My, how things have changed.

I first saw Barack Obama in person on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007. As I wrote at the time, he'd "closed off Washington Square Park, 9.75 greenish acres at the heart of Greenwich Village and New York University, and welcomed dozens of Secret Service agents, scores of cops, four giant metal detectors, a herd of police dogs and, ultimately, 24,000 supporters, curious locals, ’60s holdovers, dog walkers, yoga devotees and punk rockers... to his first Big Apple rally (and largest event to date)." I didn't know what to expect. Not so much from the senator himself; I'd been following his career, like most other political junkies, for years. But the whole Obamastock experience was new to me. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised to discover that, despite all the security, I was able to wander wherever I wanted and interview whomever I wanted. I was even able to get one of Obama's top press people on the phone. No hassle.

I mention the Washington Square Park rally because it's superficially similar to tonight's Youth Ball, which I just finished "covering" here at the Washington Hilton. Both events boasted rosters of "young" and/or "hip" recording artists (rapper Jin and indie-rock group The Northern at Washington Square Park; Kid Rock, Kanye West and Fall Out Boy at the Youth Ball). Both attracted a few celebs (Geoffrey Wright then, Rosario Dawson now). And both crowds were heavy on the 18-35 demographic. But as I said, things have changed. To get into tonight's gala--one of the hottest of the 10 official Inaugural Balls--we media types not only had to pass through the usual metal detector; we had to wait until the Secret Service dogs had approved our bags--an olfactory ordeal that took, oh, 30 minutes--then follow a vigilant volunteer past the souvenir stands (panoramic, prom-style portraits: only $423!), the partygoers and, most depressingly, the bar, only to arrive at a heavily guarded holding pen in the far corner of the ballroom. Want water? A volunteer must escort you. Need to pee? Same deal. Ask nicely, and they'll even fetch you a real, live youth to interview. Needless to say, actual "reporting" doesn't really thrive in such barren soil.

Now, it's not like I'm complaining. I totally understand why tonight's measures were, if not necessary, then at least reasonable. But it's still worth noting how much of a difference a year and a half makes--not to mention a favorable outcome on Election Day. In most of the important ways, tonight's Youth Ball was far superior to the Washington Square Park event. Kanye West is, like, a million times awesomer than The Northern (he even wrote a special "Heartless" coda--"anything you dream can come true tonight"--for the occasion). It was pretty inspiring to watch my fellow millennials--who, believe it or not, were split between Hillary Clinton and Obama in September 2007--celebrating the candidate they wound up propelling to the presidency. And nothing I've seen since arriving in D.C. on Sunday has been as moving as the Michelle-Barack slow dance--or as funny as Obama's post-dance punchline. "That's what's called 'old school,'" he informed us.

So yeah. Presidents can definitely throw better parties than struggling, second-place presidential candidates. Still, I couldn't help thinking back fondly on Washington Square Park--from my current seat in the press corral.

Oh well. Four more years.

P.S. Yes, I had to (briefly) give my minders the slip to capture the video above. The things I do for Newsweek.

In the hallway to get back into the capitol after President Obama was sworn in, Robert Gibbs ran into a wall of security. The newly-minted White House press secretary was not allowed to pass, as agents prepared for Obama and President Bush to pass through the same hallway moments later. Stuck in the same holding pattern, I dutifully identified myself and we started to talk—a talk that was Gibb's first interview in his new official government role.

When asked how quickly Obama will get to work, signing executive orders and new legislation, Obama won't make any major presidential moves until tomorrow. His first actions, according to Gibbs, will be assembling his economic and foreign policy teams to discuss quick action on both fronts. And when Obama does sign his first executive order "its going to focus on transparency in government," says Gibbs. "That's something he wants to start on first." He confirmed that anything the president signs will be available first on whitehouse.gov.

When asked about Obamas mood this morning and over the past few days, Gibbs says that the new president is mindful of the significance. "This day has finally arrived and he understands how big it really is. Yesterday and today, I've seen him more calm and confident than I think I ever have."

For now, Gibbs said that the new executive party will be enjoying the day, and the evenings galas, with no plans to get immediately to work. But, addressing earlier news reports, he confirmed that van loads of executive staff left the capitol after the ceremony to get immediately to work. "I just hope there is furniture in there for us" he said.

Nearing the end of our short chat, Gibbs glanced down to look at his BlackBerry. "Oh look at that, they just turned my email on, and people are already writing" he laughed, referencing his new whitehouse.gov email address.

Then, a friend of Gibbs standing with us, knocked on the door. "Excuse us" he pleaded with the police officer playing door keeper, "he needs to get through. He's the press secretary to the president."

Clearly surprised, Gibbs looked around. "That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?" he said to me. "I've never heard my name like that before."

Yeah, we know. You millions of Obama acolytes freezing your tuchises off today liked the Inaugural Address. We heard your approval, loud and clear. But enough with the cheering already, D.C. It's been hours. Time for a new take. We want to know what conservatives think of the speech. Out, damn hope! Bring on the haters!

In that spirit, here's a roundup of conservative bloggers' reactions to the speech. Brace yourself: even some of them are (gasp!) cheering, too.

“A very good speech,” proclaimed Michael Goldfarb at The Weekly Standard. Obama didn't revise American history to suit present celebrations, he said, as did others on the stage with him. "I think there was a lot to like there for those whose greatest concern is that Obama is soft--that he doesn't appreciate the role violence has played in forging our democracy." He quibbled that Obama refused to use the word "victory" in his discussion of Iraq and Afghanistan, but acknowledged it was a minor point.

The team at National Review's The Corner had mixed opinions, but they skewed positive. Charles Kesler said ho-hum to the responsibility theme Obama chose, but gave props to his effort to take back patriotism and religion from their seemingly exclusively conservative domain. “President Obama’s speech was interesting, dignified, and unmemorable, like so many inaugural addresses,” he wrote, but gave Obama credit for handling "with grace" his unique place in history. Ramesh Ponnuru thought Obama a very compelling performer, but found the speech itself pedestrian. Jay Nordlinger admired its brevity, but ranted about its indirect slights to Bush, which he found quite rude. In the most ringing endorsement of all, Michael Knox Beran called the speech a home run. "On the whole I was impressed by the new President’s tone, by his précis of the American tradition, by the tribute he paid to our forebears and to those 'guardians of our liberty' who are making sacrifices today, and by my sense that he himself is acutely conscious of the preciousness of the legacy with which he has been entrusted."

Michelle Malkin had few kind words for Obama and his supporters, but cooed over the musical acts by Aretha Franklin, Itzhak Perlman, and Yo-Yo Ma. Her whole take on the speech: “’Transform’ this and that. Wallet feeling emptier by the second.”

Mitt Romney chimed in with some generally positive feedback at the Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire. “Barack Obama gave a speech from the middle. He once again is communicating that he intends to govern from the middle and not from the wing,” he wrote. “It was a speech that could be offered by a leader from either party and that’s good.”

At Redstate, Leon H. Wolf expressed his hope that Barack Obama will be a failure as president, despite many of his fellow conservatives’ inclinations to give the new guy the benefit of the doubt. When the trains run on time, he reasons, people are less likely to give their presidents a tough time about their moral failings, which he says Barack Obama has in abundance.

“Quite good for what it was,” Paul Mirengoff at Powerline wrote, citing decent text and a strong oratory. The vision of postpartisan harmony is bunk, he maintains, but he’s confident that Obama believes more in his own greatness than in his own rhetoric. When it comes to politicians, that, at least, is a known quality.

Update: I slighted Jay Nordlinger by failing to provide a link to his commentary, as he noted here. It was an inadvertent mishap. His original commentary can be found here.

Will Bower, 36, walked around the Mall with millions of other Americans this morning. But unlike nearly everyone else in the crowd, Bower wasn’t cheering. He wore a Hillary Clinton tee shirt (adorned with a Hillary for President sticker) to show his support for the woman he feels the Democratic Party and a sexist media stole the election from. Bower recently left his job as an intellectual property researcher at Thomson Reuters in order to work full time for the pro-Clinton group he co-founded, PUMA (Party Unity My Ass) ‘08. Bower, who is now living off of savings to work full time on what he calls his “labor of love,” has focused his efforts on reforming the primary system, which he says is undemocratic. Newsweek's Suzanne Smalley spoke with Bower by phone today.

NEWSWEEK: Is PUMA still active?

Bower: Yes. People feel like we don’t have a clear objective. The problem is we have many clear objectives. During the 2008 primaries, so many things went wrong and we were inspired by so many of them–primary reform, misogyny in media, media reform….There are many different PUMAs [dedicated to different issues].

What do you mean by many different PUMAs?

There are a lot of different PUMA web sites and PUMA actions. There is still plenty of emailing and web activity. We all have different web sites and leaders. We all get along and agree on most things. My biggest thing is the need for primary reform...That’s probably not going to be a hot topic for a few years, but I’m working on it for down the road. I’m working on lobbying the Republican National Committee to work on primary reform there…I want them to learn from the mistakes the Democrats made in 2008. The primacy of Iowa and New Hampshire–why are we held hostage by these two small states? It’s insanity.

Are they not representative states?

No, they’re really not. Everyone thinks Iowa has this really engaged citizenry and they know what they’re doing. But fewer than 10 percent of Iowa voters participate….Since 1972 the caucuses have failed Democrats at every turn. [Some people will say] Obama won Iowa and went on to win. Well, we’ll see in four years whether Iowa has really served us. It’s basically about who has the best ground game.

Do you plan on working for PUMA indefinitely?

I intend on being critical of Barack Obama for the next four years. I do recognize him as president. I think he’s the rightful president, but I don’t think he’s the rightful leader of the Democratic Party. That sounds ironic, but I believe that Hillary Clinton…was the winner and represented the will of the people. She is my political leader….I wanted her to stay in the Senate, be the lion of the Senate, the next Ted Kennedy. I wanted her to be her own boss…and represent the 18 million who voted for her. Now that she’s in the executive branch I’m looking at her as our shadow president…A lot of us are taking comfort in the fact that she’ll be our shadow president and someone to look out for our interests abroad.

Did you go to the inauguration?

I wasn’t going to go out to the festivities, but I went out in my Hillary gear [a tee shirt depicting Clinton as Rosie the Riveter].…There were two thumbs ups, a couple of scoffs, and a lot of stares.

Why did you go?

I was going to lock myself in and not watch TV and I got a few calls from friends saying, ‘Aren’t you going to participate?’…And then I said I might as well go outside and watch and then I thought I might as well be supportive of Hillary while I do it.

How does it make you feel seeing all of the exuberance over Obama and his inauguration?

I feel that this is supposed to be Hillary’s day, to be honest. I feel he’s unqualified….A lot of what scares me is Obama mania and all. I feel like I’m living in "American Idol," a four-year episode of "American Idol"…It feels like mass hysteria–the pictures, the jargon….If this were all going on for Hillary I’d like to think I’d take a step back and say, ‘This is crazy.’ It is a little unsettling, the fanaticism.

What is your reaction to what Jill Biden said on the Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday [that her husband, Vice President Joe Biden, was given his choice of jobs – secretary of state or vice president]?

It seems like it’s a never-ending stream of minor insults. Every step of the way the Obama administration finds a way to insult Hillary. They’re finding a way to take another jab at Hillary–that she got sloppy seconds….The fact that Dr. Biden was so casual about something like that means a lot.

When you say it means a lot what do you mean?

I don’t think these are naïve people. She’s a politician’s wife…It’s hard to believe someone would be that careless on Oprah.

Tell me more about your focus on primary reform.

It took one state to determine who our candidate would be (in 2004). I’m from Ohio and knew John Kerry would not win Ohio so I felt trapped by what Iowa had done to us….When I saw what happened in 2004 I wrote a proposal in December 2007 and that was published. Then Huffington Post picked it up. I want a truly mathematical, geometrical system…to order primaries based on margins of victory in the general election before…to focus on the Ohios, Pennsylvanias and Wisconsins and Floridas – the states right in the middle, the purple states. Parties go after those states anyway; we might as well tailor our primaries that way, to appeal to voters in those states instead of getting candidates who appeal to extremes, John Kerry on one side and George Bush on the other.

Were you one of the PUMAs supporting McCain?

I was…for a few reasons. I wanted McCain to win so I could go back to being a Democrat, so the behavior in the primaries would not be rewarded. I went on to genuinely like McCain. It gave me a chance to get outside of the Democrat bubble I’ve been living in. I’ve voted for 18 years and never voted for anything but Democrats. It started as a protest vote and I ended up liking and admiring John McCain. Now I call myself an independent Democrat kind of like Joe Lieberman.

Given all the problems facing us, are you rooting for Obama to succeed?

Yes. I don’t want him to fail; that would be bad for the country. I plan on being critical of him though. He’s already dropped the ball. He campaigned on the fact that he would lift the Bush ban [on stem cells and] now is saying, ‘Leave it to Congress.’…The pledges [he made] were political in nature. There was very little conviction behind them and it surprises me how few Democrats see that. I’m going to do my best to get Democrats and liberals to hold him accountable.

I was fortunate enough to be in the Orange section of the crowd at today's inauguration ceremony--yep, right down the front, on the southwest side of the Capitol. I couldn't really see much, and you've probably seen the best shots on TV already and heard the enormous applause and spontaneous "O-ba-ma" and "Yes We Can" chants. But for those who weren't lucky enough to be in the crowd, I thought you might enjoy a completely unscientific wrap-up of what I heard in the crowd around me.

• Person who got a surprisingly passionate series of boos: Joe Lieberman
  
• Person who got a surprisingly enthusiastic cheer: Colin Powell
• Person who I thought would get a few cheers but was greeted with silence: John McCain
  
• Person who elicited the funniest heckles: Dick Cheney
• Person who got an uncomfortable spattering of golf claps and a few boos (and many boos in other sections): George W. Bush
  
• People outside of the Obama family who got the biggest cheers: Bill and Hillary Clinton
• Former official, outside of the Clinton family, who got the biggest cheers: Al Gore
  
• Line of Obama's speech that elicited the biggest cheer (in my section): "We say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."
• Runner up for most popular line (amongst people in my section): "Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."
• Most amusing insult to naughty people trying to cut in line: "Obama can see you!"
• Loudest exclamation of relief as Marine One took off, carrying Former President Bush one last time: "I can breathe again!"
  
  

Barack Obama's post-inaugural lunch had hardly begun when Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy collapsed with a seizure, according to a House spokesperson. Reporters in a room outside the luncheon heard a shriek, then witnessed several people running through the rotunda toward Statuary Hall. Kennedy was taken out of the room on a wheelchair into an adjacent room.

The seizure lasted about a minute. Kennedy started shaking in his chair, then convulsing. After Teresa Heinz Kerry briefly tried to administer first aid, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry left with Kennedy, who was in a wheelchair. According to Hatch, Kennedy was conscious the whole time. After he was taken out, a prayer was offered. Georgia Representative John Lewis says Kennedy is now doing better, responding to medication.

In the room, everyone reports hearing people yell "Move!", almost before most people noticed that Kennedy was convulsing. President Obama, along with Hatch, helped get Kennedy out of the room. Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd says that he escorted Kennedy to an ambulance: "He was joking as he got into the ambulance, saying 'well, I guess ill see you later' -- he's doing much better now and will be just fine." Several dozen senators left the luncheon in a clearly emotional state, especially Senator Kerry, who walked by yelling reporters but declined to talk.

Early reports said that it was Senator Robert Byrd, not Kennedy, who collapsed. In fact, and to the confusion of several people in the room, Byrd had left moments earlier for a different health reason that's still unclear, though the Los Angeles Times reports that the senator's staff says he is in good condition.

Later in the afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took the senate floor to lead a brief session following the inaugural luncheon. "Our minds are not really on the events of today, but for the fact that senator Kennedy took ill during the lunch and is now in a Washington hospital. He and I sat together at the inauguration. We had such a wonderful time visiting and talking about where we were and where we are."

He then asked the assembled senate to bow  and pray during a silent moment.

 

... Mr. James Taylor, awaiting security screening. As far as I could tell, Taylor was only packing a single weapon: his dulcet, understated tenor.

... Mr. Dustin Hoffman, seated a few rows in front of your humble correspondent.

... Mayor Michael Bloomberg, seated a few rows behind your humble correspondent. Clearly we were positioned in ascending order of political influence.

... Mr. President.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.  I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.  

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.  The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.  Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.  At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.  

So it has been.  So it must be with this generation of Americans. 

Barack Obama began working on his inaugural address almost two months ago, according to senior aides to the incoming president. The week before Thanksgiving, the president-elect sat down with his speechwriting team, including top writer Jon Favreau, to sketch out broad themes of what he wanted to say today. Favreau completed a first draft by the first week of December. Shortly before Obama left for Hawaii for his Christmas vacation, the incoming president went over the draft with Favreau, who wrote a second version of the speech over the holidays. Yet aides say it was Obama who ultimately wrote the bulk of the speech.  Two weekends ago, Obama holed up in his room at the Hay Adams Hotel in Washington, where he and his family stayed earlier this month, and worked on what aides described as “extensive writing” on his own. “He had very strong ideas early on about what he wanted to convey,” a senior Obama aide tells Newsweek. The speech you’ll hear today is more than 60 percent Obama’s own words, the aide adds.

Obama has said he re-read inaugural addresses delivered by Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, whose speech he described as “intimidating.” Indeed, upon completing the bulk of the speech today, Obama asked Ted Sorenson, Kennedy’s chief speechwriter, to read a draft of his speech and give input. According to Obama aides, the speech was also read by historians Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the Lincoln biography “Team of Rivals,” which has been mentioned as one of Obama’s favorite books, and David McCullough. It’s unclear how much advice the group gave Obama and his team, though the broad overviews of the speech provided in advance by aides do hint at the sweeping rhetoric of JFK and Lincoln, two presidents who led the country at transformational times.

In the speech, according to aides, Obama will acknowledge that America faces difficult challenges ahead. But, citing the nation’s history of overcoming past struggles without taking “short cuts,” the president-elect will “express optimism and hope” that the nation can rise to the challenge of the “enormity of the task we are facing,” says a senior Obama aide. “The speech will describe the moment we’re in, and the spirit required to emerge from this crisis even stronger and more united than before,” says a senior Obama aide.

Over the last week, the president-elect has gone through several read-throughs of the speech, which aides say will run between 18 and 20 minutes. The Obama team is expected to release excerpts of what exactly the incoming president will say later this morning.

Oh when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
Oh Lord I want to be there in that number
When the saints go marching in!

After a few rounds of this, a smaller group starts a new chorus:

Oh when Obama goes marching in...

But most people got the point the first time around.

Being a reporter in the President-elect’s press pool (that is, the small group of journalists who travels with Obama each day and shares reporting with other media outlets that don’t have a representative that day) is a strange experience. It involves a heck of a lot of waiting around in vans for Obama to do something we can report. Then when he does venture out, life becomes about running really fast to catch him, fumbling with notebooks and recorders, a lingering fear of the motorcade leaving without you, and, if you are me, getting shoved out of the way by burly cameramen desperate to get the perfect shot.

For the most part, pool duty is a privilege, especially when you find yourself with a front row view of U2 serenading the President-elect with “City of Blinding Lights.” And every now and then you have the rare honor of seeing the President-elect in a moment that is as close to personal as one can be in public. That’s what happened yesterday when I had the opportunity to follow Obama to church.

The Obama family worshipped at 19th Street Baptist Church on Sunday morning, a 170-year-old congregation in Northwest DC, attended by a largely African-American population. It’s a progressive church—the current pastor, Dr. Derrick Harkins, is a vocal advocate for HIV-AIDS issues. The entire Obama family, including First Mother-in-Law Marian Robinson, sat in the second row. At times Obama and his wife whispered to each other, occasionally sharing a warm moment with a quick chuckle and a flash of their expansive grins. Obama sang, clapped and swayed along with the rousing choir. Mrs. Obama helped her youngest daughter Sasha follow along in the hymnal, every now and then rubbing her back supportively. If they hadn’t received a standing ovation the moment they walked in, they could have been a regular young family at Sunday services.

From my perch on the balcony, the support and goodwill Obama has engendered within this community felt palpable. Church-goers seemed like they bursting for an opportunity to vocally acclaim this storied figure in their midst. When 10 year old Nigel Sanders, a member of the church’s Kandelite Children’s Choir, tentatively stepped up to the microphone to say “Martin Luther King walked so Barack Obama could run,” the congregation erupted in such fierce cheers and applause that the rest of Sanders’ speech was nearly drowned out. “Just another typical Sunday at 19th Street Baptist Church,” quipped Pastor Harkins.

Being raised Catholic, I’m used to fairly staid church services and a healthy dose of guilt, so it felt very wrong to be taking notes on my lap, nosily peering over the balcony at congregants, BlackBerry buzzing in one hand. It felt uncomfortable to act as a dispassionate, unmoved reporter amongst people engaged in private but energetic worship. (I’m sure my mother would be horrified to learn that I didn’t stand at the appropriate times during the service). But the moment I felt most deeply voyeuristic was when Pastor Harkins spoke directly to Obama in his sermon.

Harkins’ sermon, entitled “For a Time Such as This”, drew from the Biblical story of Esther. Harkins told his flock that, like Esther, God prepares and locates people for moments in their lives when they will be called up on to do important, and sometimes difficult, work. Although he had already referenced Obama several times during the service, Harkins seemed intent on delivering a personal message in the sermon. After ruminating over the achievements of Rosa Parks, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Harkins asked “How could it be that the first black president of the Harvard Law Review would do anything other than dwell in the lofty heights of the best corporate law firms?” Soon he addressed Obama directly. “Perhaps, just perhaps, you are where you are for a time such as this,” Harkins intoned. Later he stressed the importance of Obama’s family: “Perhaps a family has been shaped and fashioned for such a time as this.” Harkins said that in times of harsh criticism Obama could turn to his family and “know the foundation upon which you stand” or to look at his wife and be encouraged by her. “God prepared you. God placed you. God will not forsake you,” he said.

Obama sat characteristically calm throughout the sermon. But I can't imagine there's too many people that deliver such personal messages to the directly President-elect these days and, as the President-elect presumably pondered and prayed, I couldn’t help feeling that I was intruding on a private moment.

(Charles Dharapak / AP)

What is it with do-gooders and their costume changes? For Clark Kent, it was phone booths and blue tights. The less demure Peter Parker would reveal his spidey spandex by simply ripping off his whatever else he had on. And so it is, it seems, with Barack Obama, who was sporting a business suit when he entered Walter Reed Medical Center this morning to visit wounded soldiers--and a more rugged checked-shirt-and-gray-jeans ensemble when he emerged an hour later.

The reason for the swap: a day of hands-on charity work meant to honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., and set an example for volunteers participating in the 11,000 public service events organized, nationwide, at the president-elect's request.

Obama's first stop was Sasha Bruce House, a stately 35-year-old homeless shelter for teens near Capitol Hill where volunteers were already busy painting and preparing dormitories for incoming boarders. Shrugging off his casual navy jacket amid a few eager cries of "Mr. Obama!," the president-elect at first cautioned that he should do "something simple 'cause I could screw something up" (no electrical work, for example), but still gamely attempted to pry a stubborn balking valance loose before switching to painting--a job, he informed the press, that he held his 17-year-old summer, earning minimum wage. "This is good practice ‘cause I’m moving to a new house tomorrow," Obama cracked. 

“I do hope they’re watching my technique," he added, referring to the kids. “It’s not rocket science. You take the pole and the roller, then you roll. But you do need to apply some elbow grease – like everything we do.”

As that last remark suggests, the real purpose of the Sasha Bruce visit was inspiration rather than preparation. Coating a nearby wall with Yosemite Blue, Obama quoted King--"everybody can be great because everybody can serve"--before explaining what he wanted Americans to take away from National Service Day. “This country is great because of its people," he said. “We can accomplish anything. One of the goals of my administration will be to make sure that we have a government that’s more responsive and more effective and more efficient at helping families. But don’t underestimate the power for people to pull together and to accomplish amazing things. This facility is an example of somebody with imagination and determination… These young people have huge potential that right now is not being tapped, and given the crisis that we’re in and the hardships that so many people are going through, we can’t allow any idle hands. Everybody’s got to be involved. Everybody’s going to have to pitch in, and I think the American people are ready for that.”

A noble sentiment (and one, Obama added, that the Internet--"an amazing tool to organize people" that "we don't just want to use... in elections"--can possibly help make a reality). But as each of his predecessors learned soon enough, habit is often stronger than hope. Before Obama left for his next service event--an assembly at Calvin Coolidge High School in northwest D.C. where volunteers were decorating blankets, writing letters and taping video messages for deployed soldiers--Cara Fuller, a worker from Philadelphia, asked if he'd broken a sweat while painting.

“Nah, I don’t sweat," he said. "You ever see me sweat?”

We'll check back in four years.

It's not easy being red in Washington right now. Republican powerbrokers have fled, conservative commentators are bitter, and pretty much everyone is about to be out of a job by tomorrow. Once the hottest ticket in town, even attendance at tonight's Texas Black Tie & Boots inaugural ball is expected to be lackluster. So, going against the grain, I had a mission this weekend: find the good-natured young GOPers willing to take the Obama fever in stride and unbutton their top buttons with the rest of us.

Fortunately, I stumbled upon one. Lauren Blaine, 25, is an Obama-mocking, Prius-bashing, committed conservative, and an eager partaker of inaugural bashes. "I'm a happy Republican who would love to go to the inauguration. If you know anyone who has tickets, let me know," she told me, adding that she's excited about the energy in D.C. these days. In the absence of tickets, she is teaming up with some fellow conservatives to ring in the new presidency together at a party just outside the city.

So will the good will extend beyond the boozy celebrations? "I think people are just glad the election is over, because that was getting out of control," she said. "Now, it's more about [Obama] putting his money where his mouth is—OK, we're in a recession, so fix the country. It's not about winning, it's about governing. It's not a basketball game." Not quite willing to let the election dream die, she keeps a cardboard cutout of John McCain in her apartment. But these days, even John has gotten into the inaugural spirit with a few extra accessories.

Yes, of course, one person keeping it real is hardly a scientific survey. I can't reach the diehards, because they've either skipped town or retreated into a bleak half-week hibernation. I did hear tell of one GOP stalwart planning to board himself in his room with LSD, painkillers and a poster of Ronald Reagan on his wall until the inaugural madness subsides. Another, an imminently unemployed staffer, had similar plans to cut the electricity in his apartment and make his way through the liquor cabinet.

Fair enough. Losing a plush job in the middle of a recession probably wouldn't make me feel too warm and fuzzy either. But with more than 70 percent of Americans currently supporting Obama, I think it's fair to say that most of the country is on Lauren's side on this one.

By Dina Fine Maron

As change comes to Washington, the corporate world is directly tapping into the Obama lexicon.

Ikea, the Swedish furniture company, is running ads in the D.C. Metro, spouting familiar rhetoric such as “Embrace change,” and “The time for domestic reform is now,” in the hopes of driving business to their two local stores. Ikea even went so far as to create a completely Ikea-furnished mock oval office in one of the city’s train stations last week.

Pepsi, too, launched a “Refresh Everything” campaign, even adapting Obama’s signature “O” symbol into the newest Pepsi swoosh. The idea behind Pepsi’s new message is that this is the time for change--spiffying up their image, and sponsoring talks on education, revitalizing hip-hop, black America, and, yes, their cool refreshment.

The “Yes We Can” motto has been applied to more abstract ideas as well--like wind energy. The American Wind Energy Association billboards around Washington question if we can “create jobs out of thin air” and then answer their own rhetorical question: “YES, with wind energy WE CAN.”

But the slogans and symbols aren’t the only parts of Obama’s campaign to be appropriated by advertisers. His ability to mobilize voters and reach them through the Internet was a powerful tool during his campaign. That trial run at voter inclusion may have led the way for Pepsi and Ikea’s campaigns to get voters involved … as consumers. On Ikea’s Web site you can design your own oval office and then even e-mail it to the president. And Pepsi’s site suggests you think about what you would like to ask our new president--and then upload that video. As I munch on my “Yes Pecan!” Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (the unofficial Obama flavor), I find myself wondering: Is this all change you can believe in?

Celebratory is a safe way to describe the mood in Washington. And not just for Barack Obama's big day on Tuesday. When Obama raises his right hand, it will mark for millions of his supporters the end of something else.

At Dupont Circle in Northwest Washington, today is Bush's day. And more specifically, his last one as president. For much of liberal-leaning Washington and the millions of visitors expected for the week, it's something worth celebrating.

Bill Moyer, president of the Backbone Campaign, took the inaugural week as an opportunity to almost literally turn the page on Bush's presidency by unveiling a 50 foot copy of the preamble of the Constitution. Set up in the middle of Dupont Circle, he wants anyone he can get to sign it -- a public commitment to upholding the constitution, reintroducing it after what he says is the document's tarnishing over Bush's term. "Now more than ever is a time not to delegate our role in where this nation needs to go," he says, standing in front of a dozen people, many on all fours, singing the document with Sharpies. After the inaugural, Moyer will take the document to 10 other cities around the country, adding an additional 200 feet of signing space before the banner is unveiled in New York in April.

On the other side of the circle, a more spirited political statement depicts a blown-up Bush, standing nearly 20 feet high. His long nose is a fairly obvious nod toward a certain fairy tale. And in referencing a different less-than-flattering presidential moment, the organizers also encouraged passers-by to throw shoes at the inflated Bush. Several sign holders beside the statue stand advocating for federal indictments of top administration officials, including Bush and VP Dick Cheney.

All over town, aversion to Bush is in full form on the president's last full day. When any president leaves office, the foes and critics he has picked up along the way are traditionally -- and reasonably -- pleased to see him go. But it seems that Bush's critics have created a new standard. (Don't forget that even at the beginning of Bush's first term, protesters shouted against the validity of Bush's electoral victory. The result of the 2000 election, eventually settled before the Supreme Court, was a nation far too divided to give Bush an Obama-like reception.)

But now, are the blatant signals toward Bush's departure a bit much, especially during a week that's obviously supposed to be represent something completely new? After all, Obama did campaign on being a contrasting president to Bush, suggesting he's quite mindful of 43's slip ups.

What do you think? In the comments section below, tell us what role Bush's presidency should play as the country turns to Obama.

 

"Star-studded" is a bit of a cliché, but there's no better way to describe the Inaugural Opening Ceremony that just concluded here on the Mall. Since pictures are worth a thousand words--on a roll today, no?--we've decided the best way to bring you the action is with a few snapshots from the press area (which, after all, was a heckuva lot closer to the stage than where the hoi polloi were forced to stand). Without any further ado...

The view--reminiscent of another historic event--from just beneath the Lincoln Memorial stage: 

Beyoncé leading the crowd in "America the Beautiful"--with Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Tom Hanks, Jamie Foxx, Tiger Woods and others as her rather high-wattage backdrop.

Oh, and then there was this guy:

Something tells me we'll be hearing more from him in the years to come...
 

This D.C. is a funny place. You may think you're just stepping into a CVS to pick up a pack of tissues, but actually you're heading on a collision course into the possible next prime minister of Israel.

I'm here in the capital during the run-up to the inauguration to take in a little bit of history. As you might imagine, taking in history in the middle of January can be a chilly undertaking. Yesterday afternoon, after strolling a bit in the quiet, somewhat suburban part of town where we're staying, my friend and I take a quick break from the great outdoors to grab some tissues in CVS. This, however, is no ordinary trip to CVS. Making the turn down one of the aisles, I catch sight of a squad of black-clad men with matching red lapel pins. Amongst them is a blond woman mumbling in a language that sounds vaguely like Hebrew. Hmmm, I think. She looks like...nah, no way...

Way. As I turn the corner at the end of the aisle, I slam into the mumbling Tzipi Livni, foreign minister of Israel, who, I later learn, is in town finalizing an agreement with Condoleezza Rice about Hamas' underground smuggling routes into Gaza. Oof! Sorry, I say. Mumble, mumble, she replies, looking peeved. I glance at the kafiya wrapped around my friend's neck, then at the bulky gentlemen making up Livni's Secret Service detail. Uh-oh. Fortunately for us all, the foreign minister has bigger fish to fry than two sniffling twenty-somethings, and she continues on her way to whatever toothpaste or shampoo she came to get.

I didn't have a chance to ask her, but it's possible that she is prepping for tonight's Foreign Diplomats Inaugural Ball, hosted by the Ethiopian embassy at the James Monroe Mansion. (I also put in an inquiry with the Israeli embassy, and will update if they get back to me). I hope not, though. Although Israel may have unilaterally declared its ceasefire just in time for the inaugural festivities (Newsweek's Rod Nordland has a nice bit of reporting from Gaza city, here), this is one woman with some seriously big fish to focus on frying right now.

In context, it's not so bad. Earlier this morning in Washington, the weather forecasters gave an uplifting number: 35. Uplifting only in comparison to the low teens and negative wind chill temperatures that have frozen the city (and much of the country) for the past week. At one point, planning officials were talking about how to scale down the inaugural events and lowering crowd estimates, thinking that people might come to the wise realization that it still counts as witnessing history if you watch it on TV, ideally sitting next to a fire. Barack Obama, one person told me, would want me to be warm.

But no! Keep the crowd estimates where they were. 35, with a good chance of temperatures approaching even (gasp!) 40 by Tuesday, means that the inaugural events won't just be for the thick skinned and weatherized. Nope, the presidential inaugural committee, with the direction of Obama himself, promised that this would be the people's inauguration, and apparently they meant it.

Of course, let's not forget those visitors who see 35 as a temperature approaching that in your freezer, and thus humanly unnatural (we're looking at you, West Coasters).

It could have been a line of fans waiting for Kanye West tickets to go on sale, or for the premiere a new Lord of the Rings flick. But the hundreds of well-dressed folks cuing at the Washington Convention Center today were no rag tag bunch of fans. They were there for tickets to a different kind of blockbuster: Tuesday night’s Official Presidential Inaugural Balls.

Volunteers say that ball-goers have been lining up since before 9 a.m. this morning to get their hands on some of the hottest tickets around. DC resident Michael Jones was thrilled to receive tickets to the Mid-Atlantic States Ball after making an online contribution to the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Jones waited in line for over 45 minutes to pick up tickets for himself and his wife. (She’ll be scouring stores for the perfect gown this weekend.) Many more like Jones will be standing in long lines for their tickets throughout the next few days.

There are ten official inaugural balls this year, including the first ever Neighborhood Ball, a free but invitation only event designed to allow DC residents their very own celebration. Six balls will be held at the Washington Convention Center, while the others will take place at Union Station, the Washington Hilton, the National Building Museum and the National Guard Armory. Between 5000 and 10,000 people are expected at each ball, with organizers anticipating that the Western ball (for residents of the Western states) will be the largest.

No Obama event is complete without a merchandising table, and the ticket collection site is no exception. Those mavens of political branding over at Camp Obama have released a wide array of inauguration swag (proceeds go to the presidential inaugural committee). At the convention center you can purchase an Obama onesie for your baby, fleece blankets, hats, paperweights or an autographed frame for your inaugural invitation. For fashion conscious political junkies, the Obama folks have released the “Runway to Change” line, which includes designer tote bags from Diane Von Fustenburg and Tory Burch ($70 a pop), and 9 different t-shirts from designers like Zac Posen and Donna Karan. Most shirts sell for $45, but for those wanting to help kick start the economy, a bedazzled Gerald Matthews inauguration tee will set you back $150.

Staffers at the Convention Center say that the most popular item has been the iconic Shepard Fairey t-shirt. The most expensive item, a $159 woven blanket featuring the Obama-Biden inauguration seal, has been a hit with those looking for some extra warmth at the swearing in ceremony. And the slowest mover? An $89 teacup and saucer. Look out for bargain basement deals on that after Tuesday.

While the White House will become Barack Obama's new home on Jan. 20, the physical building is still George Bush's residence until ... Jan. 20. It's a peculiar move-out and move-in schedule that leaves White House staff exactly five hours to transform the three-story, 132-room structure from one family's house into a home for another. "To the first couple and their children, it's their home, and they need to feel at home the moment they arrive," says Gary Walters, former White House chief usher who has overseen every White House transition since Richard Nixon lived there.

The flag drops the moment Bush and Obama head to Capitol Hill for the swearing-in ceremony. All 150 members of the White House staff go to work immediately, rearranging and redecorating in precisely the way the Obamas chose when they met with the chief usher during their first visit to the house in November. The process is finely documented in an official "choreography plan," as it's called, that details by the minute when everything is to be moved out of and into strategically parked moving trucks. Carpet, paint, everything down to bed linens and lamp shades are changed to reflect the new family's taste.

Some rooms, like in the West Wing, are finished before others, in case the president is rushed back early to attend to urgent business. But under a very strict timetable, the rest of the transformation leaves little room for the unexpected. In 1989, George H.W. Bush's granddaughters walked into the madness before the end of the inaugural parade (the official deadline) because it was too cold. Caught completely off guard, a staff member sent the girls to be entertained by the White House florist until the residence was ready. In 1993, Bill and Hillary Clinton's inaugural gown and tuxedo went temporarily missing when an aide veered from the script and carried them to the wrong floor.

The process is kept strictly secret and details of the house's decorative style are scarce. The White House declined to discuss the choices the Obamas made for their home (citing privacy reasons) and no spectators--and especially no reporters--are permitted in the house on Inauguration Day. "Not even the president has ever seen this happen," says Walters. The way it's designed, no president ever will.

My inbox lit up this morning with a message from a fellow Washingtonian, apparently too eager to sleep on the eve of something so enormous. He wasn't talking about the inaugural next Tuesday, which locals expect to bring out either the best or worst in the city. No, he was talking about Friday, awaiting the last-minute actions on the last official work day of the Bush administration. "Epic day of news dumping!" wrote my friend, who's not exactly a fan of the president. "It's gonna be sweet to watch!"

My friend could be right. Since Monday is a holiday, Friday is the effective last day of Bush's term, creating a deadline for everything else Bush wants to do in office: pardons, executive orders, even diplomatic shifts. With no press briefings remaining before Tuesday, anything the administration does on Friday won't be questioned by the press until after Bush leaves office. And the press corps, feverishly preparing for Tuesday's inaugural, has most of its attention elsewhere. In essence, the story isn't Bush anymore, and Bush's staff can use that to its advantage.

It's a sneaky but strategic time to make controversial decisions. President Clinton released a list of pardons on the last day of his presidency, which included a controversial name--fugitive financier Marc Rich--that Clinton never had to answer questions about while in office. Other presidents have used last-minute executive orders to somehow tie the hands of their successors on a specific policy. Gee, thanks.

Bush left early Friday for Camp David, signaling that all remaining action of his administration has already been set in motion. Will the Bush White House be trying to sweep anything under the rug? We'll be back on this page all day and over the weekend with updates.

By Michael Isikoff

A former top Clinton White House lawyer is in line to be nominated by Barack Obama to head the Justice Department office in charge of all federal criminal investigations, according to three transition sources.

Lanny A. Breuer, who played a key role in defending Bill Clinton during impeachment and related criminal and congressional probes during the 1990s, is slated to be nominated to assistant attorney general in charge of the criminal division, said the sources, all of whom asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. One of the sources said a public announcement of the selection of Breuer, who is a partner of attorney general designate Eric Holder at the firm of Covington &Burling, could come as early as next week. 

Breuer is a widely respected--and affable--Washington criminal defense lawyer who has represented a number of high-profile clients in recent years, including Bill Clinton’s former national security advisor Sandy Berger who was charged with removing classified papers from the National Archives while preparing for testimony before the 9/11 commission. Breuer’s success in getting what appeared to be a relatively lenient plea bargain for Berger from the Bush Justice Department was cited by Washingtonian magazine two years ago when it named him of the 30 “Big Guns” in the Washington legal community. Breuer was also retained last year to help represent baseball star Roger Clemens before a congressional committee investigating allegations of steroid abuse.

But Breuer’s selection caused some minor debate within transition circles. He has never been a federal prosecutor, although he worked for fours years as a prosecutor in Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau’s office after he graduated from Columbia Law School in 1985. Although he is a law partner of Holder’s, Breuer was actually not chosen by Holder for the job, two transition sources said. Instead, his selection was advocated by former allies in the Clinton White House, including transition chief John Podesta and Rahm Emanuel, in line to be Obama’s chief of staff. 

Breuer, who is likely to be confirmed without any difficulty, will be the political appointee with prime responsibility for making some of the most sensitive decisions in the Obama Justice Department. He will inherit a number of high-profile and closely watched investigations, including probes into frauds relating to the financial crisis, such as the Bernard Madoff case and the mortgage industry. Other ongoing probes include an investigation into the destruction of CIA tapes of waterboarding and another into the firing of U.S. attorneys where a special counsel is believed to be seeking testimony from former Bush White House officials Karl Rove and Harriet Miers. Breuer will also have line responsibility for criminal investigations conducted by current U.S. attorneys, most prominently, the probe by U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in Chicago into Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

In the world of management consulting, high-powered and often expensive contractors infiltrate all levels of a company to determine how it can run more efficiently--sorting out what sucks up the most money and what can be cut. Large corporations with loads of money to save are often open to the process. Paying a few million to save a billion is quite the bargain.

But what if that large corporation is actually a really big company? One that's headquartered in Washington with more than 1.8 million employees in offices in every state and every major country. One with an annual budget of, say, $3 trillion.

What if that company is... the government?

Enter Nancy Killefer, Barack Obama's nominee to be the government's chief performance officer, a title with a not so-so-subtle nod to the private sector. Which is exactly the point. The new position is Obama's creation, and an indication that he thinks the federal government can, and should, be run a bit more like a company with goals to reach and money to save. "In order to make investments that we need, we'll have to cut the spending that we don't, and I'll be relying on Nancy to help guide that process," Obama told reporters early Wednesday.

So to make it run smoother, faster and, of course, cheaper, Obama brought in Killefer, a partner with global consulting group McKinsey & Company that is widely respected in management consulting circles as one of the industries biggest firms. When nominating her, Obama said that Killefer will meet with cabinet officials to determine "how they can run their agencies with greater efficiency, transparency and accountability." She will set performance standards for federal agencies and monitor the progress of department heads. In essence, she'll be the government's management consultant with broad authority (and backing from Obama) to search for government processes that have either outlived their usefulness or never worked in the first place.

On the question of power, how much weight Killefer's suggestions will carry won't depend on how well she does her job. Rather, her effectiveness will depend on Obama and on his managing style.

As the decider, he'll have to figure how much credence he wants give to her suggestions. Alone, Killefer won't have the authority to make broad changes to administrative infrastructure. But if Obama hears her out when she reports that, for instance, the Attorney General is wasting thousands of dollars on an antiquated way of coordinating conference calls (which a source at Justice tells NEWSWEEK is indeed true), her suggestions could help streamline some of the ways Washington works.

But if Obama decides to just set the ball rolling and limit Killefer's access to him, Killefer and her staff are likely to be perceived as auditors who come with little consequence. And since government departments traditionally have little incentive to innovate, if neither Obama nor department heads give the new chief performance officer much consideration, she may find that the department sucking up the most resources with little to show...is her own.

By Mark Hosenball

In a move apparently designed to sidestep controversy over the CIA’s interrogation and detention practices, President-elect Barack Obama has decided to nominate a nonprofessional, Democratic Party grandee Leon Panetta, as his new director of the agency, Newsweek has learned.

Two well-informed political sources, who both asked for anonymity when discussing personnel matters, said that Obama made known his CIA decision to other officials earlier today. Along with Obama's anticipated decision to appoint retired Navy Admiral Dennis Blair as the new Director of National Intelligence -- Panetta's future boss – the CIA nomination is expected to be announced in the near future.

The choice is somewhat surprising in that Panetta has no specific background managing a sprawling and esoteric intelligence bureaucracy like the CIA, or supervising and planning byzantine undercover operations. But he was a senior Democratic congressman for many years and served in the Clinton administration first as director of the Office of Management and Budget and then as White House chief of staff. In the latter post, Panetta sat in on the daily intelligence briefing giving to the President by the CIA -- a task that has now been shifted to the office of the National Intelligence czar, which was created under intelligence reform legislation approved by Congress after 9/11. As Budget director, he had direct involvement in financial issues related to intelligence. Panetta also served on the Iraq Study Group and publicly opposed President Bush's "surge" of troops in 2006.

Among Obama's reasons for choosing Panetta, one of the sources said, were his reputation as a "first rate manager," his White House experience handling issues related to "intelligence support" and his history of being able to establish friendly and cooperative relations between the executive branch and Capitol Hill. While unusual, the Panetta appointment will not come as a complete shock to those who have been following Obama's somewhat fraught efforts to produce a relatively non-controversial but nonetheless highly respected candidate to head the always-controversial CIA.

In the weeks following his election victory, Obama was widely expected to appoint as his CIA chief John Brennan, a former top CIA and counter-terrorism official who is co-chair of the committee reviewing intelligence policy issues for the President-elect's transition team. But Brennan withdrew his name from consideration as CIA chief after he was slammed by bloggers for public statements he made defending the CIA's involvement in controversial counter-terrorism operations, including rough interrogations which Bush Administration critics and human rights advocates described as torture.

The Brennan controversy cast a cloud over Obama's efforts to find a new CIA chief (though sources say that Obama decided some time ago on Adm. Blair, who was not involved with controversial Bush interrogation policies, as his new intelligence czar). The current CIA chief, retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, signaled that he wouldn't mind being asked to stay on for a time. But critics noted that Hayden, like Brennan, had publicly defended the Bush administration’s counter-terror activities, including CIA interrogation policies (which Hayden himself had little to do with) and warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Agency (a program that Hayden, as NSA director, helped to create after 9/11). Obama had voted as a senator against Hayden's confirmation.