Obama announces list of people participating in the Inauguration Ceremony

[Thrill]

Aretha Franklin and Dr. Rick Warren, an author and leader of the Saddleback Church, are among the select group of people who will participate in Barack Obama’s inaugural swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20.

Mr. Obama has also chosen Elizabeth Alexander, an African-American poet, and some of the world’s premier musicians, including Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma, to share the podium with him.

In honoring the civil rights movement, Mr. Obama has asked the Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, dean of the civil rights movement and co-founder with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to deliver the benediction.

The inaugural program, which begins before noon on the West Front of the Capitol, is an historic ritual that is both an intensely personal statement by the new president and a way for him to set the tone of his new administration.

The program was announced today by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, chaired by Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California.

The program opens with musical selections by the United States Marine Band, followed by the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Ms. Feinstein will call the gathering to order and deliver opening remarks.

Dr. Warren, of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Cal., will deliver the invocation, followed by musical selections by Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, who sang “Someday We’ll All Be Free” and “Respect” at a concert for Bill Clinton in 1993, but not at the inaugural ceremony.

Justice John Paul Stevens will then administer the oath of office to

Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to be followed by a musical selection by John Williams, the composer and arranger whose music was heard at Mr. Obama’s victory party on election night in Grant Park.

Also playing will be Mr. Perlman on violin, Mr. Ma on cello, Gabriela Montero on piano and Anthony McGill on clarinet.

The oath of office will then be administered to President-elect Barack H. Obama by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.

At that point, Mr. Obama will deliver his inaugural address.

He will be followed by Ms. Alexander, who will read a poem, and Dr. Lowery’s benediction.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/aretha-franklin-to-participate-in-inaugural-ceremony/

[Critters2]

1. Rick Warren?!!!!! There are So many UCC clergy who could've done it

and who have not worked to limit the rights of any American citizens!!! I need to dash off another e-mail to change.gov :grr:

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Fuck it - write a letter to Barack himself. That's fucking bullshit.

If Obama is gonna be paling around with Warren, I don't want him as president.

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Too late.

[Critters2]

10. I think I feel the same. I told people he was a centrist,

and I was all but shouted down. I told people he wouldn't be as progressive as they were "hoping". Now he's basically named Rick Warren as his pastor. Rick Warren the homophobe.

Does this man stand for NOTHING?!!!!

[WI_DEM]

26. nevermind.

[xxqqqzme]

Agree - the self-appointed H8 cheerleader

does NOT need any more national exposure.

[tblue]

13. Oh yeah. Him.

Shouldn't he be busy writing his next book telling us what our purpose in life ought to be? A friend gave me that book. I couldn't get past the 1st chapter. I had to ask her to sum it up for me -- I was curious from all the hubbub, but not enough to read the darn thing. After that, I didn't even donate the book to Goodwill. I tore it up and put in in recycling.

Obama has a way, in his glorious all-inclusiveness, of embracing people I find nauseating. He obviously has a stronger stomach than me.

[xxqqqzme]

14. how did that double response happen?

[LostinVA]

30. And so many of us warned about this almost a year ago

And were shouted down.

I am not surprised, but I am very, very angry and saddened by this. I'm not crossing my fingers waiting for DOMA to be overturned anytime soon.

:sigh:

[tblue]

2. Wow. This is giving me chills.

Itzhak Perlman? What an event. Wish I could be there in person.

[Critters2]

4. Itzhak Perlman and Rick Warren.

:banghead:

[rvablue]

15. What's wrong with Perlman? He's a violinist. n/t

[Critters2]

17. Yes. And all the beauty he'll bring to inauguration is undone by the homophobe

giving the opening prayer. Rick Warren ruins the whole ceremony for me. I probably won't even watch.

[hlthe2b]

21. His violin on the score for Schindler's List... incredible

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueWVV_GnRIA

[tblue]

36. I have that on my iPod! Yes, it is excruciatingly beautiful.

If you have other works of his to recommend, pls let me know. Thx.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Read that wrong.

[Thrill]

7. Too bad he can't do it for Obama too. Roberts gets to do that

[Drunken Irishman]

11. Lame, I read that wrong.

The space at the end made me think the sentence was over and not that it was talking about Joe Biden.

[liberal N proud]

6. Warren

:puke:

[Lex]

8. nevermind

misread it

[Thrill]

12. Roberts is doing it

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. How the fuck can Obama even stand the sight of Warren after that Saddleback setup?

He was such an obvious cheerleader for McCain at that event, and it's damn obvious that Gramps had the cheat sheet ahead of time.

And his Prop H8 cheerleading ain't exactly anything to be proud of either.

Next to VilSuck, this is the second-worst news I've heard this week.

[Critters2]

18. More of that "reach across the aisle" I voted against in the primary.

But I worked for him in the General. I was hoping for better than this.

[hlthe2b]

19. Dr. Joseph Lowery--maybe he can be pre-taped and replayed

during Warren's invocation....:eyes:


To have Dr. Lowery have to share a stage with Warren is blasphemy...

[Bluenorthwest]

20. Rick Warren is a dogmatic bigot

and hypcrite. Here's Warren on why it is alright to attack my family :
"We should not let 2 percent of the population change the definition of marriage."

This is disgusting. In the context of the times it is insulting.

[gblady]

22. just have to laugh....

the minute I saw Warren's name...
I knew there would be outrage...

Peace out, folks...it's just one prayer.

[Critters2]

23. No. It sends a message. A deeply disappointing message. nt

[jberryhill]

42. Aretha Franklin is there for the rebuttal - R E S P E C T /nt

[hlthe2b]

24. He might not like the prayers being said in the wider audience....

as he speaks... :evilgrin:

[Cha]

25. It's just Obama bringing

the whole country together whether we like them or not.

[Critters2]

27. Including those who work to limit the rights of others.

Should glbt folk not be included in "the whole country"?

[Cha]

37. They're included.

[Critters2]

38. In what way? What has BO done to demonstrate inclusion of glbts? nt

[Cha]

40. I guess you haven't been reading the positive

news just what you percieve as negative and you can do your own research.

[Critters2]

43. So, you got nothin', huh? nt

[Bluenorthwest]

29. Just one song, just one prayer

By a man who just helped pass hate legislation. A man who slanders my family. Enough.

[Critters2]

31. Exactly. I'm honestly moved to tears by this choice.

It's still okay to shit on the glbt community.

[LostinVA]

32. It's NO DIFFERENT than having a Klansman say the prayer

[Critters2]

33. Indeed it isn't. nt

[LostinVA]

35. I'm really upset by this

I didn't expect PE Obama to embrace GLBT rights while in office, but I didn't expect THIS shot across the bow at his Inauguration. The message has been given and received.

[Rabrrrrrr]

46. It's partly different because at least the Klansman has the integrity to say he's a Klansman

[Hell Hath No Fury]

34. Yeah, it's just a prayer.

:eyes:

The entire world will be watching and Obama picked a bigot to pray on his behalf him at his inauguration.

Fuck that shit.

[gkhouston]

47. Damn. I was hoping he'd touch a bible so we could see Warren spontaneously combust. n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

28. Warren supported Prop. 8 out here big time.

Fuck him. And fuck Obama for messing with gays AGAIN -- I remember vividly that bullshit he pulled with that anti-gay preacher he had headlining one of his campaign events. :mad: Once again, Obama had the chance to show religion can be pro-gay and, once again, he goes with the regressive choice.

Shame on him.

[CTyankee]

50. That's very bad and coming on the heels of that vote in CA, it is disturbing.

I can't help thinking that maybe Obama has a method to his madness here. Do you think he is trying to mellow Warren's attitude on gay rights by doing this?

If I were gay, I certainly would feel as if I was being personally slapped. As it is, I don't feel very proud of being straight and liberal either...

[CTyankee]

51. Well, it's nice that Elizabeth Alexander is from Yale!

Perlman and Ma will be extraordinary.

But overall, a blight has been cast over this inauguration with the inclusion of Warren. I am at a loss to understand how Obama could do this.

[Alter Ego]

39. Due to complaints from several members of his own party, Obama has since revised

the list.

The Oath of Office for President-elect Barack Obama will now be administered by HOWARD DEAN.

The Oath of Office for Vice-President-elect Joe Biden will now be administered by DENNIS KUCINICH.

The Invocation and Prayer will be performed by HOWARD DEAN CLONE #1.

The poem will be read by DENNIS KUCINICH CLONE #1.

HOWARD DEAN CLONE #2 will play the cello, accompanied by HOWARD DEAN CLONE #3 and DENNIS KUCINICH CLONE #2 on violin and piano, and DENNIS KUCINICH CLONE #3 will play clarinet.

[GarbagemanLB]

41. Don't forget Caroline Kennedy! She is a MUST!!!

[CTyankee]

49. what on earth does SHE have to do with any of this?

dear god, do we have to pull her into any discussion anywhere on this board just to take a cheap shot?

[earth mom]

44. What, No Oprah?

:wow:

[mwei924]

45. What can Oprah do at the ceremony? Give everyone a free car?

She'll probably just be watching and then going to the parties

[hlthe2b]

48. She can give me one....

Colorado's beckoning Ms. Winfrey! LOL

[freestyle]

52. Joseph Lowery is far more important than Rick Warren yet the focus seems to be on Warren

Having heard Rev. Lowery preach at my church, I know that he supports equal rights for all people, has said it many times, and has more inspiration in his little toenail than Rick Warren could ever dream of. Seeing the whole list, I am looking forward to it even more.

[ieoeja]

53. McClurkin was only supposed to give an invocation.

Hopefully Warren won't turn his two minutes into a half-hour long diatribe against gays like Donnie did.

And what happens if he does? Now, like then, Obama has put himself into a politically no-win situation.

Not inviting Warren in the first place would have been no problem. He's a rightwinger, so the assumption was that he probably would not pick him.

Dis-inviting Warren now becomes a slap in the face to the Rightists.

Cutting Warren off when** he turns his time on stage into a hate fest would also be insulting the Rightists.

Warren greeted by a million boos will*** also be insulting the Rightists.

As an Obama supporter since the Senate primary in 2004, the only one real fuck-up I saw him make was with McClurkin. And I see him making it again. I concluded then, and this just adds weight to my conclusion, that where Gays and Atheists are concerned, Obama just - does - not - get - it.

I am still cautiously optimistic that he will eliminate the ban on Gays in the military. And enact other pro-Gay rules & regulations.

Legal restrictions, he gets. Offense, he does not. I have no doubt that Martin Luther King, Jr worked side by side with a lot of allies who were the same way regarding racism, and that King, et al, knew perfectly well that many of those allies didn't get it.

If he just keeps his legal promises this adminstration will still be the biggest leap forward since Stonewall.


** "When" not "if".
*** "Will" not "would".