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Political pilgrims pack D.C.

By Elliot Kort

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Barack Obama’s journey to the White House will come to an end today as he is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. During the past days and weeks, the District of Columbia has seen a flurry of activity setting up for the event. Millions of people from across the country have gathered at the nation’s capitol to witness Obama become the nation’s next commander in chief.

The president-elect’s trip, however, is not the only one coming to a close. For Briana Saunders, Vancouver, Canada, senior, watching Obama take the oath of office has been a longtime goal. Saunders worked as an intern with Obama for America, ran a caucusing location in Lawrence and also volunteered on the ground in Iowa before its primary.

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"Years from now I’ll be so glad to be a part of history."

— Laura Green, 1985 graduate and KU telecom program assistant

“For me, it’s the culmination of a year and a half of work,” Saunders said.

She said she rallied for Obama’s cause after hearing his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. She said it was easy to see Obama as more than just a politician.

“He is the American Dream,” she said. “He lived it.”

In the days leading up to the inauguration, visitors have had unique opportunities apart from watching Obama taking the oath of office.

Laura Green, 1985 graduate and KU telecom program assistant, witnessed Vice President Dick Cheney and Vice President-elect Joe Biden swear in Biden’s successor on Capitol Hill.

“Years from now I’ll be so glad to be a part of history,” Green said.

Saunders is one of 240,000 people with a ticket to the event. The remaining attendees will watch the proceedings on giant video screens set up near the Washington Monument. Television trucks have been camped out on roads adjacent to the National Mall all week.

But as Mike Wood, 2005 graduate, is quick to note, some preparations have been underway for months. Wood, who lives in Alexandria, Va., watched as D.C. traffic patterns slowed from their usual crawl to an all-out gridlock. He’s also watched the various government transit agencies work to keep things operating smoothly.

Wood has kept an eye on what bridges and streets are off limits to vehicles or completely shut down.

“I’ll probably come in Tuesday night just to see the insanity,” Wood said.

The insanity is the overall scope of the event. The most recent estimates predict two million people will attend the swearing-in ceremonies. Those estimates are reduced drastically from the figure of five million to eight million speculated in previous months. According to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the D.C. public transit system is bracing for “crush-level” crowds and will be operating trains at “rush-hour” levels all day today.

Wood is also housing some of his college friends so they can save money on housing.

“My apartment is a hostel for the next two weeks,” he said.

Saunders was not so lucky. She and friends are staying in a hotel in Alexandria because D.C. hotels are filled to capacity with patrons. Everywhere, pictures of the president-elect, merchandise bearing his semblance and advertising campaigns targeted at inauguration attendees litter D.C. streets. But pushing aside the glitz of the moment or the hassles such a large-scale event entails, Green said she remained focused on why she traveled to Washington in the first place.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing so many together for the same reason,” Green said. “Hope.”

— — Edited by Melissa Johnson

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