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Photos by M.E. Sprengelmeyer

And there he is, President Barack H. Obama, as viewed from Section 2, Green, Seat 83, three rows behind the orchestra pit.

From that vantage point, the best view was of the U.S. Capitol rising high above the partially-obscured lectern where the new president delivered his inaugural address. 

Or, turning around, you could see what the president saw: an uninterrupted sea of humanity stretching all the way to the Washingon Monument -- and beyond. 

Look closely, and you can see some famous faces in the crowd, too.  Denzel Washington was there.  Don King was there.  And we were introduced to a few people we didn't even know that we should know.

Photos by M.E. Sprengelmeyer

This question dawned on me on Sunday afternoon, as I stood a mile away from the Lincoln Memorial and gazed across an uninterrupted sea of shivering people who were waiting to hear an all-star concert and then a short little speech from President-elect Barack Obama.

If Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and U2 are among your warm-up acts, then how big a rock star must you be?

 There outside the Lincoln Memorial, Sunday's crowd rivaled the one that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. faced while giving his "I Have A Dream" speech in 1963.

Forty-six years later, on the eve of MLK Day, the crowd was every bit as diverse and united as Dr. King once envisioned, with black folks and white folks standing shoulder to shoulder or walking arm in arm.

Elderly, African-American couples were everywhere in the crowd, often standing silently even as their younger companions cheered or danced or hollered.

Vendors hawking the new president's picture on every item imaginable worked their ways through the crowd. And protesters made their presence felt, too.

 One somber group of marchers, clad in orange jump suits with black hoods over their heads, made a silent statement to urge the new president to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, as promised. As they slowly circled the Washington Monument under gloomy, gray skies, a college-aged onlooker cried out: "If water-boarding is torture, what does that make snowboarding?"

I was still pondering that question when there was another spontaneous outburst that might surprise some Republicans.

As the ever-growing crowd waited for the concert to begin, three helicopters appeared overhead, circling the National Mall.

Eyes lit up.  Everybody knew.  This was the current White House occupant, outgoing President George W. Bush, returning from his last little respite at Camp David.

People in the decidedly left-leaning crowd cheered and offered enthusiastic waves - with all five fingers - as the president's helicopter passed and then landed behind some trees.

Was this the start of a mass movement?  Were these Americans, and even these Democrats, letting bygones be bygones?

As one observer wondered online: "Anyone think Bush is griping about all them ... hippies trampling the lawn?"

And there it is, your intrepid correspondent's official ticket to this year's festival of hope, hype and hypothermia in the nation's capital.

President-elect Barack Obama's arrival in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night sets the stage for a long string of events leading up to the inauguration on Tuesday.

Click on THIS LINK RIGHT HERE to see how some of the scene unfolded through the day on Saturday.

Photo by M.E. Sprengelmeyer

With the inauguration of President Barack Obama just a week away, the anticipation -- and expectations -- seem to be growing by the day in the nation's capital.

Obama's name and picture are plastered everywhere. 

On billboards.  On books.  On international phone cards for sale at the local convenience stores.  On buttons.  On bumper stickers.  On plates.  On caps.  On t-shirts, jackets, sunglasses.  On news rack cards for the Washington Times (a paper with a conservative reputation).  On everything.

At one fancy bed and bath boutique in DuPont Circle, you can even get your very own monogrammed "Obama" bathrobe.

The pre-inaugural hype far outpaces anything seen in the abbreviated run-up to President Bush's 2001 inauguration and the second inaugural in 2005.

Besides the historic nature of Obama's election, the anticipation might have something to do with the difficult economic times the country is going through.

And when the going gets tough, the tough go for fast food.

Over the weekend, the president elect made his first visit to the landmark Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, a joint with a storied history in the life of the District of Columbia.  At Ben's, there's a small, hand-written sign behind the counter inviting the Obama family (or Ben's fan Bill Cosby) to dine for free anytime.  But Obama reportedly paid for his chili half-smoke dog with a $20 -- keep the change.

Elsewhere in the District, restaurants are hoping some of the magic rubs off on them, too. 

An Obama appearance can turn a site into an instant tourist attraction -- just in time for the expected arrival of up to several million people for the Jan. 20 festivities.

And that could explain the prayer hanging above the entrance of one of our favorite, all-night haunts, the American City diner in Chevy Chase.

Photos by M.E. Sprengelmeyer

With all the hoopla over Rep. Sen. Mark Udall's first day in the U.S. Senate, it might have been easy to overlook the other three newcomers who have helped give the Colorado congressional delegation a sudden transformation.

But have no fear.

We took our omnipresent and ever-annoying point-and-shoot camera and raced all over Capitol Hill on Tuesday, moving fast enough to catch newly-minted Reps. Jared Polis, Betsy Markey and Mike Coffman.

It fascinates us to compare the fashion trends in wardrobes and office decorations.  Enjoy.

Can you guess which one is the conservative?

Bennet sat down with us for a brief chat.  He's still not ready to lay out a laundry list of policy positions -- something that will draw him more heat the longer he takes the cautious route.

But he did talk about the challenges ahead and his desire to keep much of Sen. Ken Salazar's current staff in place.

And by breaking away to hold a long-distance conference call with his staff at Denver Public Schools, the superintendent -- at least two weeks from being given the "Senator" title -- showed us how it's tricky balancing the here and now duties with the thoughts of what comes next.

CHECK OUT the story HERE.

Photos by M.E. Sprengelmeyer

With a Texan leaving the White House, we thought we'd be losing some of the cowboy-country stuff that moseyed into the federal bureaucracy eight years ago.

For example, get a load of this hypothetical that crept into the federal code in January 2001 -- just days before President Bush's inauguration.

In ethics rules for federal employees, it offered this hypothetical guidance:

"Example 8: The head of a cabinet-level department may contribute one
of her worn-out cowboy boots to the campaign committee of a Senatorial
candidate to be auctioned off in a fundraising raffle for the benefit of
the candidate's campaign."

 

We're not sure if former Interior Secretary Gale Norton ever took advantage of the rule.

But have no fear, collectors of cowboy kitsch. 

It's still relevant thanks to the nomination of boot-wearing Coloradan, Sen. Ken Salazar, to be Interior Secretary.

With all the (expletive) kicking that President-elect Barack Obama has asked Salazar to do, he'll wear out a pair in no time.

Photo by Barry Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News

The fashion police were out in force in Chicago on Wednesday, as President-elect Barack Obama introduced Sen. Ken Salazar as his nominee for Interior Secretary.

This much is a given: Salazar just flat-out looks like an Interior Secretary.

If a president got his cabinet together as a big group, someone who knows very little about politics or bureaucracy might guess that the man in the cowboy hat and bolo tie probably does something on issues involving cowboys and Indians, and perhaps the great outdoors.

Check.

But the prospective new "farm guy," Agriculture Secretary nominee Tom Vilsack of Iowa, showed up wearing just a regular business suit for his introduction. Where were the overalls?*

And so, after the press conference, when reporters and photographers were busy working on the first draft of history, some took part in a few catty critiques of Salazar's trademarked wardrobe.

No biggie.  In these parts, we reckon most folks have probably never seen a real life Interior Secretary (or nominee).  They'll get used to it.

So, in the words of Randy Newman, Senator: "You can leave your hat on."

Please help us CAPTION THIS photo in the comments section.

*UPDATE: The Washington Post's Dana Milbank just made the very same overalls joke on CNN.  But we had the time-stamped copyright.

We heard a rumor that Sen. Ken Salazar might be heading this way.  For some reason he was at Denver International Airport getting his boots shined before a trip.  And everyone knows that Chicago is nice this time of year...

But so far, we haven't found him sleeping on any of the cots they've brought out to take care of stranded travelers here in Chicago.

This evening, the Chicago streets are covered with fresh white snow.  The airport has shut down all but one runway.  There are major delays -- so bad, in fact, that if you had, say, a major job interview or an introduction to a nationwide television audience, you might want to sleep on the plane.

That's not the only advice Salazar is getting on the eve of a press conference where President-elect Barack Obama is expected to formally name him as his Interior Secretary nominee.

His old friend Gale Norton, President Bush's first Interior Secretary, sent us an e-mail from The Hague, where she's on oil company business, with some warm wishes for Salazar.  (Believe us, he'll need all the warmth he can get in Chicago this week.)

Wrote Norton:

"For a westerner, leading Interior is a fascinating and challenging experience. Ken will be at the focal point of resource issues vital to the West. People are intensely concerned about Interior decisions because they impact the places people love for recreation or depend upon for their livelihoods."

"My advice to Ken: when you have made enough tough decisions for the week, remember it's your job to go visit a national park or a wildlife refuge, so enjoy the outdoors!"

Photo by M.E. Sprengelmeyer

And now, we know how to read between the lines.

Amid reports that Sen. Ken Salazar is about to be announced as President-elect Barack Obama's first Interior Secretary, it's worth looking back to what he said when we asked about that very prospect at a campaign rally Oct. 26 in Fort Collins.

"I love what I'm doing now as U.S. senator," Salazar said at the time, standing backstage with his granddaughter in his arms as Obama was wrapping up an appearance at Colorado State University.

Salazar, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, was asked if he had committed to serve the remaining two years on his term - cabinet offer or not.

"I believe Sen. Obama is going to have multiple, wonderful candidates for all his positions," Salazar said. "I'm working on behalf of his campaign not because I want any position, but because I'm comfortable; I just want him elected president."

But he also added: "I think it would be great if he chose to have a Coloradan, and I do think it would be great if he had - and I know he will have - people from the West, people who understand rural America.  I'm positive that's what he's going to do."

And now we know which person he might have been talking about.

The president barely flinched and even joked about the incident later.  But White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, who grew up in Colorado, reportedly was injured slightly in the scuffle to subdue the shoe-tosser.

Various media reports say that she was hit in the eye by a microphone and was "bruised."  MSNBC reported that she had "a bit of a black eye."

But it didn't stop Perino from continuing her duties as Bush continued his surprise, overseas trip by heading from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Perino has deep roots in Colorado. 

She was born in Wyoming, but grew up in Denver and the metro area, attending Ponderosa High School in Parker and the University of Southern Colorado (now CSU-Pueblo) before becoming an aide to former Colorado congressmen Scott McInnis and Dan Schaefer.

As she wraps up her tenure as Bush's spokeswoman, now she really has something to talk about.

Photos by M.E. Sprengelmeyer 

Twas the night before Monday, when all through the House

Not a creature was stirring, not even Tom Tancredo.

The bunting's being hung by the Capitol with care,

In hopes that Obama soon will be there.

The Democrats were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of shoes being thrown at President Bush danced through their heads.

I looked for a kerchief, then chose my blogger's cap,

As the Broncos got a start on their long winter's nap...

You get the idea.  Or you would if you were here in Washington, D.C., right now.

The District of Columbia is being taken over by construction crews preparing for the inauguration of another president.

But the historic nature of Barack Obama's victory has the District of Columbia bracing for an unprecedented onslaught of people for the Jan. 20, 2009, event.

Some are predicting crowds of up to several million people.  The final tally could depend on whether the head-counters include people who travel halfway across the country to get to the event, only to be stuck in Washington Beltway traffic. 

Law enforcement agencies said last week they are expecting 600,000 people aboard 10,000 buses - a convoy that would stretch 75 miles long.  The city has identified 5,300 bus parking spaces so far, meaning some highways and byways might become parking lots, too.

Colorado will be well represented in those traffic jams.  Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Gov. Bill Ritter and other VIPs will be here. The Windsor High School marching band will he here.  So will the Freedom Riders horse group from Greeley.

And a school group from Sedgwick County is getting ready for the trip, too.

If you're in Colorado and planning to attend the inauguration, drop us a line and let us know why.  (E-mail SprengelmeyerM@SHNS.com.)

And watch this space in coming days for tips on what to see, what to avoid, and what to wear. 

Here's the first hint: bring walking shoes. 

The District's Metro subway system has never handled more than 854,000 people in a single day.  The most it can handle in one hour is 120,000 - and that's in a sardine-like arrangement they call "crush-loading."  So if a few million people do show up, be prepared to wait several hours for a train, or get ready to march several miles to get close to where history is being made.