Obama has a second date with history
Monday January 21, 2013 07:42:11 PM,
Arun Kumar, IANS
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Washington: Barack
Obama has a second date with history Monday as the first
African-American president is sworn in again with all the pomp and
circumstance in a ceremony steeped in symbolism.
Palpably there is much less excitement in the air than it was back
in 2009 when an estimated 1.8 million people gathered at the
National Mall for the inaugural ceremony of the man who had
created history by winning the presidency with a promise of hope
and change.
Obama officially began his second term Sunday when he took the
oath of office in a quiet little ceremony in the ornate Blue room
of the White House from Chief Justice John Roberts flanked by only
the first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha.
Constitutionally, the president must be sworn in before noon on
Jan 20, which fell on a Sunday as it has in seven other
presidential inaugurations before. So he would go through the
ritual again in a public ceremony Monday on the steps of the
Capitol's west front.
As the son of a Kenyan father and an American mother outlines his
vision for his second term he will use two bibles, one used by
Abraham Lincoln for his first inauguration in 1861, and the other,
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "travelling Bible."
Obama is said to feel the two bibles represent "two people whose
shoulders he's standing on when he goes to take the inauguration".
It also happens to be the third Monday of January, which is
observed as a federal holiday marking King's Jan 15 birthday.
The day carries great symbolic resonance as the country's first
black president is being sworn in 150 years after Lincoln's
emancipation proclamation and almost 50 since King's famous "I
have a dream" speech.
The musical programme for the swearing-in ceremony will include
music from The United States Marine Band, PS 22 of Staten Island,
New York and Lee University Festival choirs.
The official swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:30
a.m. when Vice President Joe Biden will take the oath of office
administered by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Obama will
follow taking the oath from Roberts.
After the oath taking ceremony Obama, Biden, First Lady Michelle
Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden will join the Inaugural Parade
from the Capitol to the White House. This year's parade features
participants, floats and vehicles representing more than 58
groups.
It's hard to say what the whole show would cost. But in 2009,
Obama raised $53 million in private money for his inauguration.
The private money pays for the official inaugural balls, the
traditional parade, giant TV screens on the National Mall for the
swearing-in and thousands of portable toilets. Public money is
used only for security.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
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