Early Edition

Inaugural Announcer Charles Brotman Recalls Previous Inaugurals and Previews This Year's

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LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we are set to record more inaugural moments this coming weekend. And one man who will be there for the Bush inaugural is an experienced hand at such gatherings. Just listen to this.

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CHARLES BROTMAN, INAUGURAL ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the president-elect, William Jefferson Clinton.

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STOUFFER: Well, the man behind that wonderful voice, Charlie Brotman is with us from Washington this morning. Mr. Brotman has announced all but one of the Presidential Inaugural Parades ever since Eisenhower.

Good morning to you, Mr. Brotman.

BROTMAN: Good morning. Nice to be here.

STOUFFER: Well, it's good to have you here. You know, a lot of people like their jobs, but you must love your job. You have the best seat in the house.

BROTMAN: Well as a matter of fact, I do. I'm directly across from the presidential reviewing stand, and they refer to me as the president's announcer because he is on a ground level, and he really doesn't have the best viewing area from there. I do. I'm elevated so I can see far to the left and to the right and basically I'm the one who says: Here comes the United States Marine Corps. Band, so the president knows when to stand, when to salute, when to sit. He has a good time.

STOUFFER: Well, you have a great title there. And I know you have so many wonderful stories to share about what you've witnessed over the years. I want to take you back in time a little bit first to the Kennedy Inaugural Parade. I think we have some video that we can show of that. And what are you thoughts -- what do you remember most about that?

BROTMAN: Well, the thing with Kennedy was that on his first inaugural, they had about six inches of snow the night before, and they got like something like 3,000 military personnel to clean the streets. They had flamethrowers. They had trucks galore. They removed 500 cars -- I mean, when I say removed them, they got them out of the way for the pres.

STOUFFER: So, you've suffered through some cold days as well. Going forward to Jimmy Carter's Inaugural Parade, I know it was an extremely cold day there. What are some stories you have of that day?

BROTMAN: Well, President Carter did something that no other president has done, and even before him or after him. He actually from the Capitol to the White House, he and his wife and Amy walked the entire distance, almost a couple of miles. He was the president of the people, and he wanted to show everybody that he was in good shape, and he could do it. He's with the spectators.

STOUFFER: But isn't that the day that it was so cold the musicians actually got into some trouble?

BROTMAN: Well, Reagan's was the coldest of all, and the reason that Reagan -- this was in his second term and, basically, what happened this was the 50th inauguration and Ronald Reagan -- and I give him all the credit in the world. I was very impressed with his decision -- and that was it was so cold. It was 30 degrees below freezing. And I got a call at midnight the night before the inaugural and they said, "Charlie, don't go down to Pennsylvania Avenue. We're moving the parade to the Capital Center," which is a sports arena here in the Washington area.

And what happened was that it was the president who got the information from his committee that it was so cold that they feared for frostbite for some of the cheerleaders in the skimpy outfits and such. It was just too cold. And the president said, but these kids are coming from all over the country and I don't want to disappoint them.

You know, half a loaf is better than no loaf at all. Let's have something. And they did. I went to the arena, ad-libbed basically the whole thing because the script was for the outdoor parade. We had the indoor parade. It was still very exciting, very entertaining, and I know all those youngsters who came here will remember that forever.

STOUFFER: Yeah, and I know one year it was so called the musicians' lips actually froze to some of their instruments. I can't imagine that but...

BROTMAN: And that was Carter. It was so cold that you know when you put your -- the trumpet up to your lips, they stuck to it, they froze because of the moisture. And first aide was like so busy working with the musicians. I can't imagine it either.

STOUFFER: And Mr. Brotman, can you give us a quick preview for what we'll see this weekend? Has everyone had enough time to get this whole thing together?

BROTMAN: Well, great question because they have been working 12 to 18 hours a day. I got to give all the credit in the world to the committee this year. They, of course, because of the nature of the election, they started late, and then right away it was the Christmas holidays, Christmas, New Year's, and they had been going full force. It's going to be a terrific parade. They've worked so hard at it, and I think anybody who's there will love it.

One of the things is that the parade is rather like an act of Congress. Every inaugural parade has like five divisions, and what makes the parade a little exceptional is the nature of the president. It's a reflection of his personality. An Eisenhower, perhaps, is kind of military and conservative, but a Clinton or a Kennedy or a Reagan, they have so much going forms (ph), they're so gregarious that the parade reflects it. And I think that's what's going to happen this year.

STOUFFER: OK, Mr. Brotman we will be watching, of course, and of course listening. Thank you so much for being with us to share with us some of your memories.

BROTMAN: Oh, it's my pleasure. Thanks for having me.

STOUFFER: We'll hear from you soon then, thanks a lot.

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