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Entertainers Provide Inaugural Concert at Lincoln Memorial to Crowd of Thousands; President-elect Obama a Stirring Symbol at Lincoln Memorial

Aired January 18, 2009 - 22:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: This is the scene right now here in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. What a beautiful scene it is. You see the Washington Monument, the National Mall. It was pretty jam packed today, especially around the Lincoln Memorial. But that's Capitol Hill where on Tuesday at noon Eastern, the new president of the United States will be sworn in.
We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting here from the Newseum, right atop Pennsylvania Avenue with the U.S. Capitol behind us. Anderson Cooper is here together with the Best Political Team on Television, Soledad O'Brien. Let's introduce everyone right now. Don Lemon had a busy day out on the National Mall, and David Gergen, our senior political analyst.

It was a day that saw a lot of serious talk, especially by the president-elect, Anderson, but also entertainers.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And a day that saw the enthusiasm in this city only growing. More and more people are pouring into this city. There were hundreds of thousands of people, not just the hundreds of thousands packed shoulder-to-shoulder around the Lincoln Memorial to watch the performers and listen to Barack Obama, but also just people coming -- even people who didn't go to the concert, people just milling around, wanting to soak up the atmosphere in Washington, it is an exciting time, and today was an extraordinary exciting day.

And over the next hour, we're going to show you a complete recap of what happened today and we're going to recap the entire speech that Barack Obama gave. We will play it in its entirety later on in this program. But we want to give you just a little bit of Barack Obama. Some of the words that he spoke today to a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: As I prepare to assume the presidency, yours are the voices I will take with me every day when I walk into that Oval Office. The voices of men and women who have different stories but hold common hopes; who ask only for what was promised us as Americans -- that we might make of our lives what we will and see our children climb higher than we did.

It is this thread that binds us together in common effort; that runs through every memorial on this mall; that connects us to all those who struggled and sacrificed and stood here before.

It is how this nation has overcome the greatest differences and the longest odds, because there is no obstacle that can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change.

That is the belief with which we began this campaign, and that is how we will overcome what ails us now. There is no doubt that our road will be long. That our climb will be steep. But never forget that the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease, but by the right we do when the moment is hard.

I ask you to help reveal that character once more, and together, we can carry forward as one nation, and one people, the legacy of our forefathers that we celebrate today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: As I said, we'll be playing Barack Obama's entire address later tonight; it was about six minutes long. I was out on the mall throughout this concert very close to the Capitol, and when a lot of the performers were on stage, people just kind of walking around not paying attention, I can tell you as soon as Barack Obama went on that stage and began to speak, everybody around where I was stopped and watched at the Jumbotron screen to listen to what he had to say, and we're going to play you those -- his entire address as I said later on.

Chris Lawrence was down on the mall all day today talking to people. Chris, people from all around the world are descending on Washington, D.C., and incredibly excited to be here.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN VETERANS AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, it was just amazing to be in the middle of some of these crowds. You know, most of these folks -- they don't have tickets to the big, fancy balls, they're not going to be up close at the swearing in ceremony, but today was their chance to stand there, near the place where people like Tom Hanks and Tiger Woods were to really feel like this was their chance to really be a part of all this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE (voice-over): They are some of the biggest superstars in the world, but, for once, they were not the centers of attention -- from U2 to Usher. They came to applaud the future first family. People are expecting the swearing in to be the moment, but facing the Washington monument, Barack Obama recalled another.

OBAMA: Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a king, and the glory of the people who marched and bleeds so that their children might be judge by their characters content.

LAWRENCE: Watching Obama stand before Lincoln was for some overwhelming.

JEZELLE HEBERT, NEW ORLEANS, N.C.: I've been crying, I might start crying again. It is the most amazing time of my life. LAWRENCE: Black, white, young, old, foreigners and Americans, massive crowds of people marched across the National Mall heading for the concert.

FRANCINE BROWN: It is a dream come true, because for one thing, you remember the hurt. You remember when people couldn't walk together. It was, it is like I didn't live to see this coming.

LAWRENCE: Anywhere else, it would have cost the family thousands of dollars to hear all these stars live. That made the long walks and waiting well worth it.

WAYNE ZUSCHLAG, WASHINGTON VISITOR: You smell it, you hear it, you feel the cold, you feel the excitement, you're part of the bigger community.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAWRENCE: That is the main reason why everybody was telling us why they came here. You know, you hear the complaints about -- oh, you know, it's going to be so cold. The crowds are going to be so large, that's why people are here. They want to be in that. They want to rub shoulders with each other. They want to look each other in the eye. They want to hear other people's stories about where they came from and why they came. You know, it's something about being a part of something larger than yourself. I think that is just driving so many people here for the next couple days -- Wolf, Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, Chris. I mean, that sense of community really down on the Mall today was palpable. And people just kind of talking to each other. People, you know -- and asking, you know, to have their picture taken. They hand their camera to complete strangers, they hear take my picture and they would switch back and forth. It was really a -- it was a remarkable experience.

BLITZER: And as we've been saying folks are coming to Washington to be able to say in the years to come, they were here when Barack Obama was sworn in as president of the United States.

Anderson, the day began when Joe Biden and Barack Obama went over across the river to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown. It was an emotional moment. Neither of these men spoke. This is when they later went to church, but, over here you could see when they were at Arlington National Cemetery. It was a nice touch on this Sunday before the inauguration for them to make this journey and then, as I said, they went to church, a private ceremony here in Washington.

Soledad O'Brien, as you watch what's going on, set the scene for us as well because tomorrow's a national holiday in the United States. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and what a coincidence or what a remarkable juxtaposition. Tomorrow we remember Dr. Martin Luther King and on Tuesday Barack Obama becomes president.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, great timing, really. I guess it's the way to put it. And for many people it's the, you know, it's that thread that kind of culminates and the permission of -- I think part of the dream. I think it would be naive to say fully realizing Dr. Martin Luther King's dream. But it is -- it's been a remarkable moment.

You know, and you see Barack Obama has consistently, from the get go. I was looking at some of his old speeches when he was running from the Senate. He would always reference Dr. Martin Luther King. I mean, it's not a new thing for him. Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, those are his heroes even to the point, where he will echo the cadence in some of his speeches and the phraseology, even.

So, you know, it's sort of fitting, really, that we're going to pay tribute to Dr. King tomorrow. It would be his 80th birthday -- Dr. King's 80th birthday, and then we will inaugurate the first African-American president. But many people have said to me tonight as I was walking around and going to some of the celebrations.

They said make sure you make the point. This is not a victory just for African-Americans; this is a victory for everyone because it's a symbol of a promise of a country. It is not -- hey, one group won, woohoo for that group. That's not what it's about at all. And one of Martin Luther King's speechwriters, I had dinner with him tonight, he told me that.

BLITZER: Don, you were there for much of the day out on the national mall. You spoke to a lot of people. It was their common theme, did you heard?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I think the common theme, really, wasn't with speech, I think it's what you feel. And I think what we're feeling now is a general softening of America when it comes to opening up and listening to people and accepting people, and I think people now, at least the election of Barack Obama and his inauguration on Tuesday sort of shows that America is finally putting its money and its heart where its constitution is and living up on those promises that this country was founded on.

And then, you know, the culmination as Soledad said of a dream that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had and that Barack Obama is now fulfilling. Barack Obama is looking back with these whistle-stop tours, learning from mentors, you know, former presidents, Abraham Lincoln, but he's looking forward by doing that by saying, by including everyone and bringing everyone into the full. So, it's time for America to start delivering those promises. And I think that people think Barack Obama during the election is doing that.

COOPER: David, Soledad talked about that often Barack Obama has used the words of Dr. Martin Luther King. I remember during the primaries he gave that speech where he talked about the fierce urgency of now, which is the term that Dr. King used, and it was a turning point in the primaries. It was a speech that ignited an awful lot of people's passions for Barack Obama. He comes to power now on Tuesday at a time where -- I mean, if there has ever been a fierce urgency of now, it is this day, this time.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: This moment. And, you know, we've had, Anderson, large crowds come here for Democratic inaugurals in the past. We've had large crowds for Republican inaugurals. I cannot remember a time when we've had a crowd, not only this gigantic, but as full of energy and idealism and hope and diversity.

I mean, this -- there's so many African-Americans here who are walking proudly today, and they're mixing in -- I don't think we've had anything like this since the march on Washington in '63. I must say, I found one of the most poignant moment today was reading about his when he went to the 19th Street Baptist Church for a service this morning. Two young boys have spoken. One of them said Martin Luther King walked so that Barack Obama could run. And the other said Barack Obama ran so that all children can fly. That was really --

LEMON: And that was coming off of what Dr. King said, if you can't fly, run, if you can't run, walk, if you can't walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving. You know, I said that to you earlier, Anderson, it was amazing to see people from all over the world who were just there embracing each other.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Even people who are not citizens of the United States. They have a stake in what is happening here, that in some way Barack Obama has touched them and will change them as well as change this country.

GERGEN: You know, even if you watched and heard Barack Obama's remarks, his speech, short to the point earlier today over at the Lincoln Memorial. You certainly will want to hear it a second time. We're going to play the entire speech for you. Certainly, if you didn't hear it the first time, you're going to want to see it.

We're also going to do, Anderson -- I think a lot of our viewers want to hear some of the entertainers. And we have permission to run some of that, even though it was an HBO production. Our sister network, we're going to play some of the entertainers, including Bono. Let's go to commercial break right now with this little clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONO, MUSICIAN, U2: On this spot, where we're standing, 43 years ago, 46 years ago, Dr. King had a dream. On Tuesday that dream comes to pass.

(SINGING) One man comes in the name of love, one man come and go. One man comes here to justify, one man to overthrow, in the name --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: In the course of our history, only a handful of generations have been asked to confront challenges as serious as the ones we face right now. Our nation is at war. Our economy is in crisis. Millions of Americans are losing their jobs and their homes; they're worried about how they'll afford college for their kids or pay the stack of bills on their kitchen table. And most of all, they are anxious and uncertain about the future, about whether this generation of Americans will be able to pass on what's best about this country to our children and their children.

I won't pretend that meeting any one of these challenges will be easy. It will take more than a month or a year, and it will likely take many. Along the way there will be setbacks and false starts and days that test our resolve as a nation.

But despite all of this, despite the enormity of the task that lies ahead, I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure, that the dream of our founders will live on in our time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Barack Obama speaking at the Lincoln Memorial earlier today. The symbolism of him speaking literally in the shadow, if you will, of Abraham Lincoln, powerful symbol, Anderson, as we watch what's going on.

COOPER: It was just remarkable symbolism all day. And to see, you know, when those cameras turned around, and you saw what Barack Obama saw, which is just this sea of faces of black and white, people from all over the world. It was a sight to behold. We're going to show you the complete comments by Barack Obama later on in the program tonight.

BLITZER: And it was, literally, both sides of that reflecting jam-packed thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands of people showed up to hear the president-elect of the United States.

Our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is getting some new information right now on the move into the White House for the Obamas.

What are you picking up, Ed?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's interesting, first of all, in terms of the ambitious agenda that the president-elect is trying to lay out for his first week, we're learning from top aides that on Wednesday he's going to convene his senior economic advisers here at the White House, try to put the financial crisis front and center, immediately ramp up his efforts to sell his recovery plan.

Second, he's also talking on Wednesday about bringing in the military brass. Try to get them to change the mission in Iraq, follow up on that campaign promise about removing all combat troops within sixteen months. Third, there's also talk now from senior aides about getting involved early. This week involved in the Mideast crisis, specifically senior adviser David Axlerod today saying on State of the Union with John King that this could happen quickly, the potential to name at least one top envoy to the president, to deal with the Mideast crisis.

And, finally, he's also looking at a whole range of potential executive orders to issue this first week in office, specifically one to potentially close down the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. Another one they're looking at would raise the fuel efficiency of automobiles. So from international and domestic policy, you're looking at a whole range of issues, Wolf.

BLITZER: The challenges for this president-elect will be enormous, once he gets sworn in. The other issue of this move, a lot of us remember eight years ago, the final days of the Clinton White House. There were some pranks that were left behind that caused sort of a stir. I take it that the Bush White House, President Bush has ordered no such pranks this time.

HENRY: Yes, I can tell you that senior Bush officials are telling me that they're not going to be ripping any O's off the keyboards as in Obama and pulling pranks like that. They say that it's very clear that this president, the outgoing president will be furious if there are any pranks like that, because they feel that this transition has gone pretty smoothly. Both sides have been saying that. First, post-911 transition even though it's going from Republican to Democrat, they don't want to mess it up with any sort of pranks like that, Anderson.

BLITZER: Yes, that would be ugly. And, you know, Anderson, the most important thing I think that we heard from Barack Obama today, beyond all the lofty rhetoric, he said it's not weeks, not months...

COOPER: Years.

BLITZER: Not a year, but years, he says, this economic crisis, the country is now facing.

COOPER: And he faces battle not just overseas, foreign policy issues, but also right here at home on Capitol Hill, and not just with the Republicans but also with Democrats. Dana Bash is on The Hill now to talk about some of that.

Dana, it is not going to be smooth sailing in the days ahead.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, the Democratic Congress wants to help him do his top goal, and that is an economic stimulus package, but they are also being very careful to hold his feet to the fire on some of his top campaign promises.

In particular, the promise that we heard so many times over and over again, Anderson. That he would repeal the Bush tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. Those making more than $250,000 a year. Well, the House speaker has said over and over and pressed again today about the fact that she does not really agree with the fact that Barack Obama has said, you know what, not so fast, I'm going to hold off on that promise. She said she wants that to happen, and she wants it to happen very soon. Listen to what she said today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: It's a drain on the economy, which has done nothing to grow our economy, mind you, we're in a pretty bad shape. It has contributed enormously to the deficit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So, that really is the mantra that we are hearing from the House speaker, and many Democrats saying, you know what, this is one of the things that we really campaigned very hard on. We believe that having this tax cut for the wealthiest Americans is, as you just heard, draining the deficit, and we want to do this some time soon. But Barack Obama is saying hold off. That's not an accident, because he also wants to keep Republicans in the fold. And by repealing that tax cut, that would definitely anger many Republicans, Anderson.

COOPER: No doubt about that. Dana Bash reporting from the west front of the Capitol where the inauguration is going to take place on Tuesday. We're going to talk about it in the hour ahead, in addition to the complete speech by Barack Obama. We're going to talk about it. Martin Luther King Day celebration is tomorrow, which is going to be taking place. Also, Barack Obama and Joe Biden calling for a day of service. We'll take a look at that. We'll talk to our panel, Best Political Team on Television.

And as we go to break, we just want to show you some of the people that we met today on the mall, some people who have come from all around the world, a lady who came from the Bahamas I talked to a couple hours ago. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 40 years after Martin Luther King I said it's the dream come true. Because history is in the making and you need to be a part of history. I want to be a part of history. I was around when Martin Luther King was assassinated. I was around when he fought for equality, and this is the reality of it. And I think America should give itself a big pat on the back. America has come a long way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We do know it's going to be a huge crowd on Tuesday, when Barack Obama becomes the 44th president of the United States. One million, 2 million, we have no idea how many people will show up.

Tom Foreman has been looking at this question, getting ready for that big moment on Tuesday.

Security already incredibly tight throughout the Washington, D.C., area, Tom.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It sure is, Wolf. We take a look at our map here. We fly back, give you an idea of how tight it's going to be as this goes on. This is how many roads are going to be closed around this town. Unbelievable, all down the mall, all up here.

Here's the White House, where Barack Obama is going to move in. All closed around there. All over here by the Lincoln Memorial, where the party was today. And look at this -- these are all office buildings and government buildings. Huge numbers of places that will be affected by this. Nonetheless, many people are finding their way, and already, to have a good time.

Look at some of the iReports we received today. Over near the Capitol, look at this, a beautiful photograph of people gathered in that area. Quite a crowd for the day, when there was this one party happening, but really, a lot of the part of the mall where nothing was going on.

Further up if we move up the way here, we're going to see this group up here, people having their own celebration with a "MLK is Smiling Today" sign from slavery to history, and then, of course, down by the Lincoln Memorial, we had a lot of folks who gathered down there and you can see some of their photographs here.

This one was by Elizabeth Rocket (ph) from up in Seattle. She showed people beginning to line up up there for the event. Then if we move further down, you can see some other pictures of the people as they really gathered and became quite a crowd. And my favorite one, of course, was this one. This was from last night, when the memorial was getting all set to go.

I'll tell you what we don't have here, though, Wolf, and as much as I wish we did have it, this night, up on the Potomac River, much further up here. Not very far from where you and I live, a private party where George Bush said goodbye to much of his staff, another momentous event happening on this very momentous week.

BLITZER: A nostalgic moment, no doubt, for the outgoing president of the United States. All right, Tom, thanks very much. We're going to continue to check back with you.

Coming up, we're also going to take a closer look in tomorrow, very important day here in the United States, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Soledad O'Brien is going to have special coverage throughout tomorrow. Don Lemon is here.

We're going to continue our conversation on the history that is unfolding. There was terrific entertainment today over at the Lincoln Memorial. Let's leave this section right now with Will I. Am performing Bob Marley's "One Love."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: On the ground below is a tribute to a generation that withstood war and depression -- men and women like my grandparents, who toiled on bomber assembly lines and marched across Europe to free the world from tyranny's grasp. Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a King, and the glory of a people who marched and bled so that their children might be judged by their character's content. And behind me, watching over the union he saved, sits the man who in so many ways made this day possible.

And yet, as I stand here today, what gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us, but what fills the spaces in between. It is you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Very shortly we're going to be playing you the entire address by Barack Obama. It runs about six minutes long. We want you to be able to hear it in its entirety. We're going to do that shortly.

Soledad, it is incredible, though. I mean, if you were writing a book and in it you had that Dr. Martin Luther King's celebration is on Monday, and the first African-American president is going to be sworn in on Tuesday

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: It would be too perfect. It would be too much.

O'BRIEN: It really would. The timing is remarkable. And, also, wonderful, because there are so many people here who are celebrating all the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And then staying so that they can also be part of the inauguration. So pretty incredible. We're going to have coverage on the air all day tomorrow night and we're all be on. And at noon, we're going to show the speech -- the "I Have a Dream Speech," which was not called that. It was called (INAUDIBLE).

COOPER: The entire speech.

O'BRIEN: The entire speech. All 17 minutes. It's very rare. The King Family was incredibly gracious in sharing that with the world, frankly. And what a remarkable thing to go back and really, really take a look at what that speech was about. It was about economic empowerment and about America recognizing its promise. So it will be a wonderful moment. We'll air that at 12:00 noon. And then talk to one of Dr. King's speechwriters and close associates, Clarence Jones. We'll sit down and talk about that moment and writing that speech. I'm really excited about that.

But of course, today -- tonight, we're going to unveil another pretty amazing mini-documentary, Antoine Fuqua, the director, was kind enough to put together for us a look at "MLK to Today." That was his assignment. And he said he was fearful. He didn't want to mess it up. And he said once you realize that the story of both MLK and Barack Obama was not about them themselves, but the people around them, he felt he found his voice and his vision. So, without any further ado, we will unveil for you "From MLK to Today." Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OBAMA: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was but 26 years old when he led a bus boycott in Montgomery to mobilize the movement. It is a powerful reminder of the debt that we all owe to those who marched for us and fought for us and stood up on our behalf. The sacrifices that were made for us by those we never knew, and the giants whose shoulders I stand on here today.

It is that American spirit, that American promise, that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

A promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.

It is that promise that 45 years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred. But what the people heard instead, people of every creed and color, from every walk of life, is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one. God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: "From MLK to Today" from the director Antoine Fuqua really remarkable. He did a wonderful job. He told me how nervous he was because he thought this could be the most -- this is a man who directs major Hollywood films.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: That was one of many. And he said the idea that this was such an important assignment that he was really nervous about it. It's interesting. I was talking to Clarence Jones who is one of Martin Luther King's close associates. And he said when the people in Birmingham saw those pictures of the fire hoses, people in Birmingham, that took place in Birmingham, and they saw those pictures of the beatings and the fire hoses, they called in and they said this is not us. We are not this.

Martin Luther King very much believed in the goodness of all people, of all people to change. And that was the people in Birmingham. They said, these pictures aren't us. We're going to change.

COOPER: Just watching that, think back to Gordon Parks, who is the first African-American photographer of "Life" magazine, the first African-American to direct a Hollywood film passed away about two years ago. He was a great friend of my families, and sort of wish he was here to see this day because he would have been extraordinarily moved by it, as well. LEMON: I can only imagine being an African-American, right, and the son of an African-American woman who sat at lunch counters and who rode the back of the bus, she's sitting at home tonight, I'm sure, watching these pictures and watching me on television, I'm sure she has tears in her eyes.

And I remember right after the election she called me on the phone and she said, this makes everything -- every bus that I had to sit on the back, every lunch counter that I got kicked out of, this makes it OK to see that the country is now making a change. And to watch these images and to, I mean, lived in Birmingham and knowing that, yes, it is those people, but it's not those folks right now. So it's a very moving moment.

COOPER: If you think you know the "I Have a Dream" speech, which everyone sort of says, oh well, I've seen it before. You know, they've seen a few seconds of it, they have not seen the thing in its entirety and tomorrow at 12:00, they're going to be able to.

O'BRIEN: Yes. I'm excited about that.

BLITZER: Noon Eastern, let's remember.

COOPER: Noon Eastern.

BLITZER: Nine a.m. out on the West Coast. It's something that I think everyone should try to watch.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Grab the kids and sit them down.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Because the words that day -- the words that he spoke -- the words that he spoke back then still resonate very powerfully today. And clearly influenced not only his generation, this generation but future generations to come. And I want David Gergen to weigh in, as well, because you had a very different experience growing up in the segregated south of North Carolina.

GERGEN: Well, I did. And I was involved in civil rights during that period, but I must tell you, it was -- there was a sense among whites, first of all, that segregation was what blacks wanted, that this was a better way to live for both sides. And in addition to Martin Luther King, I think we owe an enormous debt to those young men and women who got on buses and went all over the south and had those buses shaking and got beaten up, they got beaten up on (INAUDIBLE) like John Lewis did. They really changed this country.

And, you know, on an evening like this, I think it's also appropriate to remember that, one of the reasons it's so important to have a president like Barack Obama is that Lyndon Johnson played an important role in opening some of those doors, too, in the White House. It was the grassroots movement that King ignited along with Joseph Lowery and others that helped, but Johnson had to get the legislation passed. The Civil Rights Bills of '64, '65 were monuments. And we often remember Lyndon Johnson to the Vietnam War, but he also need to be remembered. When presidents do good deeds like that -- and that's why this is a -- the Obama inauguration is a time when we can remember not only Lincoln and not only King, but so many Americans who have contributed.

COOPER: And it's a point Soledad made yesterday that so many people whose names will never be known, so many people whose faces will never be seen, who marched alongside but never got the recognition that they deserved. And we notice the giants of the movement, but there were foot soldiers, as well. And tomorrow we remember them throughout.

GERGEN: Some of the same foot soldier was there back in '63, back on the Mall.

LEMON: Yes. You know, what, we even go back that far. Tonight I interviewed Michelle Obama's former college roommate whose mother did not want her to live with Michelle Obama. She didn't want her living with a black person. And she went to Princeton and said, you know what, I don't want my daughter living with her and to get her out of the dorm. And her roommate -- her former roommate and her mother today feel sorry for what they did, and now believe that we should expand the conversation and open up a little bit. So, you know, it's not even that far back. Things are changing here.

COOPER: We've got to take a short break. We're going to continue this conversation, though. When we come back, not only this conversation, but we're also going to play Barack Obama's entire speech from today. And as we leave to go to this commercial break some more of the performers from today, The Lincoln Memorial, Stevie Wonder, Shakira and Usher. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: On this Sunday, the Sunday before he becomes president of the United States, Barack Obama spends some time at the Lincoln Memorial before hundreds of thousands of people have gathered there, and he decided he wanted to speak and he did. This in its entirety the speech of Barack Obama today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Hello, America. I want to thank all the speakers and performers today for reminding us through song and through words just what it is that we love about America. I want to thank all of you for braving the cold and the crowds and traveling in some cases thousands of miles to join us here today.

Welcome to Washington. And welcome to this celebration of American renewal. In the course of our history, only a handful of generations have been asked to confront challenges as serious as the ones we face right now. Our nation is at war. Our economy is in crisis. Millions of Americans are losing their jobs and their homes. They are worried about how they'll afford college for their kids or pay the stack of bills on their kitchen table.

Most of all, they are anxious and uncertain about the future, about whether this generation of Americans will be able to pass on what's best about this country to our children and their children. I won't pretend that meeting any one of these challenges will be easy. It will take more than a month or a year. It will likely take many. Along the way there will be setbacks and false starts, and days that test our resolve as a nation.

But despite all this, despite the enormity of the task that lies ahead, I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure. That it will prevail, that the dream of our founders will live on in our time. What gives me hope is what I see when I look out across this Mall. When these monuments are chiseled, these unlikely stories that affirm our unyielding faith, a faith that anything is possible in America, rising before us stands a memorial to a man who led a small band of farmers and shopkeepers in revolution against the army of an empire. All for the sake of an idea.

On the ground below is a tribute to a generation that withstood war and oppression. Men and women like my grandparents who toiled on bomber assembly lines and marched across Europe to free the world from tyranny's grasp. Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a King and the glory of a people who marched and bled so that their children might be judged by their character's content.

And behind me, watching over the union he saved, sits the man who in so many ways made this day possible. And yet, as I stand here today, what gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us but what fills the spaces in between. It is you. Americans of every race and region and station who came here because you believe in what this country can be and because you want to help us get there.

The same thing that gave me hope from the day we began this campaign for the presidency nearly two years ago. A belief that if we could just recognize ourselves in one another, bring everybody together, democrats, republicans, independents, Latino, Asian and Native American, black and white, gay and straight, disabled and not, then not only would we restore hope and opportunity in places that yearn for both, but maybe, just maybe, we might perfect our union in the process.

This is what I believe. You made this belief real. You proved once more that people who love this country can change it. And as I prepare to assume the presidency, yours are the voices I will take with me every day when I walk into that Oval Office. The voices of men and women who have different stories but hold common hopes. Who ask only for what was promised us as Americans, that we might make of our lives what we will and see our children climb higher than we did.

It is this thread that binds us together in common effort. That runs through every memorial on this Mall, to all those who struggled and sacrificed and stood here before. It is how this nation has overcome the greatest differences and the longest odds. Because there is no obstacle that can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change. That is the belief with which we began this campaign, and that is how we will overcome what ails us now.

There is no doubt that our road will be long. That our climb will be steep, but never forget that the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease but by the right we do when the moment is hard. I ask you to help reveal that character once more. And, together, we can carry forward as one nation and one people the legacy of our forefathers that we celebrate today. Thank you, America. God bless you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: On this Sunday before he becomes president of the United States, Barack Obama speaking earlier today over at the Lincoln Memorial. We'll take another very short break and we'll listen to the boss, Bruce Springsteen. He performed at the Lincoln Memorial among this all-star cast on this day of tribute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back our viewers in the United States and around the world. It's going to be an exciting day tomorrow. Monday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day here in the United States. Tuesday, the big day, the inauguration of the President-elect Barack Obama, as well as the inauguration of Joe Biden, the vice president-elect.

It's probably going to be a little bit warmer than it was yesterday, but it's still going to be cold and, you know what I brought, all of us, Ellen DeGeneres. You know, I was on her show. I don't know if you noticed.

COOPER: Yes, I saw you dancing in her show.

BLITZER: Yes, you probably noticed.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: When I was on her show she was kind enough because she's worried about all of us. She's kind enough to share some stuff to help us get through these days, and you see this, Ellen DeGeneres. I don't know if she personally knitted this.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: I think this has your name all over it.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: This is for Soledad. I want our viewers to see these special Ellen DeGeneres earmuffs.

Soledad, do you want to try this on?

O'BRIEN: Of course, I will.

BLITZER: Yes, let's take a look and see how they look.

O'BRIEN: And looks like they're Scotch-taped on.

LEMON: You know, they look like those (INAUDIBLE) radios from the -- remember the big ones from the '70s.

O'BRIEN: They're quite warm, actually.

BLITZER: Yes, very nice. Very nice.

O'BRIEN: They're warm. I can't hear.

BLITZER: Lovely, Don Lemon.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: We've got something for David Gergen.

LEMON: I'll take that. Thank you.

BLITZER: And David, I just don't want you to feel left out, because Ellen wanted to make sure all of us are warm, and we've got a special --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go. Wait a minute.

BLITZER: To keep all of us warm and share that with David Gergen.

(CROSSTALK)

GERGEN: Are you going to open that up?

LEMON: I just want to see if I can hold it with my mittens.

BLITZER: You know what, it might be cold and chilly on Tuesday, but for so many millions of people here in Washington, all over around the world, it's going to be warm and cuddly and toasty, and no matter how cold it gets, people are going to be so excited. Our final big thought as we get ready to wrap up what is clearly history in the making from you, David.

GERGEN: I think all of us here tonight, just feel enormously privilege to be here and be a part of this. This is just -- it's one of those moments, you want to be an eyewitness to history, but I have a chance to talk about it this way.

But I also feel, you know -- and it's so important to remember what this young man is taking on. Just as we've all heard about, people have never seen -- they never expected this day to come. His economic advisers are saying we never expected to see a time like this, either. With zero interest rates, $20 trillion worth of wealth has disappeared here, collapsing housing market. This young man is taking all that on, and I think, I think there are going to be a lot of prayers for him said in the next couple days there.

BLITZER: A lot of prayers, a lot of tears are going to be.

GERGEN: Yes.

BLITZER: Tear of joy, Don.

LEMON: Tears of joy. And you know, just to be honest and completely transparent, as an African-American, I never thought that this would happen. And my family probably never thought that this would happen. Yes, you took the words right out of my mouth. We are privileged. I feel privileged to be in this position to be able to report on an event like this, and to be able to live to see the first African-American president. And I think, as I said in the beginning of the show, it puts our America's money and hearts where the constitution is right now.

BLITZER: Soledad will have special coverage starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning until 4:00 p.m. Eastern. I'll be back in "THE SITUATION ROOM." You'll be back tomorrow night. We have a special show coming up.

COOPER: Nine all the way through to midnight.

BLITZER: And then Tuesday, hours and hours and hours, but, you know what, it will zip right through because we'll be watching history. It's really an exciting moment. We want to thank everyone for joining us. All of our viewers in the United States and around the world, stay with CNN for complete coverage of the inauguration of Barack Obama.