On this last day before our nation kicks off the age of Obama, Anne and I fumble our way onto the D.C. Metro and get off on Capitol Hill, where we find a city primed for euphoria. Already the Mall is busy with people milling about. We’ll make the same trek tomorrow, when we’ll be competing with hundreds of thousands to witness the swearing in. Each of the congressional office buildings is besieged with visitors in long security lines — mostly queuing to pick up their inauguration tickets. We’re finding, however, that waiting in line is a joy right now, because everyone’s talking excitedly about tomorrow.
Congressmen and -women were hosting open houses in their offices. We hung out chatting with other Washingtonians at our Congressman Jay Inslee’s office before heading down to visit with another Washington State congressman, Rick Larsen. He explained how he and his family will camp out in his office overnight tonight, in order to be where the action is from the get-go tomorrow. It’s like that all over town. Our daughter is a student at Georgetown, where dormies are allowed two guests. That means in a tiny dorm double there could be six Obama fans crashing tonight.
It’s clear there is big work to do. Tempering my glee, Inslee reminded me that Obama is “just human.” I suggested that, in facing the challenges ahead, there should be no sacred cows — not social security, not Medicaid, and not the military. Jobs and national security should be decision drivers. Can some of the $400+ billion we spend on the Department of Defense morph into a war on energy dependency? Yes, Inslee told me — as long as the money stays nominally in the DOD. Imagine what that would do to national security (and jobs) if we provided all our own energy (shhhh: with our military budget)… My congressman is a leader in finding creative solutions to our multiple-yet-interrelated challenges.
We spent the rest of the day chilling (literally) in a city filled with people who’ve come early for the festivities. Jumbotrons on the Mall played clips of yesterday’s concert, featuring pop stars (James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Bono, and others) who had actively supported Gore, then Kerry, and then got behind Obama, and, finally — third time’s a charm — won!
People pose with the flag-strewn Capitol dome behind them. Today, when posing for pictures around here, you don’t say cheese…you say “Obama!” T-shirts go for $10; buttons are 3 for $10. Many read, “Yes we did.” I’d say it’s still “Yes we can.” The hard work lies ahead. Without a ticket for any of tonight’s balls, we hike home past streets lined with empty bleachers and red, white, and blue bunting. As the sun sets on the last day of the Bush presidency, we hike past cops on every corner and under helicopters scouring the city with powerful searchlights. Chilled to the bone, yet happy to be part of history, we get warm and rested…ready to rise early tomorrow to cheer on our new president and celebrate the American dream.
