An electric atmosphere took over the John A. Wilson Building Tuesday as D.C. government leaders, nearly all Democrats, celebrated the inauguration of a new president who represents not only their party but also a great deal of hope for the nation’s capital.
Most of the District’s elected leaders traipsed by escort to the crowded Capitol grounds for President Obama’s swearing-in ceremony — the D.C. Council sitting in the yellow section and Mayor Adrian Fenty with the nation’s governors.
The council then took in the inaugural parade from the John A. Wilson Building at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, while Fenty followed Obama in the parade itself.
“What a wonderful experience,” said Council Chairman Vincent Gray. “I’m just glad I got to be a part of it.”
Gray described the crowd not as chaotic, but as an “electric, enthusiastic, energized group of people.” The day’s crescendo was not Obama’s speech, Gray said, but the “moment when he became president.”
The Wilson Building, locked down by the U.S. Secret Service, was open only to people on a pre-screened list. The council and guests, including Fenty’s parents, enjoyed the parade from the comfort of their viewing stand, constructed on the front steps of the Wilson Building a block from the White House. They applauded and snapped photos as Obama passed in his limo.
“There’s no sense of any precedent,” said Ward 6 D.C. Councilman Tommy Wells. “This isn’t a march on Washington. The fact that it’s all celebration is just fantastic. It’s euphoria.”
U.S. Reps. Gerry Connolly and Donna Edwards, the newest entrants to the Washington region’s House delegation, watched the first presidential inauguration of their terms in Congress. Both said they were struck by Obama’s call to action.
Connolly, a freshman Democrat who represents Virginia’s 11th District, said Obama deftly accomplished two important tasks in his speech.
“One was to acknowledge the hardships ahead, and to set the stage for everyone to understand that. And the second was to call for sacrifice in response to the situation this country finds itself in,” Connolly said.
“It was a speech that said ‘let’s get to work,’ ” said Edwards, who was sworn in to represent Maryland’s Fourth District in June.
The nation’s first black president, Obama won 93 percent of the District’s vote in the general election, and 75 percent in the primary. He has made an effort in recent weeks to embrace his new home, visiting Ben’s Chili Bowl, playing basketball at a D.C. school, and visiting potential churches for his family to worship.
“I think we have a great deal of optimism and hope for a lot of things we couldn’t get done under the last administration,” said Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., whose office was the stage for an all-day live broadcast for WPGC.
Obama, Thomas said, is “in tune” with issues facing D.C. — the plight of an urban environment, education, voting rights. He understands, Thomas said, “what it means to be a leader in an urban city.”
“This is the most important day ever,” he said.
Examiner Staff Writer William C. Flook contributed to this report.
