The crowd, estimated at two million people, stretched for nearly two miles from the Capitol steps, beyond the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial.
Newspapers reported that new Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel “made a funny gesture” at former congressional colleagues. Right.
Miss Aretha Franklin sang a rock-and-roll/rhythm-and-blues/Motown version of “America,” which Senator Dianne Feinstein of California called “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” in her introduction. For those of you who care about such things, Miss Franklin’s hat was a cloche, decorated with a Swarovski crystal encrusted bow. It cost $179 (£129) and was made by Luke Song of Detroit, Michigan. The next night, comedian Jay Leno, host of the Tonight television program, said in his opening monologue that Barack Obama had announced that his first act as president would be to pardon Aretha Franklin’s hat.
If you look past Aretha you can see forty-second president William Jefferson Clinton on the left and his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (now Secretary of State), on the right. Almost-forty-third-president Al Gore is at the top behind the Swarovsky crystal encrusted bow on Aretha's hat. And Barbara Bush The Younger (sister of Jenna and daughter of George W. and Laura Bush, as opposed to Barbara Bush The Older, wife of old forty-one, George Herbert Walker Bush) is at the lower right.
And the piéce de resistance:
(All AP photos)
