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Campbell Brown
Barack Obama's Inauguration
Aired January 20, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And good evening from the news team in Washington, D.C. as CNN's special coverage of the inauguration of Barack Obama moves into the formal and informal activities of the night. I'm Anderson Cooper. Campbell Brown will be joining us shortly as we welcome our international viewers for this special edition of Campbell Brown's NO BIAS, NO BULL.
Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have a big evening in front of them. After their motorcade from the Capitol to the White House and yes the first couple did get out and walked several blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue. They did this twice, as a matter of fact. They spent the last few hours watching the inaugural parade from their reviewing stand.
In just a bit, the Obamas will leave their new home at the White House to head out for a night of celebrations. They have a long night ahead. They're going to dance and the president will speak at 10 official inaugural balls. But there, that is the picture of the day, one of many. We saw so many dramatic imagines throughout today.
Tonight, we're following the party patrol, following their every move, the first family, seeing how they spend this, the first night of their presidency. We've also got the latest news on Senator Ted Kennedy who collapsed after an apparent seizure just minutes after Mr. Obama stopped to say hello at a Capitol Hill luncheon. That was the senator getting on to the stand today. We'll show you all the biggest and best moments from one of the most historic days our nation has ever witnessed.
Right now, let's check in -- well actually, let's just stay with what we were doing. We have witnessed some immense changes, even a few surprises here in Washington today. One thing has not changed. D.C. cannot stay on schedule. Everything, it seems, is running late. The inaugural parade is finally over, but while it was shiny, we witnessed a number of historical events.
CNN senior correspondent Joe Johns is keeping track and joins us from the home state's inaugural ball, the Washington Convention Center. That is the ball being attended by guests from Barack Obama's home state of Hawaii and Illinois. How is the scene there?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amid all the pageantry of Washington and all the wait of history, who wouldn't be a little nervous?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you prepared to take the oath, senator?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am.
JOHNS: Chief Justice John Roberts mixed up the words to the oath of office, with a barely suppressed smile Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully.
OBAMA: That I will execute...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The -- faithfully the office of president of the United States...
OBAMA: The office of president of the United States faithfully.
JOHNS: There were surprises throughout the day. During the congressional luncheon that followed the swearing in, Senator Edward Kennedy who has been treated for brain cancer, suffered a seizure, collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital.
OBAMA: He was there when the voting rights act passed. Along with John Lewis was a warrior for justice. And so I would be lying to you if I did not say that right now a part of me is with him. And I think that's true for all of us. This is a joyous time, but it's also a sobering time.
JOHNS: That combination, enthusiastic joy and sobering concern, is everywhere you look today. Joy in the faces of the huge crowd, at least a million people watched the swearing in. But in his inaugural address, the new president spoke to the urgent concerns of all Americans.
OBAMA: That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.
JOHNS: There were other points when President Obama's speech seemed to sharply repudiate his predecessor, who was sitting only a few feet away.
OBAMA: As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.
JOHNS: And yet there were warm embraces as the new president and first lady escorted George and Laura Bush to the helicopter to begin their trip home to Texas. Pennsylvania Avenue was a scene of wild jubilation as the new president led the inaugural parade to the White House. To the crowd's delight and despite all the security concerns, he walked part of the way. Now it's his job to confront two wars, an economic crisis, and whatever surprise comes next -- a joyous time, but also a sobering time. (END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: Live now in the ballroom, the Washington Convention Center and Anderson, you said at the top, the time line always seems to slip on inauguration day and that in fact may very well be the case here. We are expecting the president and his wife to show up here and dance their first dance around 9:05 Eastern Time. But as you know, that schedule could very well slip, a lot of people here anticipating that moment in Washington D.C.
COOPER: Joe, what's the latest on Senator Kennedy's condition?
JOHNS: We're told by doctors that they believe this was a result of fatigue, at least his seizure was. We're also told that he is expected to stay in the hospital overnight. Nonetheless, we're told, he is also alert and talking with family members, which certainly are good signs, considering his health conditions right now, Anderson.
COOPER: And Joe, which ball are you at right now?
JOHNS: This is the home state's ball. This is the Hawaii Ball as well as the Illinois Ball. It is the traditional home state ball for the president of the United States. Of course, the last time Democrats were able to enjoy one of these was the Arkansas Ball back in the Clinton years. So this is a big deal for Democrats in Washington, D.C., tonight.
COOPER: Joe thanks very much. We'll be checking in with you. Our coverage goes all the way through to midnight and beyond. Larry King joins us at midnight with a special edition of "360" starting at 9:00 p.m. East Coast time here. Let's go to Campbell Brown who is elsewhere in the Newseum. Campbell?
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Anderson. We're going to be playing extended portions of President Obama's inaugural address for you throughout the night. But right now, we do want to get quick reactions to today's extraordinary events from some members of the best political team on television. With me right now, CNN's senior political analyst, Gloria Borger, Republican strategist, Kevin Madden, chief national correspondent John King, host of CNN's new Sunday program, "STATE OF THE UNION" and CNN political analyst, Roland Martin. And let me start by just -- I mean, we watched every moment today, all of us, Roland, you were out there. What was the highlight for you?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think simply him taking the oath of office. You can sit here and spend lots of time talking about the celebrities and everybody else who was out there, but to sit there and recognize the history, if you will, watching it in terms of how this country started, to where it is now. I was talking to Joe Madison, a radio show host here and he said something interesting.
He said, when Obama came out of that entryway, he immediately thought about the door of no return in West Africa where slaves came off -- came out of those castles on to those ships. He says imagine them not knowing where they were going, and him stepping out and seeing that mass of humanity. That to me was an amazing sight, looking all the way down the Lincoln Memorial.
BROWN: And you said that moment, when he actually was sworn in and that was -- I know watching the people just surrounding us today, the moment that you saw people burst into tears, hugging, crying, truly celebrating. Gloria, it was extraordinary.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: It was an extraordinary moment. There he was with his hand on the Lincoln bible, at the Capitol, which was, of course, built by slaves, swearing to uphold the Constitution, which once said that blacks were only three-fifths of a person. It was an extraordinary moment. And I know some people have been critical of his speech, saying that it didn't have the soaring rhetoric...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
BORGER: ... that we're used to. But the moment was so profound that there was really nothing you could say to match it.
BROWN: Kevin?
KEVIN MADDEN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I think -- I was struck by that Republicans really did put aside partisanship today. And I got so many e-mails from friends of mine that were really applauding this bloodless transition of power because it's something that makes us unique as a country. And also to see that really just majestic tapestry of people that were out there on the mall today. People of every single color, every single creed, all coming together to applaud Barack Obama and the historic moment that we were all witnessing, and understanding that the challenges that we face, that how we're going to work going forward. So it was -- you know it's the partisanship is going to probably start tomorrow. But it was really a day to celebrate America coming together.
BROWN: So how do you maintain, John, the excitement that you know was clearly captured by what we witnessed today going forward? How does that not all dissipate tomorrow?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's impossible to maintain this moment. But if he can keep the goodwill, bottle that and carry it with him over the next few months, because he's going to need it. He's going to have to dip into the reserves from time to time because he's about to you know start spending that second installment of the $350 billion in bailout money.
And guess what, the American people didn't want him to have that money either. The stimulus bill will go through Congress. There will be a battle or two, minor battles over nominees. In the speech, the one thing I found striking is he signaled -- it might not have been the most lofty rhetoric, he signaled an incredibly and sharp break from the Bush administration with President Bush seated about as close as Roland is to me.
He said the Bush economic policies were designed for the prosperous, no more. He also said you know the false choice between our safety and our ideals, tomorrow he will sign the executive order shutting down Guantanamo Bay, where the terrorist detainees are kept. And he also said we are ready to lead once more around the world. All rebukes of George W. Bush, who was sitting right there, necessary in the view of the Obama team to set the tone that this is not just physical change, not just a picture of change, but huge policy change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And that last rebuke was really, really sharp because that's, of course, what George W. Bush's presidency has been all about, leading in the world, he believes, in his way and Obama said, different way.
BROWN: But I heard a number of conservatives say today, Kevin, including Bill Bennett, who was sitting here, that despite that repudiation that you heard in his speech, you can talk about closing Guantanamo, you can sign the order, but when does that actually happen? When do you see the transfer of those prisoners?
You can talk about getting out of Iraq. You can talk about wrapping things up in Afghanistan, but when does that actually happen? These are much harder to achieve than it feels like based on what he's saying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't believe the issue is what's the exact date when these things are going to take place. It's the fact that the president says this is where we are going and we're taking the steps to do that. What Bush always said was, well, basically, we'll see how things develop in terms of the situation on the ground. The change in attitude comes in when the president says this is where we are going from this point forward.
Now granted, we have to actually do it, but I don't think anybody is sitting here saying, well let's put a timetable on it. It has to be three months or six months. It creates a clear change that something has indeed changed. Not only a new president, but a direction when it comes to our policy and how the rest of the world now perceives us based upon those actions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he kept George W. Bush's defense secretary to close Guantanamo for him. And I am sure John McCain, who is also for closing Guantanamo, will be of some assistance.
(CROSSTALK)
MADDEN: I'll bet that there are a lot of very sober realities right now about what he was talking about today, what he was talking about on the campaign versus this national security challenges and the realities that we face around the globe as president. It's much different.
BROWN: And we should mention too, you were looking a moment ago at a live picture of the White House, of course. The Obamas are there, they are getting ready to go out for the evening ahead. We've got a lot more we're going to talk about with the panel here.
And as we said, I don't have to tell you plenty going on in Washington tonight. The inaugural parade has, of course, ended. Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley was in it, up close to the president. We're going to check in with her coming up next. And of course, all the inaugural balls still to come. We will be checking in on those throughout the evening, but I don't think the new president was talking about that when he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time, but know this, America, they will be met!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: We are live outside the White House right now where the new first family is preparing for tonight's inaugural festivities. President and Mrs. Obama have a very full dance card. They plan to attend 10 balls tonight, including the home state's ball for Illinois and Hawaii. Jack Johnson and Common are scheduled to perform. We're covering it live. I'm going to go now to Anderson Cooper. Anderson?
COOPER: Yeah, they were supposed to have two hours, Campbell, to prepare in between leaving the parade stand and going to their first ball. I'm not sure they're going to be able to keep to that schedule. They may be a little bit rushed in trying to change and get out to the first ball so that the schedule doesn't go too late tonight.
There's going to be an awful lot of people waiting at these balls around Washington tonight for the Obamas to arrive and dance, even for just a little bit. The president spent much of the afternoon alongside tens of thousands of other people here in Washington, watching the parade on Pennsylvania Avenue. It would be hard to beat the first family's view from their viewing stand, but senior political correspondent Candy Crowley...
(AUDIO GAP)
COOPER: Candy, you were literally part of the parade, part of the presidential motorcade, it seemed. You were on a flatbed truck riding along with the president's car. What was that like, hearing the roar of the crowd, particularly when the Obamas got out of that limousine for the first time?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I tell you, it was amazing. I think you can see from these pictures, in some places they were 10 and 12 deep, then there would be a gap so people could pass through and then 60 after that. There were spots, I have to tell you, where you could see that the cold had taken a toll and there were empty bleachers, particularly and strangely as they moved into that final march down that one block to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
But I tell you, when he first got out, we knew he was going to get out, because all of a sudden the motorcade just stopped. And we all said, oh, he's getting out, and we had a hint that he would. And I was blocked by some photographers that had stepped in front of me, but the minute he stepped out, you didn't need to actually see it, because the crowd went crazy. And there he was.
And this was, you know, the swearing in, seeing very large and very big and very for the nation and for the world and he was kind of this faraway figure and now suddenly there he was, walking on the street within feet of the people cheering him. So it was pretty awesome and so awesome to look behind him, first down Constitution Avenue and then down Pennsylvania Avenue and just see sort of the spectacle of this inaugural parade and frankly to take him literally to the doorstep of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was very cool.
COOPER: For this first walk, it was I think more than seven minutes. They also walked a second time as well. I was with the Reverend Jesse Jackson during this first walk and literally as soon as they got back in the limousine, Reverend Jackson started to applaud. He was visibly tense, watching the Obamas walk out, being this exposed. It's got to be a huge security concern for the Secret Service.
CROWLEY: Well, it is. And obviously the fact that he's African- American adds another layer to the dimension of tension there always is when you see a president of the United States out in public. But these things are very well coordinated. Remember, they've been protecting Barack Obama for almost two years. He got protection about three months after he announced for the presidency, simply because there were unusual threats.
I've been to Austin with him with 17,000 people, St. Louis, 100,000 people and open air, I mean really much less controlled than a street lined generally just on one side. But I will tell you that each street had maybe six feet apart, a member of the military services and behind them, local D.C. cops, some pulled from other jurisdictions, so he was very well protected along those lines.
They knew exactly where he was going to get out. It doesn't take away from the tension of that first moment. I think it will take a little bit of getting used to. But, again, he's been in some pretty large venues and they've done a very good job without incident of uncovering things before they happen and they're protecting him when he's out in very large venues.
COOPER: Candy, you've been covering the Obamas for some two years now, really since the beginning, for an awfully long time. We're going to talk to you throughout this evening. And when we talk to you again, I want to ask you about whether you noticed any kind of change in President Obama today, in his demeanor, whether the office is already weighing on him in any way. We'll talk to you about that coming up. But let's go back to Campbell Brown right now -- Campbell.
BROWN: Anderson, thanks and I should mention President Obama's inaugural address, of course, the speech heard around the world from the hundreds of thousands of people down on the National Mall, you've been looking at that picture all day, to viewing parties that happened across the country from New York to California. People gathered around televisions in Japan, in Cuba, and Indonesia where a young Barack Obama lived 40 years ago. Much of what they heard was the new president drawing a sharp contrast between himself and the policies of the Bush administration. Let's listen to some of the speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers -- our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man. A charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world and we will not give them up for expedient sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity and we are ready to lead once more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And it sounds like the new president's way of saying the torch has been passed in many ways. We want to bring back in the panel to talk about this Gloria Borger, Kevin Madden, John King, and Roland Martin. And John, you mentioned earlier the contrast clearly he was trying to draw between himself and Bush. But what about the message intended for the world frankly? How -- are they likely to respond given to what he said today?
KING: It's enormous goodwill, especially if you pick up the European press. In France, they view Obama as a hero, an icon. They think it's a whole new day in U.S./European relations, not just U.S./French relations. But just like here at home the question is star power is one thing. But can he ask them, will they go along with him?
When he says, I need more troops for Afghanistan. The president has said he will send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. But he says he wants some of the NATO allies to pitch in more as well. Many of those countries, of course, most, all but Great Britain has stayed away from Iraq. A couple of small contributions from others, most of them are tired of Afghanistan too.
And so the question is can he get them to go along? How bold will he be on global warming? That was one of the (INAUDIBLE) Bush got off on a bad footing with many in Europe because they wanted him to accept the Kyoto Treaty, so again, the goodwill is enormous. Will he send an envoy between Israel and the Palestinians in this next week during this cease-fire?
Once you start getting to the specifics, it gets hard. But there's no question he has great goodwill around the world. Now he has to deal with the problems.
BROWN: Kevin?
MADDEN: Well I think again this goes to the challenge, which is the poetry of what he says is very lofty, but the practice of his actions are going to be where the challenges lie. You know I did note that -- the line where he said that America stands ready to reach out to anybody who has an unclenched fist.
Well, that again sounds like a line that is very lofty rhetoric. I think everybody will agree with it. It will be interesting to see how he works across the aisle to actually put that into practice and whether or not it does complicate a lot of our security efforts around the world when Barack Obama has said during the campaign that he would sit down with a lot of our enemies. And that is going to be something that I think Republicans are going to be very, very vigilant about holding him to a tougher standard on that.
MARTIN: Campbell, look, when you are trying to do some of the things that he's talked about, when the person across the table actually believes that you're willing to even talk, you're willing to even have the banter back and forth, that person is more likely to participate in the conversation. I think when Bush came in, as you talked about, John, when it came to the Kyoto Treaty, the rest of the country said, well, what in the heck are you doing?
I mean you embraced it, but now you're backing off of it. There were several other things as well and so he has the opportunity now to say, look, I am willing to reach out, and they are saying, those are not empty words. That's a great starting point. So sure, we could talk about well, they are all different hard choices. Yes, they are all there. But he begins with people saying we now truly see you as a partner. Now we can go from there. That's a great starting point (INAUDIBLE).
BORGER: But he also sent a very clear message to our enemies, the terrorists. He said, you cannot outlast us and we will defeat you. And that's a message George W. Bush would have said and says. And yet, then a paragraph or two down, he also said to the Muslim world, we seek a way forward with you. So it was -- but it was a duel message, but it was a very, very strong message.
BROWN: Talk about the speech itself a little bit. Because you mentioned -- you mentioned earlier that it was a little controversial. Not everybody thought it was a great speech.
BORGER: It wasn't his best. It honestly wasn't -- I think of his race speech as one of his best. I think of his speech after he lost the New Hampshire primary was a terrific speech that kind of gave you a...
BROWN: But why? Be specific. Why?
BORGER: Because it was lofty. It was this sense of hope and change and this is who I am and this is why you need to take me seriously and what I can do for America. We've heard all of that. And again, I go back to the moment and to the moment.com, he couldn't match the moment in a way, so why try?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The moment was the picture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
KING: But in this speech, it may not be the most lofty rhetoric he's ever given, but there is a lot by which he will now be judged over the next 100 days and over the next four years. He laid out the foundation this is what I want to do and a lot of people tell me, I can't do all this. That the country won't stand for it.
The Congress won't move fast with me. It's -- if you read it, it's a pretty bold agenda and ambitious agenda. The question is, George Bush tried to do entitlements. Bill Clinton tried to do entitlements. This town for 16 years, eight years of Bill Clinton, eight years of George Bush, has not been able to, to use the old term we used as kids, walk and chew gum at the same time, do more than one thing. Can Barack Obama get Washington to do more than one thing at once?
BROWN: It's extraordinary though. There was one poll -- I think it was a Pew poll recently that said about 50 percent of the country believes that this really is sort of a post-partisan era that we are going to see a sense of bipartisan that we hadn't before. And compare that in 2004 when only 30 percent of the country felt that that was even possible. So does that drive it in a way? I mean, the fact that he has these extraordinarily high approval ratings, Kevin, matched by the sense that half of the country believes in partisanship and that would put -- or in bipartisanship and that puts an enormous amount of pressure on the Republicans.
MADDEN: You know I think John is right that this speech was very much a working like speech. He laid down mile posts for what he wants to do in his administration. And I think if we go back and we look now at Barack Obama's approval ratings at 70 percent, you don't get to 70 percent with just Democrats.
There are -- you know, it is cross ideological lines right now. People have put their -- again like we talked about this last night. They're putting their hopes, dreams, and aspirations into Barack Obama. And that's because of the enormous challenges that we face on both on an economic standpoint -- from an economic standpoint as well as a national security standpoint.
And I think that that's going to be the big challenge right now. Is what we're going to be seeing is Barack Obama working with a Congress that may think it also has a mandate. And that is where I think Barack Obama is setting himself up...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Their mandate. A lot of them got elected because of Barack Obama, don't forget.
MARTIN: And Campbell, the post-partisan poll numbers, all based upon how he ran as a candidate. He did not come across as being a hyper partisan candidate. That also helps because the public can say, yeah, we see a different kind of candidate running and now governing.
KING: I am fascinated to see what happens between House Republicans and Senate Republicans. House districts are mostly safe. A lot of those Republicans in the House can vote no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
KING: They can vote no every time because they're going home to conservative Republican districts. Senators run statewide and so that's the big issue there.
BROWN: All right, stick around, guys, a lot more to talk about. We've got cameras, we should mention, all over Washington tonight, covering all the events, as we said, 10 official inaugural balls. And in a moment, we're going to check in with Randi Kaye at the Commander- in-Chief Ball. Right now, the guest of honors -- guests of honor, the members of the new first family are inside the White House getting ready.
You see a live picture right there. We're going to take you there shortly. It will be the moment, of course, fashionistas everywhere are waiting for. The first glimpse of Michelle Obama's inaugural gown, which she wore already today has people talking. We'll talk about that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Relishing a moment in time. The new first family gets love and support from its extended family. Hundreds of thousands of well wishers warm the Obama's hearts on a cold day here in the nation's capital. Wonderful, wonderful pictures of the adorable children moving into the White House today.
One of the Obamas' first stops tonight is at the national building home of the commander in chief ball. Vice president and Mrs. Biden are expected there in just a few moments. Our Randi Kaye is there already.
Randi, this is really the most formal event of the night, isn't it?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It absolutely is, Campbell. It's a wonderful event. It started back in 2005. It was started by President Bush and it's really to honor the members of the armed services, the military troops, the spouses of deployed soldiers are here, the spouses of former soldiers are here. It's a free ball for the military troops. About 2,000 troops are expected here. President Obama is expected to speak here just before 10:00 tonight and that will actually be broadcast on the Pentagon channel to all of the military bases overseas.
Now, I did speak to some of the family members here. About 300 family members, Campbell, who are at this event tonight, have lost loved ones. And even given that, there is a great sense of hope here, which is truly remarkable. There's a hope, there's camaraderie among this group. It's really a special night for the troops and their spouses, because they don't often get a date night. So this is a really big deal for them.
They're honored to be here. Many of them told me they're very excited about their new commander in chief. They think he's a great innovator. They need more attention focused on them and they think he's going to deliver.
And the most important thing one told me was that it feels like Veterans Day. This is what Veterans Day should feel like, he said. This is why they serve, they serve for the freedom to vote, and that's what they did.
Campbell?
BROWN: Randi, I hear there's quite a special treat at the ball tonight. What's it all about?
KAYE: Actually, it's coming all the way from Obama's home state of Illinois. It's a giant cheesecake from Ely's Cheesecake, which is a great dessert maker there. 500-pound cheesecake, Campbell, it's three tiers, red, white, and blue with a chocolate inaugural seal on it. It was going to be filled with apples, because Lincoln -- Abraham Lincoln was a big fan of apples, and as you know, there's been a real Lincoln theme in Obama's inauguration. So it will be filled with apples. And just to give you an idea, 100 pounds of cream cheese is what it took to make that cheesecake.
Campbell?
BROWN: OK. Sounds fabulous. Randi Kaye for us tonight. We'll be checking in with you again a little bit later.
As Mr. Obama took the oath of office, some people were watching the first lady, not him. Because they wanted to know, as they say in Hollywood, who was she wearing? So we want to get the inside scoop on Michelle Obama's inauguration outfit from fashion expert, TV stylist, Robert Verdi, who's joining us now.
Hi Robert. I'm told it's a yellow Isabel Toledo dress she was wearing today. What does that choice say to you?
ROBERT VERDI, TV STYLIST: It's interesting in terms of color and designers. Certainly the color is sunny and hopeful. The sun rises every day; it's a fiery color, a color of renewable. The choice of Isabel Toledo is interesting. While she's a cult classic in the world of fashion, she's not a household name by any means. And certainly she's become one today.
BROWN: Well, I was going to say, I didn't even pronounce her name right. I had never heard of her. I guess we'll all know who this young woman is fairly soon.
VERDI: For a short time, she was a design director for Anne Klein which is a legendary and iconic American fashion brand.
BROWN: Absolutely. Her dress tonight, best-kept secret in Washington.
VERDI: It is.
BROWN: We'll be finding out what it looks like shortly. You've watched her for a while, though. What do you expect? VERDI: Certainly, Michelle has embraced color. She's not scared to wear vivid color and bright color. She's not scared to walk that fine line between being sexy and attractive as a woman and still being conservative and sophisticated. She really knows how to balance that scale. And she did today.
I think some people were disappointed and hoped she would take a greater fashion risk. The outfit almost seemed uniform for the first lady in many ways. It was a shift dress, there was a nod to Camelot, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, one of the most iconic women to walk through the White House in terms of fashion was also given a nod with this choice she made this afternoon. There was also some argument as to whether or not this was too dressy for a daytime look. It was a little 5:00 in the afternoon and less 11:00 a.m., but she did certainly wear it very well and I think it was very well received by the fashion audience.
And I think people really liked the fact that Michelle takes risks and isn't a cookie cutter. She is like many women in that she wants to have special clothes on special days and on many other days, she has really fun, interesting choices, like most women have in their wardrobes.
BROWN: Yeah. John King and Roland Martin were commenting on the rhinestones. They thought it was a little gauche. But we'll get into that later. I'm teasing them! I'm teasing them. The Obama girls, Malia and Sasha, weren't wearing expensive designer dresses, they were adorable. Let's show the pictures of the girls. They were in J. Crew, looking as cute as can be, as always. What do you think of their choices?
VERDI: I like that there wasn't that Joan Crawford effect of matching the children to Michelle. I think that can be a heinous thing to do as an adult. But I think it's clear that they're letting the children make their choices with the clothes and wear the colors that they want to wear. And I think that choosing J. Crew is really a great, great idea. Because the kids want to be like all the other kids. They don't want to be somehow marginalized in their school systems and thought of as different. So I think it's a great choice to have the kids in fun colors.
BROWN: Absolutely. Robert, thanks for coming on the show.
VERDI: Anytime, Campbell.
BROWN: Appreciate your viewpoint on all of this.
VERDI: You look fabulous too, by the way.
BROWN: Oh, thank you very much.
VERDI: You're welcome.
BROWN: Coming up, on this inauguration night, like no other, you're about to see it as never before, the power of countless images from one single moment captured by our viewers. You're going to be really surprised when you see the results of this. Don't go anywhere.
Also, because you've got a VIP pass to the hottest inaugural parties in Washington. Our special NO BIAS, NO BULL continues.
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COOPER: You're watching here is the world watching us. On this historic day, the United States and Obama were really the center of attention all around the world. There were so many forceful messages in President Obama's inaugural address. One of those messages is very clear indeed. The new president said in no uncertain terms, he expects Americans to roll up their sleeves.
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OBAMA: What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world. Duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly. Firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Our panel we're watching and listening to the speech very closely. Let's talk with senior political analyst, David Gergen, republican consultant Alex Castellanos, BET political analyst Pamela Gentry, Democratic strategist and CNN political contributor Paul Begala, and CNN contributor Hilary Rosen. She's editor at large for the huffingtonpost.com.
David, a lot of presidents talk about personal responsibility. What's different this time? Is anything about it different?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It has to be in the follow up. Tomorrow I think he's going to announce a social innovations office and it's going to be about national service. We'll have to see where it goes from there.
In terms of speech, Anderson, it's always interesting to look at the headlines after a speech. One was on responsibility today. Another was on action. Another about hope. What would that suggests is that there was not a single clear message in that speech. But I still think the man, the moment, and the many messages together, I think they appeal to the nation and the world.
COOPER: It was interesting, Pam, he gave a head nod in talking about that his father may not have been served at a lunch counter in this area 60 years ago, but not too many mentions of it. Did that surprise you? PAMELA GENTRY, BET POLITICAL ANALYST: No, it didn't surprise me at all. I think what he did do that was interesting, I don't know of any inaugural address where you've heard the word "Muslim" or talking about other religions and other races and other countries in the address to the American people. But now he knows it's global and that speech was heard around the world.
COOPER: There was a direct appeal and a direct talk to the Muslim world. There is a vitality. You see these images of the Obamas getting out of their limousine and walking. You see Sasha and Malia. The face of America has changed today, the face of this first family is new.
HILARY ROSEN, HUFFINGTONPOST.COM: The face has changed dramatically. When you see the Obamas dancing with their kids to the music, with rhythm, you just -- you know that at this time, this country needs that energy. And I think it's symbolic, really, of what America's looking to them to do.
I think that what Barack Obama's saying is, you are -- you know, I am not going to fix this country. You're going to fix this country and I'm going to be your leader. And I think that element of, not personal responsibility, but community responsibility comes across so strongly in everything he does.
COOPER: Right now in the White House, as we mentioned earlier, they're rushing to get ready for these balls. They're rushing behind schedule. The parade went much later. You told me there's a sleepover party happening now at the White House.
ROSEN: I gather that the kids, who need to have their own party, because the White House is going to be their home, this is going to be super family friendly, they've got a bunch of friends in from Chicago. Biden's got a whole bunch of kids. They're going to have their own inaugural party.
COOPER: In the White House right now with the Obamas rushing to go to this party and Sasha and Malia in their new rooms trying to figure everything going out.
Paul Begala, on a nuts and bolts basis, what happens tomorrow? What happens the next day in terms of what Barack Obama needs to, wants to do?
PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Today was about words, tomorrow begins deeds. And he's going to have to act and act swiftly. David talked about commitment to service. You'll see actions that show, perhaps in a counterintuitive way for a democrat, that he's going to bring an era of responsibility to the government. Very telling, I think, that he quoted, St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians, when he said, as I was a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put aside childish things. Here's this wonderfully young president going back to ancient scripture to tell us basically as a republican friend of mine says, put your big boy pants on, America and I think he's going to lead by example in the White House as well with his own government. COOPER: And Alex, how is that leadership going to be? How are the republicans going to do and he's got problems on the democratic side as well?
ALEX CASTELLANOS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think we'll see a little bit of partisan bickering soon. CNN will have something to cover. There'll be some news to cover. Today we talked about a new era of responsibility and republicans will rightly ask, well, does that extend to Tim Geithner, the new secretary of the treasury, for example. So we'll see some of that. But it will be tougher, because I think Barack Obama's strength and his weakness are the same. And that is, today we heard him appeal broadly to everyone, a little bit of something for everyone in that speech.
But that's the weakness too. Governing, you make choices. And these choices are coming up now. You know, here's Obama, this mysterious figure, he's Kenya, he's Kansas. He's Harvard, he's Chicago. He's white, he's black. And today in the speech, yes, he talked about personal responsibility, but then he said, no, it's government's responsibility. Now we govern. Is it big government? Is it smaller government? Is it more taxes, less?
COOPER: David Gergen, he may be all things to all people these days, but he has reached out in ways we have not seen, giving a dinner for John McCain tonight.
GERGEN: John Boehner, the republican leader in the House of Representatives says he's reached out in ways he's never seen before and he's been very pleased about that. That does not necessarily mean he'll have the votes every time, but it may make the conversation much more civil. And there may be times can find common ground.
COOPER: We'll have more with our panel throughout the evening. Our coverage continues until "LARRY KING" at midnight and beyond. Let's go to Campbell Brown right now.
Campbell?
BROWN: Anderson, thank you. We'll have much more coverage of this unique day in American history. We have seen some remarkable images and of course remarkable moments.
Coming up next, John King has a high tech new way of seeing the really big picture.
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JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT: I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear.
OBAMA: I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear.
ROBERTS: That I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully.
That I will execute faithfully the office of president of the United States.
OBAMA: The office of the president of the United States faithfully.
ROBERTS: And will to the best of my ability.
OBAMA: And will to the best of my ability.
ROBERTS: Preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States.
OBAMA: Preserve and protect and defend the constitution of the United States.
ROBERTS: So help you God.
OBAMA: So help me God.
ROBERTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.
BROWN: It was at that very moment after a bit of a fumble by chief justice John Roberts that we asked you all to help us try out this amazing new piece of technology. We said send us the pictures of President Obama raising his hand to take the oath of office. We'll do the rest. Our chief national correspondent John King joins us now to show us this new bit of magic called photosynth.
John, the end result, please. Drum roll.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: To our viewers, 11,000 and counting. There are now more than 11,000 images. Walter, come this way. Nice snapshot. Just off to the left of the president as he takes the oath of office but you're a little distant here. We can come bring you this way, show you what it looked like from this perspective. You want to get in closer don't you? You want to get closer in. See the crowd. The band down here playing. Let's move in more. Come in closer still. Come in closer still. Let's move back this way a little bit. We have to bring it over. Here is the moment. Look at this. There is a hand on the Lincoln bible. Come on down. The hand on the Lincoln bible. She wants to fight me a little bit. We come in right here. Turn and look at the capital. Come back this way. See all the dots.
That is where all these came from. More than 11,000 images take them all like this, the photosynth program find the common points. So when you come right in here -- you get a shot. Look at that right there. This is a great snapshot for the album, Barack Obama taking the oath of office. It is much more than that. Now we put all images together. That's up and tight. Let's zoom out. Come out here. Come in closely. Touch up here. Come in on the event. You see all these pictures taken within a few seconds of each other. You can go around the capitol. See it from every dimension out here. See over on the balcony. The 11,000 or more come in.
We bring them altogether. This is one of course we're most interested in. Right up to capture the moment. Pull out to the wide shot. All this comes because our viewers we said take a snapshot. Send it on in. These are some of the more than 11,000 we received. Truly an amazing thing to look at. That is the moment. Barack Obama becoming the president of the United States. We thank our viewers. Keep them coming. We can continue to build this. If you want a closer look go to CNN.com, you can do all this at home.
Campbell?
BROWN: Very cool stuff, John King. There is a glittering evening still ahead in Washington tonight. We understand the Obamas have left the White House, just seconds ago. So be prepared to stay up late with CNN and CNN.com for much, much more on everything going on tonight. We'll have it all for you stay with us.
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