced that the entire length of the National Mall will be open for the ceremony. Now any DC local or person that’s been there can tell you- there is going to be no view on the Lincoln Memorial side for it is 1.9 miles long in length from the Capital to the Lincoln. However many will want to just be there just to say they were there. There have been no official word on steps that will be taken to accommodate a full mall which CNN estimates to be 1 million people. Sounds like another million man (and woman) march that day.

"Capitol from Newseum" courtesy of Flickr user ktylerconk

Another place that will be open for Inauguration is the Newseum, which recently announced that the balconies building (EDIT: The Newseum has told me that they balconies will be closed to the public because the local and national media will be there with their cameras) will be open for regular visitors to the museum that day. The views from the building are certainly going to be a prime spot to view the Inaugural parade since the museum is located on Pennsylvania Ave. You can get complete Inaugural information at the Newseum’s website.

EDIT: The balconies may not be accessible to you but since the front is made of glass- you can actually enjoy a view of the Parade inside without standing in the cold! Also you they will be showing the ceremony on their 90-foot-long video wall.

After Obama is sworn in and the pardae marches down Washington everyone will be getting dressed up to celebrate at a local Inaugural Ball or Party. After the election one of the more high profile hotel deals out their was JW Marriot’s “Build Your Own Ball” deal where for only a cool $1 Million you can use the hotel to host your own Inaugural affair. Well the Washington Post recently profiled the man who spent that money- and will be throwing a ball for the disadvantaged. He’ll be providing tickets, tuxedos, make-up, and even an after ball breakfast to those who are “down on their luck.” He wants to everyone to be able to celebrate this historic event and is calling it “The People’s Inaugural Ball.” I encourage everyone to read the article- it’s a real heart warmer.

Inauguration week just got a bit crazier.

I heard on MSNBC today that the D.C. council has passed “emergency legislation” that will allow bars, restaurants, and nightclubs to serve alcohol to 5 A.M. The legislation will also allow these places to stay open starting Saturday January 17th until the morning after the big day- January 20th.

Personally I am very excited over the news. Councilmen that voted against in the 9-4 decision cited a suspicion that many will be drunk at 5 A.M.- and I fully agree. I do suspect that many will now be partying all night long, and I intend to be one of them.

The move clearly benefits these establishments which can now generate revue for a longer period of time, however it is a wise move to try and accommodate the big inflow of tourists that will be in town that weekend.

While I personally still don’t know how I will ring in the new President, the increased hours have enticed me to make it a weekend I won’t forget… or maybe remember…

What do you think about the new law? Good move? Bad move? Great move?

One Million People Expected For Obama's Inauguration

With Inauguration Day just around the corner, expectations are that a crowd of about one million will be in attendance. Thousands of tickets are being requested in the District as well as in Congressional Offices throughout the country. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) alone has received 26,000 requests for tickets.

People are going crazy and offering housing in the District for thousands of dollars. The DC Council has gone berzerk. They are fighting with Mayor Fenty over the 150 Inauguration tickets that he has been given to distribute. Whining is rampant. The juvenile City Council is even threatening to hold up legislation until Fenty splits the tickets 50-50 with them. The question we are left with is: How will January 20, 2009 actually turn out? Will it be a monumental day for a million plus to enjoy, or will it be a cold day that ends up indoors?

Following the election of Barack Obama, more than 10,000 students from The George Washington University charged the White House for an eviction party that got ugly. Can the Inaugural Parade’s designated “free speech” areas hold protesters, especially as such a controversial President-Elect passes by? I personally expect a lot of arrests on January 20th.

But the bottom line is that Inauguration is DC’s big day on the national spotlight. Preparations began the day after the election, and probably were being discussed behind closed doors for months before that. Out of the chaos, a moment in history will be born, and as DC’ers we’ll be in the front row.