Thousands are waiting to see President Obama take the oath of office in downtown Washington, D.C. Monday. Smaller crowds are expected this year, compared with the 1.8 million people who crowded the mall four years ago.
Chris Jansing is out along the parade route, near the Navy Yard. She’s spotted lots of entrepreneurs on the streets of D.C. selling souvenirs, everything from t-shirts and buttons, to blankets and hand-warmers. Temperatures are chilly, but expected to get into the 40’s later this afternoon. She’s talked with many people in the crowd, from all over the country.
“Many of them said they didn’t mind getting up at 3:00am because they wanted to witness history. A number of them told me that they had been disappointed they missed Barack Obama’s first inaugural and, of course, a lot of people talked about the juxtaposition of this inaugural day with Martin Luther King Day and the celebration they wanted to be a part of,” Chris Jansing reports.
Monday morning, the president, first family, and Vice President Biden and his family arrived at St. John’s Episcopal Church for a service. The ceremonial swearing-in ceremony begins at 11:30 Eastern, with the inaugural address expected at noon. The parade will take place later in the afternoon.
Kristin Donnelly