Obama's Inaugural Speech to Urge Responsibility

Inaugural address praised as masterful use of language

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's inaugural address showed a literary mastery of language, assorted authors tell the Los Angeles Times. The president's plain speaking and restraint is commended, along with his use of "we" instead of "I." Author Ted Wilmer hails the president's use of "tight language, short sentences and strong images," and his evocative references to past presidents and other historical figures. More»

Rooftop snipers, the vice president sprinting, Denzel in action, and more

(NEWSER) - Yesterday’s all-star concert on the National Mall put the super in supergroup, but the HBO broadcast didn’t catch everything. Here’s some of what went down off-camera, as seen by Jada Yuan of New York:

• Black-clad Secret Service snipers trolled the Lincoln Memorial’s rooftop, packing binocs and “really big machine guns.”
• Audience members gasping at actor Denzel Washington’s presence, with one man exclaiming, “Damn, all the famous black people are here.” Denzel also “did a little dance” and “raised the roof” for singer Mary J. Blige.
• President-elect Barack Obama obeying Jamie Foxx’s command that “Chi-Town, stand up!”

Ceremonies fully funded by trinkets, donations

(AP) - Barack Obama's inauguration fundraisers had no problem capitalizing on a hot market for keepsakes. Obama-themed clothing, jewelry, rulers, and piggy banks raked in a grant total of $2 million for the inaugural committee. Even before the tchotchke change, the committee was already debt-free—the $53 million in individual donations disclosed earlier this week put total fundraising well ahead of the $50 million cost of the swearing-in. More»

Tongue-in-cheek column mocks critics

(NEWSER) - You might be euphoric after Barack Obama’s inauguration, but “not everyone feels the ‘Obama high,’” writes Lloyd Garver on the Huffington Post. These “Democrat-haters” who “enjoy puncturing balloons of hope” probably viewed Inauguration Day through slightly less rose-colored glasses than you did: For one thing, “How bad was that inaugural poem? It didn't even rhyme. And Aretha Franklin's hat looked like something Dick Cheney tried to shoot.” More»

Web audience sends numbers skyrocketing

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's inauguration was the most-watched ever but it failed to set a TV ratings record, USA Today reports. Neilsen estimates 37.8 million television viewers tuned in for the ceremony, while 41.8 million watched Ronald Reagan's 1981 inauguration. But internet viewership broke records and sent figures through the roof. Some 26.9 million watched online streaming on CNN and 9.1 million on MSNBC's site, according to the networks. More»