Liveblogging Obama Running Errands Around Town
Barack Obama, such a busy man! He has run a million errands today, and it's not even 11 o'clock. He has gone to church, and hung out with the Bushes for a little while, and now he's going to pick up some steaks at the Safeway on 14th & D Sts. SE. Can he get you something while he's out?
10: 46 AM -- Ha ha ha Dick Cheney getting wheeled around, scowling, with a cane. This is the most fantastic part of this entire inauguration. Plenty of people in wheelchairs manage to look perfectly normal and dignified in them, but Dick Cheney just looks like an incredibly humbled and small and angry little man. In fact, if in the darkest days of the Iraq War we had been told, "Just wait till Dick Cheney nearly kills himself packing and has to attend the inauguration of a young black man in a wheelchair, looking sullen," we would have maybe perked up a little.
10: 51 AM -- Barack Obama's limo has large windows, apparently. This seems dangerous. We would like to see him squired about town in a windowless van, for Safety. News flash: He's probably going to get out around the Treasury Department.
10: 53 AM -- CNN just ran a menu of some sort across the bottom of the screen. Looked good! This motorcade ispokey.
10: 55 AM -- Jim Newell had his photo taken with acelebrityat the Art Party last night, but he will not post it because he is so vain. Why does Jim Newell hate America?
10: 57 AM -- Let's go over to Fox News and see how the losers are taking this sad occasion, when a Democrat finally gets to run things. Some guy is talking about how umbrellas aren't allowed past the security perimeter, which seriously WTF, of course, does it look like it's going to rain today? So obviously a person with an umbrella would be carrying a bomb.
10: 59 AM -- "I'm not sure you'd want to be on an open flat-bed truck today," intones Brit Hume, sagely.
11: 00 AM -- This is why Michelle Obama is amazing: she can actually wear that color, which is a weird yellowy mustard chartreuse thing, without looking like she's about to vomit.
11: 02 AM -- Holy wow, look at that National Mall with all those happy people in it! Now here comes John Roberts, and a bunch of other black-robed people, Sandra Day O'Connor! And other old people in ear muffs. John Roberts needs no ear muffs, because he is Young.
11: 04 AM -- Funny candid shots of people sticking stuff in their mouths and blowing their noses and taking pictures of various things. Good God, Barack Obama has to find his way through the CRYPT before he can be sworn in. If he makes it out alive, after besting the Minotaur and answering three riddles, he can be the President. Otherwise, devouring and dismemberment, and Dick Cheney gets to be President for another four years. From his wheelchair, like FDR.
11: 06 AM -- Other dignitaries trickling in... Leon Panetta, the guy who got the CIA job because Richard Clarke didn't want it, plus Janet Napolitano. "If you hear a silence, that's because we don't know who this person is," says some Fox News guy.
11: 08 AM -- It's a parade of losers! Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Walter Mondale. How did Dan Quayle get a ticket to this? Is this part of Obama's "reaching across the aisle" thing, or do they just invite as many ex-VPs as they can cram onstage? David Broder TEMPTS us with the fact that he has Barack Obama's inaugural address, but he can't share it. Spoiler alert: It will be about "hope," we bet.
11: 10 AM -- Whee, Wolf Blitzer promises a view of the Mall, FROM SPACE. We will get a space monster's-eye view of the inaugural proceedings, via Jessica Yellen, who has been permanently transformed into a hologram.
11: 11 AM -- Barack Obama is so powerful he made the sun shine today, because it will make for better pictures.
11: 12 AM -- "First, Mr. and Mrs. Bush," says CNN, as the camera pans to Joe Biden's mom. Barbara Bush's hair is as purple has her scarf. It's cute that they're both wearing purple scarves. Good lord, what happened to George H.W.? He istoddling.The Carters look vigorous, probably because they spend all their time building houses for the poors.
11: 15 AM -- It's the Clintons! Bill lookspissed.They are not even really holding hands.
11: 17 AM -- Sexy Rahm Emanuel, schmoozing.
11: 18 AM -- What is up with CNN's sound, that everybody sounds like a robot? Whatever it is, they should keep it up. Hmm, cheering, what is that about? TRUMPETS. And, enter the Carters.
11: 19 AM -- Some sort of Spanish flamenco trumpets announce ... The Bushes. The old ones. Oh God George please do not fall or vomit on any dignitaries.
11: 21 AM -- Oh my GOD it's the Clintons, remember these people? Man, wouldn't it be great if the lady Clinton was the president? Too bad about that. Nice blue coat, though.
11: 23 AM -- The Hagers and Barbara Bush (the young one), very ably navigating the steps because they are not a million years old. It looks a little awkward, all these famous politicians just standing around onstage and chit-chatting before they get to sit down. David Axelrod looks happy, though.
11: 25 AM -- Malia and Sasha Obama, looking supremely confident. That orange scarf and pink coat is justkiller.
11: 26 AM -- Ken has started a new liveblog, go check it out!