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Inauguration Day - As it Happened
AFP - 2 hours 38 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) - AFP reporters report the historic inauguration on Tuesday of Democrat Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States and the first African-American to hold the post.
12:08 pm in Washington (1708 GMT): Obama took the oath of office with his left hand on Abraham Lincoln's Bible. "I do solemnly swear that I will execute faithfully the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States. So help me God." (JIT)
12:05 pm in Washington (1705 GMT): Swearing to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," Barack Hussein Obama has been sworn in as the 44th, and first black, president.of the United States (JIT)
11:58 am in Washington (1658 GMT): Biden sworn in as US vice president by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (CL)11:52 am in Washington (1652 GMT): After Pastor Rick Warren delivers the invocation, Aretha Franklin sings a rousing version of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (CL)
11:43 am in Washington (1643 GMT): Obama takes the stage to scattered chants of "Obama," "Obama" and furious flag-waving and cheering by the crowd. (CL)
11:37 am in Washington (1637 GMT): The massive crowd outside the Capitol and on the mall, estimated at well over a million, erupts in cheers as Biden takes his seat for the inauguration ceremony. Biden is to take the oath of office first followed by Obama. (CL)
11:33 am in Washington (1633 GMT): Bush and Cheney, in a wheelchair, arrive at the inauguration ceremony as the Marine Corps band plays "Hail to the Chief" for Bush for the last time (CL)
11:15 am in Washington (1615 GMT): Among the guests attending the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol are former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. They arrived accompanied by their wives shortly before the inauguration was scheduled to begin. (CL)
11:05 am in Washington (1605 GMT): The crowd on the National Mall has reached capacity, according to the Washington mayor's office and US Park Police. The crowd erupted in cheers when the motorcade driving Bush and Obama from the White House to the Capitol was shown on a jumbotron television screen (KDZ)
10:00 am in Chicago (1600 GMT): A sprinkle of snow fell on Obama's hometown where jumbo screens were set up in the downtown plaza outside the Chicago Tribune's historic tower. "It's wonderful," said Marion Parker, 72, who was born and raised in the city. "I've been around a long time. I've seen Jim Crowe. I've seen back of the bus," she said. "Things have really changed a lot, but there's still work to be done." (MSO)
10:55 am in Washington (1555 GMT): A Homeland Security spokesman said US law enforcement and intelligence agencies were investigating the alleged threat. "This information is of limited specificity and uncertain credibility," said Russ Knocke. (DAB)
10:50 am in Washington (1550 GMT): Bush has left the White House for the last time as president, accompanying Obama to the Capitol for his inauguration. Following the ceremony, Bush is to leave by helicopter for Andrews Air Force base and from there head back to his native Texas aboard a US Air Force jet. (JIT)
10:45 am in Washington (1545 GMT): Outgoing vice president Dick Cheney will attend the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol in a wheelchair after pulling a muscle moving into his new home (CL)
10:35 am in Washington (1535 GMT): The US Department of Homeland Security says it is probing a "potential threat" on Inauguration Day. (JKB)
10:15 am in Washington (1515 GMT): Marching bands, Eskimo dancers, honor guards and Boy Scouts are gathered in the cold outside the Pentagon, waiting to be bused across the Potomac River for the parade past their new president. "It's a once in a lifetime experience. And we're pretty proud to be chosen to come here," said Roberto Harris, a 15-year-old Boy Scout. (JM)
10:05 am in Washington (1505 GMT): Another notable guest at the swearing-in ceremony -- Muhammad Ali, seen shuffling onto the stage (COL)
10:00 am in Washington (1500 GMT): The live program at the Capitol has begun under blue skies with a girls' choir from San Francisco singing "America the Beautiful" and a performance by the US Marine Corps band (KDZ)
9:50 am in Washington (1450 GMT): Obama and vice president-elect Joe Biden, accompanied by their wives, have arrived at the White House to meet Bush and First Lady Laura Bush before heading to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. They exchanged handshakes and kisses and posed for a picture. Michelle Obama was carrying a gift in a white box with a red ribbon. (OK-CL)
9:40 am in Washington (1440 GMT): Obama is to have lunch at the Capitol after his inauguration. On the menu: seafood stew, pheasant and duck served with sour cherry chutney and molasses sweet potatoes and apple cinnamon sponge cake and sweet cream glace. http://inaugural.senate.gov/luncheon/index.cfm (CL)
9:30 am in Washington (1430 GMT): A green US Marine Corps helicopter is sitting behind the US Capitol, ready to take Bush on the first leg of his trip home to Texas (COL)
9:25 am in Washington (1425 GMT): The Presidential Inaugural Committee has invited people to send in pictures of Obama taking the oath of office for possible inclusion in the official Inaugural book. http://photobucket.com/obamaphotobook (CL)
9:15 am in Washington (1415 GMT): Also in the crowd, boxing promoter Don King with his trademark electric hair, waving tiny American flags and posing for pictures. "I did not believe I would see this but I had faith in America," he said (CH)
9:05 am in Washington (1405 GMT): Among those in the crowd outside the Capitol waiting for the swearing-in ceremony, Hollywood star Denzel Washington. "I'm happy, I'm cold and I'm celebrating," he said. (CH)
8:50 am in Washington (1350 GMT): Obama and his wife, Michelle, have begun their historic day with a service at St John's Episcopal Church, near the presidential guest house where they have been staying. (JIT)
8:40 am in Washington (1340 GMT): Perino, the White House spokesman, was mobbed as she handed out boxes of M&Ms emblazoned with the presidential seal (OK)
8:30 am in New York (1330 GMT): "Have a nice day," is the obligatory way of saying goodbye here in New York. This morning as I pass Luis, my Manhattan apartment doorman, though, he says in the same tone: "Have a great inauguration day!" (SMS)
8:20 am in Washington (1320 GMT): After working the overnight shift, I left the office for home, walking against the tide of inauguration-goers. Visitors walked briskly toward the Capitol, many carrying cameras, nearly all of them with the same fast clip in the sub-freezing morning. Washington is a single-minded city today. (KSH)
8:10 am in Washington (1310 GMT): Newly trim incoming White House spokesman Robert Gibbs tells Fox News the "scary" prospect of giving a press briefing on camera with a spare tire prompted him to swap campaign trail pizza for salad. (COL)
8:00 am in Washington (1300 GMT): Crowds were good-natured on packed Metro trains with passengers trading digital cameras to take pictures of each other for souvenirs. A Virginia man headed to work still dressed in his tuxedo from an inaugural ball the night before. "It's easier to just keep going," he said. (MAC)
7:45 am in Washington (1245 GMT): It's a sea of wall-to-wall people on the Mall as the sun rises over the city, bathing the Washington monument in a yellow glow. (CL)
7:30 am in Washington (1230 GMT): At a Starbucks about three blocks from the White House, customers bought hot drinks and newspapers as keepsakes. It wasn't busy yet but said a cashier: "This is the calm before the storm, I think." (OK)
7:15 am in Washington (1215 GMT): Security is extra tight with roads blocked off for several blocks around the White House. US soldiers have stationed humvees at intersections and were helping direct crowds to the Mall and the parade route down Pennsylvania Avenue. (CL)
7:00 am in Washington (1200 GMT): Huge crowds are gathering as Washington gears up for the inauguration of Barack Obama. Metro trains have been running since 4:00 am (0900 GMT) and the National Mall is already packed with people bundled up against the freezing temperatures. (CL)
Contributors:- Steve Collinson, Obama White House Correspondent (COL)- Olivier Knox, Bush White House Correspondent (OK)- Jitendra Joshi, Political Correspondent (JIT)- Karin Zeitvogel, Lifestyle Correspondent (KDZ)- Virginie Montet, Lifestyle Correspondent (VMT)- Jim Mannion, Pentagon Correspondent (JM)- Daphne Benoit, Pentagon Correspondent (DAB)- Joanna Biddle, Washington Correspondent (JKB)- Alex Ogle, Washington Correspondent (AO)- Carlos Hamann, Washington Correspondent (CH)- Magan Crane, Washington Correspondent (MAC)- Kerry Sheridan, Washington Correspondent (KSH)- Sebastian Smith, New York Correspondent (SMS)- Mira Oberman, Chicago Correspondent (MSO)- Rob Woollard, Los Angeles Correspondent (RCW)- David Millikin, North America Chief Editor (DM)- Christophe Vogt, North America Deputy Chief Editor (VOG)- Chris Lefkow, High-Tech/Media Correspondent (CL)
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