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January 17, 2009
IT'S FORMAL: THE RUSH IS ON
"Thank God you still have dresses!"
Caitrine Callison owns Secondi, a clothing store at Washington's
Dupont Circle. Callison has heard a lot of that lately, as the days
between now and the inauguration evening's balls grow fewer.
"Right now, I have two people fighting over a dress," she says. "I
would have thought people would have taken care of it by now, but
not so much." It's long dresses - formal classics - that are selling
"like hotcakes," she says, in numbers unrivaled since the queen of
voice. At Bethesda Custom Tailors, business is also good. They
haven't depleted their supply of tuxedos yet, says Michaela
Genitheim. "If I do run out, I'll go on vacation for a month." She's
worked inaugurations before. "This seems to be about the busiest
one."
Thursday, January 15, 2009
SECURITY
The crowd estimates are as varied as political opinion for Tuesday's
event, but most numbers hover about 2 million. If that many people
gather on the National Mall for this swearing-in, it could be the
largest crowd ever to come together on U.S. soil. In a post-9/11
world, that spells a major security challenge. The Secret Service is
running the security plan that includes just about every federal
agency that issues badges. Also, an army of imported police will be
gathered, including a trooper and police dog of the Connecticut State
Police, at no cost to the state. Department spokesman Lt. J. Paul
Vance said it is "certainly a feather in the state police's cap. I wish I
was going, quite frankly." The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department
said 4,000 officers from 99 police agencies will help the capital's
4,000-officer force with the parade route and inaugural balls. On the
federal side, the Secret Service is running this "national special
security event" with help from the FBI and other agencies. "We
couldn't pull this off without this partnership," said Darrin Blackford, a
spokesman. "It's something that we've been planning for a long
time."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
THE GOP
Many Republicans are trying to be as far from the National Mall as
possible when Barack Obama takes his presidential oath. The
Republican National Committee has nothing on the agenda. The
Capitol Hill Club - the national Republican club a few blocks from the
Capitol - is emulating Swiss-style neutrality. "We're not doing
anything celebratory or anti-celebratory," general manager Stan
Lawson said. Its downstairs grill will be open regular hours during
the inaugural events - a Republican oasis in a city clogged with
Democrats. Still, there are Republicans who have mustered some
excitement about the historic nature of Obama's inauguration. Dave
Natonski, the former Rep. Chris Shays spokesman who now works
for Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock, pointed out: "The day he takes the
oath of office, he becomes everyone's president." Natonski said he's
looking forward to the speech, which he's sure will be impressive.
And, he added, "I know Republicans that are planning on going to
the Mall."
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
TRIVIA
Want to impress your friends with your knowledge of inauguration
trivia? Here's a crib sheet: Barack Obama will be our 44th president,
and Jan. 20 will be our 56th inaugural. The actual constitutionally
mandated business - the oath of office - is brief: the recitation of 35
words that closes with George Washington's ad-lib, "so help me
God." When Theodore Roosevelt took the oath in 1905, he wore a
ring containing a lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair. Obama will swear
his oath on Lincoln's first inaugural bible. In 1865, Lincoln's
inaugural parade was the first to include African Americans.
Obama's ceremony will feature the singing of Aretha Franklin
(although not "Respect," according to inaugural officials). James
Buchanan's was the first inauguration photographed (in 1857), and it
showed the Capitol dome under construction. Obama's construction
challenge? His requested musical quartet requires a special stage
for a grand piano. Franklin Pierce delivered the more than 3,000
words of his 1853 inaugural address from memory.
Monday, January 12, 2009
THE STAGE
The last touches are being made on the platform that will hold
President-elect Barack Obama when he takes the oath of office a
week from Tuesday. About 10,000 square feet of stage and viewing
stands have risen on the Capitol's west steps, where the world's
cameras and millions of spectators will be focused. The office of the
architect of the Capitol designs the platform to look like it belongs,
like the workers who built the Capitol included it among the
stonework two centuries ago. "It's built from scratch every four years,"
said Eva Malecki, spokeswoman for the architect's office. The
platform is not physically connected to the Capitol, so when it's gone,
by February, it leaves no sign it was ever there. And it complies with
the Americans with Disabilities Act. For one day, the National Mall -
the grassy field that stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln
Memorial - will fill with people, each turned to face an ephemeral
piece of architecture. One presidential oath, no encore.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
THE SOUVENIRS
There's a desperation to own this moment, a need to take
something away from the inauguration of the 44th president. And
where there's a need, there's a souvenir. The capital city is beset
with keepsakes. Barack Obama smiles from storefronts. He
promises "change" from sidewalk stands. He'll warm your head and
keep your time. He'll slake your thirst, even freshen your breath. This
weekend, the official inaugural committee opened a downtown store
to sell Obamabilia, offering the less tacky (perhaps) Obama
messenger bag, some leather coasters and $50 cuff links. But
they've got nothing on the freewheeling mercenaries hawking
president-to-be shot glasses and sequin-studded knit hats. Or the
souvenir shops, which peddle commemorative spoons, plastic
bracelets and Change We Can Believe In neckties. And, for those
who want to internalize the experience, there's the neighborhood
grocery and its fresh-baked Obama cookies, each one bearing the
smiling face of our future president.
IT'S FORMAL: THE RUSH IS ON
"Thank God you still have dresses!"
Caitrine Callison owns Secondi, a clothing store at Washington's
Dupont Circle. Callison has heard a lot of that lately, as the days
between now and the inauguration evening's balls grow fewer.
"Right now, I have two people fighting over a dress," she says. "I
would have thought people would have taken care of it by now, but
not so much." It's long dresses - formal classics - that are selling
"like hotcakes," she says, in numbers unrivaled since the queen of
voice. At Bethesda Custom Tailors, business is also good. They
haven't depleted their supply of tuxedos yet, says Michaela
Genitheim. "If I do run out, I'll go on vacation for a month." She's
worked inaugurations before. "This seems to be about the busiest
one."
Thursday, January 15, 2009
SECURITY
The crowd estimates are as varied as political opinion for Tuesday's
event, but most numbers hover about 2 million. If that many people
gather on the National Mall for this swearing-in, it could be the
largest crowd ever to come together on U.S. soil. In a post-9/11
world, that spells a major security challenge. The Secret Service is
running the security plan that includes just about every federal
agency that issues badges. Also, an army of imported police will be
gathered, including a trooper and police dog of the Connecticut State
Police, at no cost to the state. Department spokesman Lt. J. Paul
Vance said it is "certainly a feather in the state police's cap. I wish I
was going, quite frankly." The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department
said 4,000 officers from 99 police agencies will help the capital's
4,000-officer force with the parade route and inaugural balls. On the
federal side, the Secret Service is running this "national special
security event" with help from the FBI and other agencies. "We
couldn't pull this off without this partnership," said Darrin Blackford, a
spokesman. "It's something that we've been planning for a long
time."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
THE GOP
Many Republicans are trying to be as far from the National Mall as
possible when Barack Obama takes his presidential oath. The
Republican National Committee has nothing on the agenda. The
Capitol Hill Club - the national Republican club a few blocks from the
Capitol - is emulating Swiss-style neutrality. "We're not doing
anything celebratory or anti-celebratory," general manager Stan
Lawson said. Its downstairs grill will be open regular hours during
the inaugural events - a Republican oasis in a city clogged with
Democrats. Still, there are Republicans who have mustered some
excitement about the historic nature of Obama's inauguration. Dave
Natonski, the former Rep. Chris Shays spokesman who now works
for Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock, pointed out: "The day he takes the
oath of office, he becomes everyone's president." Natonski said he's
looking forward to the speech, which he's sure will be impressive.
And, he added, "I know Republicans that are planning on going to
the Mall."
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
TRIVIA
Want to impress your friends with your knowledge of inauguration
trivia? Here's a crib sheet: Barack Obama will be our 44th president,
and Jan. 20 will be our 56th inaugural. The actual constitutionally
mandated business - the oath of office - is brief: the recitation of 35
words that closes with George Washington's ad-lib, "so help me
God." When Theodore Roosevelt took the oath in 1905, he wore a
ring containing a lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair. Obama will swear
his oath on Lincoln's first inaugural bible. In 1865, Lincoln's
inaugural parade was the first to include African Americans.
Obama's ceremony will feature the singing of Aretha Franklin
(although not "Respect," according to inaugural officials). James
Buchanan's was the first inauguration photographed (in 1857), and it
showed the Capitol dome under construction. Obama's construction
challenge? His requested musical quartet requires a special stage
for a grand piano. Franklin Pierce delivered the more than 3,000
words of his 1853 inaugural address from memory.
Monday, January 12, 2009
THE STAGE
The last touches are being made on the platform that will hold
President-elect Barack Obama when he takes the oath of office a
week from Tuesday. About 10,000 square feet of stage and viewing
stands have risen on the Capitol's west steps, where the world's
cameras and millions of spectators will be focused. The office of the
architect of the Capitol designs the platform to look like it belongs,
like the workers who built the Capitol included it among the
stonework two centuries ago. "It's built from scratch every four years,"
said Eva Malecki, spokeswoman for the architect's office. The
platform is not physically connected to the Capitol, so when it's gone,
by February, it leaves no sign it was ever there. And it complies with
the Americans with Disabilities Act. For one day, the National Mall -
the grassy field that stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln
Memorial - will fill with people, each turned to face an ephemeral
piece of architecture. One presidential oath, no encore.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
THE SOUVENIRS
There's a desperation to own this moment, a need to take
something away from the inauguration of the 44th president. And
where there's a need, there's a souvenir. The capital city is beset
with keepsakes. Barack Obama smiles from storefronts. He
promises "change" from sidewalk stands. He'll warm your head and
keep your time. He'll slake your thirst, even freshen your breath. This
weekend, the official inaugural committee opened a downtown store
to sell Obamabilia, offering the less tacky (perhaps) Obama
messenger bag, some leather coasters and $50 cuff links. But
they've got nothing on the freewheeling mercenaries hawking
president-to-be shot glasses and sequin-studded knit hats. Or the
souvenir shops, which peddle commemorative spoons, plastic
bracelets and Change We Can Believe In neckties. And, for those
who want to internalize the experience, there's the neighborhood
grocery and its fresh-baked Obama cookies, each one bearing the
smiling face of our future president.
.