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Stars rock to usher in
Obama greets singer Shakira
(left to right), Bono, U2’s The
Edge, singer Bettye LaVette and
Episcopal Bishop Reverend Gene
Robinson during the concert at
the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday.
theSun
WASHINGTON: Under the
watchful eye of Abraham Lincoln,
hundreds of thousands gave a
rapturous welcome on Sunday to
Barack Obama at a star-studded
concert which rocked the heart
of a wintry Washington.
Obama’s election triumph
was the fruition of “the Irish
dream, the European dream, the
African dream, the Israeli dream
and also the Palestinian dream,”
said Irish rock star Bono, backed
by his band U2, as he shouted
out “let freedom ring” at the
end of his song Pride, about slain
civil rights leader Martin Luther
King, Jr.
“On Tuesday, that dream
comes to pass,” Bono said, refer-
ring to Obama’s inauguration on
the steps of the US Capitol.
The white columned Lincoln
Memorial, with its imposing
statue of the slain president
who abolished slavery, shone
against steely-grey winter skies
as performers paid tribute to the
incoming president and his vice-
president elect Joe Biden.
A smiling Obama and his
wife, Michelle, both wrapped up
warmly against the bone-numb-
ing cold, walked hand in hand
down the monument’s famous
steps at the start of the “We Are
One” concert to huge cheers
from the crowds spilling down
the National Mall.
Then as the performances got
briefs
Dumpster couture
makes foray into
Obamaworld
WASHINGTON: Nancy Judd’s latest
venture in the fashion world began
with a trip to the dumpster.
It was the day after Barack
Obama’s historic Nov 4 election
win, and the environmental artist
and educator went dumpster div-
ing behind the Obama campaign
headquarters in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, desperate to collect any
salvageable materials.
“I made a mad dash around
town. In many cases, they had
already started throwing things in
dumpsters and I was pulling mate-
rial out of dumpsters,” said Judd.
Judd unveiled her “Campaign
for Change Couture Collection” on
Saturday at the Green Inaugural Ball
that drew about 1,000 environmen-
talists, an event among dozens in
Washington honouring Obama’s
inauguration. – AFP
Change.gov coming
to the White House
WASHINGTON: At exactly one
minute after noon today, change.
gov is coming to the White
House. That’s the moment when
whitehouse.gov – the website for
the past eight years of President
George W. Bush – changes hands
and the savvy young New Media
webmasters of freshly sworn-in
President Barack Obama take
over.
The new whitehouse.gov
is expected to be the window
for what is being touted as a
bold experiment in interactive
government based largely on
lessons learned during the most
successful internet-driven elec-
tion campaign in history.
The Web will be the labora-
| TUESDAY JANUARY 20 2009
underway, a smiling president-
to-be clapped and bopped along
with oldest daughter Malia, 10,
snapping away with her camera
to record the galaxy of top musi-
cians and actors serenading the
next first family.
The line-up for the concert
read like a “who’s who” of the
best and brightest in Hollywood
and the music world today.
Music legend Stevie Wonder
joined R&B star Usher, dripping
cool in dark sunglasses and a
black trenchcoat, and Shakira
– black leather pants, a gilded
brassiere – for a rendition of
Wonder’s Higher Ground, which
got the Obama clan off their feet
and grooving.
Bruce Springsteen, U2 and
cowboy-hat-clad country music
titan Garth Brooks joined soul
divas Beyonce and Mary J. Blige
and a host of other stars – Jon
Bon Jovi, John Legend, will.i.am
and James Taylor, among many
others.
Actors Denzel Washington,
Queen Latifah and Tom Hanks,
and golfer Tiger Woods were
among those who read passages
from the speeches of past presi-
dents, or recited other historical
anecdotes recalling the country’s
past and present struggles.
The event was cocooned in an
impressive security operation,
with attendees passing through
checkpoints, helicopters pass-
tory for what some are calling
“open sourced democracy” and a
glimpse of what the new white-
house.gov may look like can be
found at change.gov, the official
transition website. – AFP
Cycling cross-country
for the inauguration
WASHINGTON: Ryan Bowen was a
commuter cyclist like any other but
Barack Obama’s election inspired
him to trek across the country on
two wheels for the historic inau-
guration today. Bowen, 22, arrived
here at midday on Sunday having
accomplished his goal after pedal-
ing over 4,800km over the past six
weeks from his home in Los Angeles,
California to the nation’s capital.
“I was inspired by the Obama
campaign’s message of change,”
said Bowen.
His journey was not without hic-
cups – with more than 40 flat tires,
many nights spent camping out in
a tent and even being hit by a Jeep.
– AFP
Bush phones world
leaders
WASHINGTON: On the eve of
leaving office, US President
George W. Bush spoke yesterday
to leaders of Denmark, Georgia,
Italy, Russia, and South Korea
to say he enjoyed working with
them, the White House said.
Bush “expressed his gratitude
for the kind hospitality all these
leaders showed him and Mrs
Bush over the years and told
them how much he enjoyed
working with them during his
two terms,” said spokesman
Gordon Johndroe.
The US leader spoke to Dan-
ish Prime Minister Anders Fogh
Rasmussen, Georgia President
Mikheil Saakashvili, Italian Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Rus-
sian Prime Minister Vladimir Pu-
tin, and South Korean President
Lee Myung-Bak, Johndroe said in
a statement. – AFP