• Location: in the bedroom with Abby
• Mood: sick
• Music: The Black Eyed Peas-"One Tribe"

Inauguration Day 2013

Today (January 20th of the year following a Presidential election) is normally inauguration day, unless it falls on a Sunday (like today), in which case it is postponed for a day, at least the public ceremony. I was surprised to learn that a private ceremony is set for today, which tomorrow being a public ceremony. The Constitution requires that all presidents begin their new term on January 20 at noon EST. Because January 20 falls on a Sunday, two ceremonies, one private and one public, have been scheduled. The private ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, January 20, and the public ceremony for Monday, January 21. Chief Justice John Roberts has been named to administer the oath to the president and Justice Sonia Sotomayor to administer the oath to the vice president on both days. The President has said that he plans to use two bibles for the ceremony, one belonged to Abraham Lincoln and the other belonged to Martin Luther King.



At the "private" swearing-in ceremonies which take place today, Vice-President Biden will be sworn in at 8:55 a.m. EST at the Naval Observatory and President Obama will be sworn in at the White House Blue Room at 11:55. (The last president to have such a private swearing-in was Ronald Reagan in 1985.) “Private” is a relative term. TV cameras will also be there, so the public can watch live as Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administers the oath to Obama on all the major broadcast and cable networks. In the earlier ceremony, Biden will be sworn in by Associate Justice Sotomayor.

Tomorrow's ceremony will take place at the West Front of the Capitol. Following is the program for the ceremony:

1. Musical Selections by The United States Marine Band, PS 22, Staten Island, and the New York and Lee University Festival Choir, Cleveland, Tennessee

2. Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York

3. Invocation by Myrlie Evers-Williams

4. Musical Selection by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

5. Vice Presidential Oath of Office: Administered to Joseph R. Biden Jr. by the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

6. Musical Selection by James Taylor

7. Presidential Oath of Office administered to President Barack Obama by the Honorable John G. Roberts Jr., Chief Justice of the United States.

8. Inaugural Address

9. Musical Selection: Kelly Clarkson

10. Poem by Richard Blanco

11. Benediction by Rev. Luis Leon

12. The National Anthem sung by Beyoncé

On January 7, 2013, Louie Giglio was selected to deliver the benediction at the ceremony. Giglio at first accepted, but then withdrew in response to controversy over a mid-1990s sermon in which he called on Christians to battle the gay rights movement's "aggressive agenda". The substitution of Rev. Luis Leon, pastor of Saint John's Church near the White House, was announced on January 15.

On January 8, 2013, Richard Blanco was named the inaugural poet for Barack Obama's second inauguration, the fifth person to play that role. He is the first immigrant, first Latino, and first gay person to be inaugural poet.

Following is a video of President Obama sharing his thoughts on the upcoming inauguration: