Politics & Government

LIVE VIDEO: Presidential Inauguration Of Barack Obama

Watch the President Barack Obama speech today to mark his second term in office.

President Barack Obama will take part in a celebratory inauguration celebration today on the Capitol in Washington, D.C., to mark his second term in office.

Obama took the legal oath in a private ceremony on Sunday as it was the Constitutional date—Jan. 20—for him to take the oath of office. Following his speech, Obama will partake in a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.

The ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m., and you can watch the livestream provided by HuffPostLive or Yahoo and ABC News right here on Patch. The official theme for the 2013 inauguration is “Faith in America’s Future."

Find out what's happening in Sarasotawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will give the oath of office for Vice President Joe Biden while Justice John Roberts will give the oath of office for the president.

President Thomas Jefferson was the first president to have a parade following his inauguration while President Jimmy Carter was the first one to get out of his motorcade and walk part of the parade route. The parade begins at 4th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and continues along Pennsylvania Avenue until 17th Street.

Find out what's happening in Sarasotawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Sarasota will have a presence at the inauguration. Chairwoman of the Sarasota County Democrat Club Rita Ferrandino is at the ceremony today.

Ferrandino is one of 29 Florida electors who cast Florida's Electoral College votes for the president.

All Electoral College electors received special invitations from the Joint Congressional Committee for the inauguration, Ferrandino said.

"This is a special opportunity," Ferrandino said. "It will be a thrill to witness close-up the inauguration of President Barack Obama - the man who so many of us here in Sarasota County and across the nation worked so hard to elect."

There's also bit of Hollywood involved as Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor will perform musical selections for the president and Beyoncé will perform the National Anthem.

Looking for some more presidential fun facts? Check out their NBC News Inauguration Cheat Sheet.

CNN's coverage will continue all day from the ceremony to the parade and into the night at the inaugural ball. Check out "13 reasons to follow the inauguration on CNN and nowhere else."

Fox News will provide coverage of the swearing in ceremony, plus coverage from the Inaugural Ball starting at 9 p.m. Check out their Inauguration Homepage, where they'll also be live streaming the event.

Here's the schedule of events for today:

The order of the program will be as follows:

  • Musical Selections: The United States Marine Band
  • Musical Selections: PS 22, Staten Island, New York and Lee University Festival Choir, Cleveland, Tennessee
  • Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
  • Invocation: Myrlie Evers-Williams
  • Musical Selection: Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir 
  • Oath of Office Administered to Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.: By Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, The Honorable Sonia Sotomayor
  • Musical Selection: James Taylor
  • Oath of Office Administered to President Barack H. Obama: By the Chief Justice of the United States, The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
  • Inaugural Address: The President of the United States, The Honorable Barack H. Obama
  • Musical Selection: Kelly Clarkson
  • Poem: Richard Blanco
  • Benediction: To Be Announced
  • The National Anthem: Beyoncé    

The Inaugural National Prayer Service will take place at 10:30 a.m. at the Washington National Cathedral. The event is by invitation only, but will be webcast live at www.nationalcathedral.org.

 

Do you plan on watching today's festivities? Share your impressions in the comments section.


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