It’s almost here, people! Come Tuesday, Hopey McChangerson will take the Oath of Office and we’ll have ourselves a brand-spankin’ new Presidente.
A lot is going on in the lead-up to the big day, including one long-overdue event this very night:
At 9:00 p.m. Friday, the highest-level staffers will turn in their gear; and the West Wing will become a ghost town. Chief of Staff Josh Bolten, Counselor Ed Gillespie, and Press Secretary Dana Perino are the senior staffers who will remain here, on standby. Monday is a federal holiday so the White House would be closed anyway. On Tuesday, Special Agent Donald White of the U.S. Secret Service will shadow President Bush, sit in the customary front ‘shotgun’ seat of the limousine, and guard the President until noon. At 12:01, Agent White steps over to a position behind Barack Obama.
Confirmation hearings for Obama’s Cabinet picks are also underway, and while there’s plenty of other outlets covering news on that front, I did want to point out a highlight from Eric Holder’s hearing. Are you ready for government officials speaking to you like an adult again? I sure am:
You hear that? Waterboarding. Is. Torture.
Simple, straightforward, and free of rhetorical gymnastics. 100% Refreshing.
So yeah, WiS is definitely excited about Inauguration Day—just not enough to stay in town for the imminent shitstorm descending upon DC in a matter of hours. A mini-vacay at Lake Gaston for Beer Olympics is much more appealing. Updates will be posted on Twitter until my return, so go nuts there.
For those of you swarming into town or holding down the fort for guests and random Craigslist renters, good luck. Things to keep in mind:
- FEMA has joined the party.
- Dress warm.
- Hope(!) you won’t have to go to the bathroom.
- Don’t count on any Netflix coming in that day.
- Pick a bar you’d like to celebrate in ahead of time and stick to it. You will NOT have fun trying to bar-hop.
- Know your Metro closures.
- Was taking out a third mortgage to nab a ticket really necessary?
