January 19 2009 less than 1 day to go

The fever pitch of the buzz that surrounds Washington in the midst of gray skies and passing snow showers is being amplified as more and more people seem to stream into the area in preparation for tomorrows main event. Uniformed Military Personel are stationed about the city on street corners. They are just a precurser of the massive military and security personel presence that has been planned for inaugural festivities. Even with the wave of people streaming into downtown DC there have been no disturbances reported thus far.


As expected the cabinet post anouncement machine is in overdrive.


President-elect Barack Obama announced the following key posts at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) today:

• Jeffrey Liebman, Executive Associate Director


• Steve Kosiak, Associate Director for Defense and International Affairs


• Robert Gordon, Associate Director for Education, Income Maintenance and Labor


• Xavier de Souza Briggs, Associate Director for General Government Programs


• Preeta Bansal, OMB General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor


• Kenneth Baer, Associate Director for Communications and Strategic Planning.

A short bio on each is available in the News Room at Change.gov just below the announcement.

Today is not only inauguration eve but it is also a day that the nation reserves to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an apeal to the nation to come together in service of our nation President Elect Obama released a statement "As we honor that legacy, it's not a day just to pause and reflect; it's a day to act," "I ask the American people to turn today's efforts into an ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of others in their communities, their cities, and their country."

President Elect Obama made an unscheduled stop this morning at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to spend time and visit with several wounded soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. From Walter Reed President Elect Obama traveled to the Sasha Bruce House, a home for homeless teens. He spent time with two volunteers and lent a hand in there work by grabbing a paint roller and in the spirit of his own advice helped his fellow countrymen.

Current President George W. Bush, with just a day left in his Presidential term, designated Defense Secretary Robert Gates, to stay away from Tuesday's inaugural festivities "in order to ensure continuity of government," said Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino. By custom, one government official stays away when others in the line of presidential succession attend public events. President Bush also spent the morning making calls to thank foreign dignitaries that he has worked with over the course of the past 8 years. During the day Bush also found time to commutte the prison terms of two former boarder patrol guards who were convicted in the murder of a Mexican national and sentabced to 10 years prison.

This evening President Elect Obama has three private dinners to attend. One held in honor of Vice President-elect Joe Biden. The next in honor of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. The third is to honor Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Though his evening is full I am sure he will not sleep tonight. I would expect that instead he will sit in the Blair library and read and re-read the inaugural address from Lincoln, Eisenhower and Kennedy and Dr. King's famous "I Have A Dream" speech over and over. The historical weight of the coming day will magnify itself with each hour. "Tomorrow, we will come together as one people on the same Mall where Dr. King's dream echoes still," Obama said.

A download of the Dr. King Jr. Speech is available in 64Kbps MP3 format at the link below

http://www.archive.org/download/MLKDream/MLKDream_64kb.mp3

Other versions and formats are available the the following page: Archive.org

And a written transcript is available for viewing at USConstitution.net