PALLONE STATEMENT ON THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) issued the following statement today after the swearing in of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

"I felt so proud to be an American today. Every inauguration is special as it signifies the peaceful transfer of power that makes our nation so unique. Today, however, was a celebration as history was made on the steps of the U.S. Capitol when Barack Obama became the first African-American sworn in as our president.

"I was also awed by the enthusiasm that brought millions of Americans to the National Mall at a time when our nation faces enormous challenges. In his inaugural address, President Obama outlined those challenges and charged each of us with helping to rebuild our nation so that every American can once again live the American dream.

"In the coming months, I pledge to work with President Obama and my colleagues in Congress to begin the difficult and long process of rebuilding our nation. I hope that the civility and the bipartisan spirit that we witnessed today will continue as we work to address the extraordinary challenges ahead."

Inauguration Day

Here's the official schedule of events:

President-elect Barack Obama, Mrs. Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden for church services tomorrow morning at St. John's Episcopal Church. The President-elect will not speak during the services.

Following the services, President-elect Obama, Mrs. Obama, Vice President-elect Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will have coffee with President Bush, Mrs. Bush, Vice President Cheney, Mrs. Cheney and members of the House and Senate leadership at the White House. The coffee is closed to the press.

President-elect Obama, Mrs. Obama, Vice President-elect Biden and Mrs. Biden will travel with President Bush and Mrs. Bush, Vice-President Cheney and Mrs. Cheney to the Capitol. Vice President-elect Biden will be sworn in by Associate Justice John Paul Stevens. President-elect Obama will be sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. at 11:30 AM ET. Mrs. Obama will carry the Lincoln Bible to the platform and hold it while the oath of office is administered. President Obama will deliver his Inaugural Address at approximately 12 PM ET.

The new President will then proceed to the Capitol where he will sign cabinet secretary nomination certificates. A pool from the Joint Committee on Congressional Ceremonies will be present for the signing ceremony and for the remarks at the Inaugural Lunch that will follow. The Senate Press Gallery is determining the pool. The President and First Lady, Vice President and Second Lady will then proceed to the East Front of the Capitol for the Review of the Troops, before the beginning of the Inaugural Parade.

The President and First Lady will travel with the Presidential Escort to the Presidential Reviewing Stand where they will meet up with their daughters and the Biden family to watch the rest of the parade.

The President and First Lady will attend all ten official Inaugural balls. The President will speak briefly at all ten balls.

- Political Wire

Barack Obama: Inaugural Celebration Address at the Lincoln Memorial

Due to the NFL championship games being played yesterday and the fact that HBO paid over $2 million for exclusive rights to cover the inaugural celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, most people did not a see Barack Obama address the crowd.

So here it is:

Youths head to inauguration by the bus load

As masses of people migrate towards Washington DC this weekend to be witness to the inauguration of Barack Obama, Star-Ledger's own Jennifer Weiss rode a public bus to our nation's capital and noticed that almost everyone on her bus is under the age of thirty.

1/17/09: Your Weekly Address From the President-elect

In his final weekly address before assuming office, President-elect Barack Obama speaks about the upcoming Inauguration activities, a tradition at the heart of our democracy.

Obama's Peace Train Arrives on Tuesday - Hop on Board!

The "Peace Train" arrives in Washington on Tuesday come on everyone hop on board!!

Obama Takes Reagan's Path

"Against the backdrop of something approaching national panic," Barack Obama's inauguration next week is drawing many comparisons "to Franklin Roosevelt's at the height of the Depression" writes Steve Kornacki.

"But from a political standpoint, a more meaningful parallel can be drawn between the president-elect and Ronald Reagan as he prepared to assume the presidency 28 years ago. Although they are ideological opposites, there are meaningful similarities between the appeal both men demonstrated as candidates and the circumstances under which they won election."

Another parallel from Mike Allen: "One of President Reagan's first moves when he came to town: dinner with George F. Will."

-Political Wire

National Mall Will Be Open to the Public on Inauguration Day

WASHINGTON, DC—In keeping with its pledge to make the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama one of the most open and accessible in history, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced today that, for the first time, the entire length of the National Mall will be opened to the public so that more people than ever before will be able to witness the swearing-in of the President from a vantage point in sight of the Capitol.

The PIC has worked closely with officials from the District of Columbia government, the National Park Service, the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC), and the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) to make space at this historic location available to members of the public who are unable to obtain tickets to the swearing-in. Those who come to witness the swearing-in on the Mall will be able to watch and listen to the ceremony on large screens that will be provided by the PIC along the Mall.

“We’re grateful to local, federal, and military officials for their efforts to open up the National Mall to Americans who want to participate in this historic occasion,“ said PIC Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau. “These arrangements represent our committee’s continuing commitment to make next year’s historic inauguration as accessible as possible to citizens in Washington, D.C., and across the country.“

“This will be an Inauguration for all Americans,“ said Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “And so we are dedicated to opening it up so that people from across the country can gather together in America’s front yard. We remain hard at work to ensure the day’s festivities are safe and accessible for visitors, residents, and businesses alike.“

In the past, the National Mall has been used as a staging area for participants in the inaugural parade. But in response to early indications that more Americans than usual may travel to Washington to join in celebration of our shared values and common purpose, officials have worked tirelessly in recent weeks to relocate the parade staging area. Inaugural parade participants will be announced next week.

In the coming days and weeks, the PIC will release further information about viewing the inauguration from the National Mall and other inaugural events. For updates, please visit  www.pic2009.org.