From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum
In an interview with NBC's Andrea Mitchell, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) said he believes the controversy over Hillary Clinton's confirmation will be resolved today.
 
"Hillary has overwhelming support among Democrats and Republicans," Schumer said at the Capitol before the inauguration. "The most Cornyn could do is delay it two days, and then she gets voted for 97-2, so it doesn't make much sense."
 
Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) has raised concerns about foreign donations to Bill Clinton's foundation and possible conflicts of interest that may have for Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.
 
"I'm pleased to have the opportunity to have a full and open debate and an up-or-down vote on Senator Clinton's nomination as Secretary of State," Cornyn said in statement released today. "Important questions remain unanswered concerning the Clinton Foundation and its acceptance of donations from foreign entities. Transparency transcends partisan politics and the American people deserve to know more. While I look forward to having this open discussion later this week, today I join my colleagues in celebrating the historic Inauguration of our 44th president. It is a monumental achievement in our nation's history and a cause for pride for all Americans."
 
Schumer, however, said Cornyn's actions "starts the day off in a mood of partisanship."
 
"It just is the wrong the way to start this off, and I hope and pray on a wonderful day like today where Barack Obama's reaching out to Democrats and Republicans that Sen. Cornyn steps aside."
 
Schumer declined to say much about New York Gov. David Paterson's choice for Clinton's replacement, except to repeat that the governor will most likely be announcing his decision this weekend. On possible pressures from the Obama campaign regarding Caroline Kennedy, Schumer said that Patterson has pressure "from all different quarters."
 
"David Paterson, to his credit, he has a good internal gyroscope," Schumer said. "He makes up his own mind. When I've talked to him about this, he's weighing the pros and cons of all the candidates in a very substantive way. I think people will be happy with the decision, whatever it is."

From NBC's Mark Murray
According to senior Obama aides, who briefed reporters on Obama's speech before he delivered it, the initial meeting to begin drafting Obama's inaugural address took place before Thanksgiving, when Obama first laid out his thoughts. Obama, they said, wanted to discuss the moment that America finds itself in right now, and believed some of the best inaugurals -- Lincoln's second and JFK's -- did just that.

From NBC's Janet Shamlian
I'm sitting in the lobby of the Hilton in Midland, Texas, where it's standing room only around the lobby's television, as images of the millions who have packed Washington are flashed on the screen. A crowd of guests, police officers, and hotel workers are glued to the screen as the swearing in ceremony is about to begin. Even at this venue, thousands of miles from the Capitol, the excitement is palatable.

The irony, of course, is these people have gathered for a ceremony as well -- one that will be considerably smaller in size but just as heartfelt. This is where ex-President George Bush is heading after the ceremony.

Midland offered Bush a send-off party eight years ago ahead of his inauguration. Today, the community will welcome him home. It will be a brief stop before the Bushes head to their ranch in Crawford. In many ways, today is the end of an era for Midland, for Crawford, and in fact for the entire Lone Star State.

From NBC's Athena Jones
As mentioned earlier, President Obama said this in his speech: "We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things."

Obama was referring to a passage in Corinthians. Here's the whole verse, from the King James version: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

The Washington, D.C., metro system had the most riders of all time today as 866,681 filled its cars.

The prior record was on July 11, 2008, when 854,638 riders crammed in for dual events -- a Nationals baseball game and a Women of Faith Conference. (The woeful Nats beat Houston, 10-0 that day, by the way.)

Good luck getting home.

From NBC's Mark Murray
AS NBC's Brian Williams just noted, President Obama's speech lasted 18 minutes and 10 seconds. And here are some of the themes and lines from it that stood out to us:

Ending politics as we know it: "On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things."

Obama, in fact, later mentioned three examples:
-- "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified."
-- "Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill."
-- "As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." (Of course, ending politics as we know it is easier said than done. Remember that Bush promised to change Washington's tone.)

Greatness is earned: "In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned."

A call to action for the stimulus plan: "For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth."

A shot at Osama bin Laden and other terrorists? "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West -- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

An "era of responsibility": "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 price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed."

From NBC's Pete Williams
The recitation of the presidential oath came in fits and starts.

The Constitution prescribes the text: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will to best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

But Chief Justice John Roberts, using no notes, flubbed his lines, and Obama knew it.

First, Obama jumped in before the "do solemnly swear" phrase, which seemed to throw the chief justice off his stride. Roberts rendered the next phrase as "that I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully."

"That I will execute," Obama repeated, then paused like a school teacher prompting his student with a slight nod. Roberts took another shot at it: "The off ... faithfully the pres ... the office of President of the United States."

The oath then got more or less back on track after that. Close enough for government work.

NBC's Abby Livingston adds the transcript:
ROBERTS: I, Barack Hussein Obama...
OBAMA: I, Barack...
ROBERTS: ... 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...
OBAMA: ... that I will execute...
ROBERTS: ... faithfully the office of president of the United States...
OBAMA: ... the office of 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, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
ROBERTS: So help you God?
OBAMA: So help me God.
ROBERTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.

Just after Biden was sworn in as vice president, the Bush presidency Web platform, WhiteHouse.gov, disappeared and with a click of the refresh button, the Obama Presidency Web platform appeared.

The featured item headline: "Change has come to America" over a close up of Obama's new official photo.

*** UPDATE *** There's also a blog, and it already has five posts, dated "TUE, JANUARY 20, 12:01 PM EST.

*** UPDATE 2 *** In one of those blog posts is Obama's first proclamation, declaring Jan. 20, 2009 a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation: "NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 20, 2009, a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and call upon all of our citizens to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century."

From NBC's Pete Williams
While there is no official crowd estimate, a federal security official says it appears to be about two million, easily exceeding the previous record of 1.2 million at Lyndon Johnson's inauguration 44 years ago.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Barack Obama was just sworn into the office by Chief Justice John Roberts as the 44th president of the United States.

Joe Biden was sworn in as vice president minutes earlier.

From NBC's Pete Williams
Some people near the Capitol say they're having trouble making outgoing cell phone calls. But they can receive calls.

Cellular phone companies added extra capacity but have warned that there are so many people concentrated together that the system is heavily taxed.

*** UPDATE *** A spokesperson for Verizon Wireless tells CNBC: The Verizon Wireless network in Washington, D.C.'s Inauguration area is handling three to five times the normal call volume. Even in the most crowded spectator areas nearest the Inauguration stands at the U.S. Capitol, the vast majority of calls are going through on the first attempt.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies put together a very useful list of facts and firsts. Here are some interesting takeaways:

-- The tradition of getting sworn in by chief justice started with the SECOND president, John Adams.
-- Thomas Jefferson was the first sworn in in Washington.
-- James Monroe in 1817 was the first to deliver his inaugural address outdoors.
-- Van Buren in 1837 was the first sworn in who wasn't born a British subject. (President-elect Van Buren and President Andrew Jackson rode together to the inauguration)
-- Obama modeled his train ride to DC after Lincoln, but William Henry Harrison was the first to do it in 1841.
-- Not until 1909 (Taft) did the future first lady ride in the procession to the inauguration with the president-elect. Harding was the first to ride in a car in 1921.
-- Polk's 1845 inauguration was the first covered by telegraph and the first illustration depicting it in a newspaper.
-- James Buchanan's is the first known to be photographed. McKinley's in 1897 was the first to be filmed with a motion picture camera. Truman's in 1949 was the first to be televised.
-- Another Lincoln note, it's the first one in which African Americans participated in the parade.
-- The Roosevelts, in 1933, started the tradition of morning worship at St. John's. FDR was also the first to be sworn in in January (1937).
-- In 1953, Eisenhower broke tradition by reciting a prayer after being sworn in an not kissing the Bible.
-- Poets have become mainstays of modern inaugurals, but Kennedy's was the first that featured one.
-- After JFK was assassinated in 1963, it happened to be the first time a woman administered the oath -- U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes, who did so on Air Force One.
-- Nixon was actually sworn in on two Bibles -- family heirlooms.
-- Reagan's in 80 was the first to be done on the Capitol's west front. Reagan in 85 was sworn in privately on Jan. 20th because it was a Sunday. The following day, the public inauguration took place INSIDE the Capitol rotunda on a day that was 7 degrees, the coldest inauguration day on record.

From NBC's Mark Murray
NBC's Andrea Mitchell just spoke with New York Gov. David Paterson, who she reports will make a decision to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat on Friday or Saturday.

For a while, we thought Paterson might be making his announcement on air in his interview with NBC's Mitchell, but we quickly realized he was joking. "I have reached a decision. I thought that since there are just 17 women in the Senate... I am going to go with Michelle Obama."

Har-har.

From MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell and Adam Verdugo
The Clintons -- Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea -- just arrived at the swearing-in ceremony.

From NBC's Pete Williams
Threats against the inaugural continue to stream in, though so far, none are considered specific and credible enough to lead to any change in plans. Federal agents have been working around the clock the past several days to run them all down.

However, for the past 24 hours or so, one threat in particular has been the focus of official attention. It's said to be of "limited specificity" and "unknown credibility," and is described as a generalized threat against the inaugural coming from overseas, from a Somali-based group, al-Shabaab.

Security planners have held several high-level meetings about it since yesterday and again this morning, and Obama's incoming security team has been read in on it. 

FBI agents have been aggressively trying to run it down, even checking to see if certain individuals overseas have recently been on the move. But the threat is so general, there's no obvious operational change to make in how the day is unfolding, officials say, and the threat cannot be verified.

From NBC's Savannah Guthrie
In continuing with her tradition of selecting American designers for her clothing choices, Mrs. Obama is wearing an Isabel Toledo ensemble to her husband's swearing-in Ceremony and today's inaugural parade.

From NBC's Pete Williams
Security checkpoints are now closed off for the eastern end of the National Mall, the half closest to the U.S. Capitol.

It's no longer possible to enter the area east of 14th Street, which is the street that borders the Washington Monument. The National Mall East of 12th street is also closed. This is right before the Washington Monument and everything from the Washington Monument to the Capitol building is at full capacity.

A U.S. Park Service official says that the eastern half of the mall, between the Washington Monument and the Capitol, was filled to capacity by 8:30 am. 

"And it's fairly densely packed," he said.

The Park Service has traditionally declined to estimate the size of the crowd, a tradition to which it clings again today.

The Mall is still open from there to the other end, at the Lincoln Memorial.

But another section is soon to be closed off and NBC's Mara Schiavocampo reports taht security checking the public seems to be getting tighter as the morning goes on. 

So many people are trying to get onto the Mall, along the parade route, and to the ticket areas on the Capitol, that security lines are long and daunting.

One U.S. senator said he was worried about getting through the line in time to take his seat for the swearing in. A law enforcement official said the line behind a checkpoint on the 7th Street for the parade was very long "and doesn't seem to be moving."

One bright spot is that people were on the move very early, with the Metro subway system working at capacity by 7 a.m.

NBC's Jeff Rossen reported that not only are the lines long to get in, they're also long to get out at metro stations.

Families in line said they got here at 5:30 a.m., secured a spot to watch inauguration, but underestimated how cold it was, so they're leaving before it even starts.

"Hey, at least we can say we were here," one woman said, with her shivering 5-year old daughter in tow.

*** UPDATE *** Due to overcrowding, MPD is no longer allowing pedestrian access to the Mall from the 14th Street Bridge. Access can still be gained via The Memorial Bridge (the whole bridge), and the Key Bridge (on sidewalks and paths).

Passenger hit by Metro train
METRO, which runs the Washington, D.C., subway, feared going into today that the huge crowds in the subway might result in an accident with a passenger, and that has now happened.

At about 9:25 am, a passenger waiting on the platform at the Gallery Place stop, near the Parade route, was hit by a train on the Red Line.  METRO at this point does not know whether the person slipped off the platform or was pushed or jumped.  The victim survived the accident. The Red Line was now stopped at the Gallery Place stop.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
First Read has learned that Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was at the McCain dinner last night. And at the photo line before, he gave Obama the game ball from Pittsburgh's win last Sunday.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann
*** Inauguration Day: Exactly one year ago, Obama had lost his second-consecutive Democratic contest to Hillary Clinton just the day before (the Nevada caucuses); he was campaigning in South Carolina, which had become a make-or-break primary for him; and he was preparing for an MLK Day debate in the Palmetto State, which would turn into the most contentious debate of the primary season. ("I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Rezko, in his slum landlord business in inner-city Chicago," Clinton told Obama.) In short, Obama's prospects for winning the Democratic nomination -- and the presidency -- looked dimmer then than at any point after winning the Iowa caucuses earlier that month. Now, on this 20th day of January, Obama will be sworn in as the nation's 44th president, becoming the first African American to hold the office. He enters his presidency with higher hopes and higher poll numbers than any president at any time in this country's history. It's incredible political capital. In recent times, only Bush 41 and Bush 43 had higher approval ratings, and those bumps were due to war.

Video: Americans look ahead to Obama's historic inaugural address. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.

*** Another big speech: The inaugural address that Obama will deliver today will be just the latest in a long line of big speeches he's made. The first, of course, was at the 2004 Democratic convention ("There is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there is the United States of America"). Then came his presidential announcement in Springfield, IL ("I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington, but I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change"). There was his speech on race in Philadelphia ("I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible"). There was his speech at the Democratic convention ("I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me; it's been about you"). And there was his victory speech in Chicago's Grant Park ("If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible…"). As we've said before, Obama will likely use speeches to help him govern more than any other modern American president. And speeches will likely create many of the defining moments of his presidency.

*** Today's tick-tock: The Obamas and Bidens have already attended a prayer service at 8:40 am ET; the Obamas and Bushes (as well as the Bidens and Cheneys) have coffee together at the White House at 10:10 am; Biden gets sworn in by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens; Obama (with his Lincoln bible) gets sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts at 11:30 am; Obama delivers his inaugural address around noon; the new president heads to the Capitol to sign his cabinet secretary nomination certificates; Obama then participates in a departure ceremony for Bush, and Bush makes remarks at 1:25 pm; Obama begins his inaugural parade at 2:30 pm; and he attends all 10 official inaugural balls later in the evening.

Video: TODAY's Meredith Vieira reports on what to expect at the 56th inauguration.

*** The State of The Union: Here is a statistical look at the nation's challenges Obama inherits today. Just 26% are satisfied with the nation's direction, according to the latest NBC/WSJ poll; about 172,000 U.S. troops are currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, per NBC's Courtney Kube; the unemployment rate is at 7.2%; the Dow is at 8,281; 45.7 million Americans don't have health insurance; 7.6 million families live in poverty; and the budget deficit is projected to be $1.2 trillion in 2009.

Video: NBC's Andrea Mitchell looks ahead at the challenges that will face Obama.

*** Charm school: One of Obama's secret weapons -- or maybe not-so secret weapons -- has been his personal charm. Already, we've seen plenty of smitten former opponents, from GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell to conservative-thought leaders like Charles Krauthammer. Obama actually follows in a long line of presidents who have won, thanks in part for being the more likeable of the two candidates. Bush 43, Clinton, and Reagan all got two terms due in large part to their charm. Another thing to remember: Obama enters his presidency with less to prove, oddly enough, than some recent occupants. In fact, not since Reagan in 1980 has a new president come in with such a small, well, chip on his shoulder. What do we mean? Bush 43 had to prove to many he won fair and square; Bill Clinton was trying to prove his 43% was worthy of a mandate; and Bush 41 had Reagan's shadow looming over him. Reagan replacing Carter, and now Obama replacing Bush 43, may be the biggest positive-negative contrast between presidents in the modern era.

*** Cornyn vs. Clinton: On the first day of his presidency, however, it looks Obama is going to have to deal with a minor fight over Hillary Clinton's nomination as Secretary of State. GOP Sen. John Cornyn, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, appears poised to slow down Clinton's nomination because he wants increased disclosure of foreign donors to the Clinton Foundation. In fact, First Read has learned that Clinton's nomination will likely require a vote -- unlike some of Obama's other nominees, who will pass via unanimous consent. And this might delay Clinton's confirmation a day or two, as well as delay Obama appointing George Mitchell as a Mideast envoy (see below for more on that). Of course, you might ask where this objection to Clinton was when her nomination sailed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 16-1, or when Obama and Clinton hatched their original agreement over the Clinton Foundation. Obama and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell will have a lot of face time today. Think they'll talk about this?

*** Give the man his BlackBerry! By the way, John Podesta, the co-chair of Obama's transition, has an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times arguing that Obama should be able to use his BlackBerry as president. "An off-line Obama isn't just bad for Barack. It's bad for all of us. The president's ability to reach outside his inner circle gives him access to fresh ideas and constructive critics; it underscores the difference between political 'victories' and actual solutions; and it brings the American people into a battle we can only win by working together."

Video: The Bushes are shipping out and the Obama's are moving in. NBC's John Yang reports.

*** Cue Alanis Morissette: And just askin', but isn't it a bit ironic that George W. Bush -- who pressed for comprehensive immigration reform and has warned his party to do a better job of reaching out to Latinos -- granted clemency yesterday to ex-Border Patrol agents, Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who became cause celebres to anti-immigrant conservatives? 
 
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The Boston Globe's lead: "Against an emotional backdrop of high promise, deep despair, and extraordinary expectations, Barack Obama will become the nation's 44th president today, completing his historic quest for the White House and beginning the daunting task of leading a nation wounded by wars abroad and economic crisis at home."

The Wall Street Journal: "Americans poured into the nation's capital to celebrate the inauguration of their first black president. But with the U.S. in its worst economic crisis since the Depression and at war on two fronts, Barack Obama was expected to call on the country to embrace a new culture of responsibility when he takes office at noon."

The Washington Post boldly notes that Obama "takes office today with a realistic prospect of joining the ranks of history's most powerful presidents… Obama arrives with a rare convergence of additional strengths, some of them inherited and some of his own making. Predicting a presidency, to be sure, is hazardous business, and much will depend on Obama's choices and fortune. But historians, recent White House officials and senior members of the incoming team expressed broad agreement that Obama begins his term in command of an office that is at or near its historic zenith."

The New York Times' front-page analysis: "Mr. Obama arrives at the presidency Tuesday after a transition that betrayed little if any perspiration and no hint of nervousness. Throughout the 77 days since his election, he has been a font of cool confidence, never too hot, never too cold, seemingly undaunted by the magnitude of troubles awaiting him and unbothered by the few setbacks that have tripped him up."

"He remains hard to read or label — centrist in his appointments and bipartisan in his style, yet also pushing the broadest expansion of government in generations. He has reached across old boundaries to build the foundation of an administration that will be charged with hauling the country out of crisis, but for all the outreach he has made it clear he is centralizing policy making in the White House. He will eventually have to choose between competing advice and priorities, risking the disappointment or anger of constituencies that for the moment can still see in him what they hope to see."

The New York Post puts the 42 words of the swearing-in that Obama will say today on its cover.
 
The New York Daily News' cover is "His Time" with a photo of Obama.

JFK Redux? The parallels are striking, reports Roll Call, but "despite of those similarities and others -- notably, Obama making history as the first African-American president, Kennedy, as the first Roman Catholic -- Obama's team did not reach out for transition advice to Kennedy's top aide, Ted Sorensen." 
 
In the magazine's inauguration issue, National Journal's Ron Brownstein compares and contrasts the fundamental differences in leadership of Obama and his predecessor.

Obama's fellow Illinoisan Dick Durbin pens an op-ed in The Hill headlined, "Today makes America the Land Lincoln Sought."

Meanwhile, Rick Warren -- who gives the invocation at 10:00 am ET -- spoke at Martin Luther King Jr.'s former church in Atlanta yesterday. "The selection of Warren, who opposes same-sex marriage in his home state of California, was controversial for both events. Obama's decision to give Warren a role in the inauguration sparked protests from the gay community and the National Organization for Women. At the Atlanta service, about 100 protesters gathered across the street, and there was an outburst from at least one critic before Warren addressed the audience."

And don't miss this: The Boston Globe digs up a 19-year old interview with the first black Harvard Law Review president. "To some extent, I'm a symbolic stand-in for a lot of the changes that have been made," said a 28-year-old Barack Obama. "I want to make people aware that although I am benefiting from a lot of attention right now, there is a broader trend: a far greater willingness at this stage of the history of the Review to appreciate the abilities and talents of minorities and women in the legal profession."
 
The paper throws in this nugget: Obama "will function as editor-in-chief of the student-run journal, which is regarded as the leading legal periodical in the country. Its presidency almost always leads to prestigious judicial clerkships after graduation."

The New York Times: "As tens of thousands of citizens arrived [in DC] from all corners of the country … Mr. Obama opened his day by visiting wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and concluded it by honoring his former Republican rival, Senator John McCain. 'We will not always agree on everything in the months to come, and we will have our share of arguments and debates,' Mr. Obama said, speaking to a bipartisan audience at one of three banquets he attended on Monday evening. 'But let us strive always to find that common ground and to defend together those common ideals, for it is the only way we can meet the very big and very serious challenges that we face right now.'"

Obama called McCain someone he has "come to know very well and admire very much."

Here's a photo of Obama honoring McCain last night.

"Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Bow Wow may have been the stars of the Kids' Inaugural concert, but Michelle Obama took center stage. Well, maybe one Disney-tastic act upstaged the soon-to-be First Lady: the Jonas Brothers. When the teen trio took the stage at D.C.'s Verizon Center stadium, Sasha Obama whipped out her digital camera to make a video of their set from the front row."

Per the Washington Post, Obama "will plunge into foreign policy on his first full day in office tomorrow, finally freed from the constraints of tradition that has forced him and his staff to remain muzzled about world affairs during the 78-day transition. As one of his first actions, Obama plans to name former senator George J. Mitchell (D-Maine) as his Middle East envoy, aides said, sending a signal that the new administration intends to move quickly to engage warring Israelis and Palestinians in efforts to secure the peace."

We can also report that George Mitchell as a Mideast envoy appears to be close to a done deal. What's not clear is his exact portfolio. With veteran Mideast operative Dennis Ross holding the Iran assignment, it's not clear if Ross or Mitchell will have the Hamas and Hezbollah terrain, though Ross may be under the impression that it's his.

The Wall Street Journal adds, "Little official business is expected Tuesday in Washington. The real work of the new president will begin Wednesday, Mr. Obama's first full day in office. Aides said one of the new president's first actions will be summoning his national security team to begin preparing for a 16-month withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq, one of the main promises of his two-year-long campaign for the presidency… Within days, Mr. Obama also is expected to issue executive orders to begin closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, one of the most controversial symbols of the Bush administration's war on terror; reversing Mr. Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, and restoring funding for family-planning programs overseas."

Roll Call: "As if to underscore how closely Congressional Democrats want to work with Obama, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Friday issued a video ad featuring all seven new Democratic Senators talking about their desire to achieve the change that Obama campaigned for."

Politico reports, "Hillary Clinton has rejected a request by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to increase oversight of her husband's foundation -- so Cornyn is expected to scuttle Democratic attempts to confirm her as Secretary of State today by a voice vote, sources say. 'She won't be cleared without a [roll call] vote [on Wednesday],' said a senior Republican aide last night. Late last week, Cornyn wrote Clinton, to express his concerns that foreign interests would try to use Bill Clinton's foundation as means of influencing her at Foggy Bottom. On Monday, she brushed him back in a letter of her own obtained by Politico, quoting her testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee and her five-page agreement with Obama."

The Boston Globe's Canellos asserts, "Now, with Obama certain to be tied up with urgent domestic priorities for much of his first year in office, Clinton is poised to be the most powerful secretary of state since James Baker in the first Bush administration." And Canellos looks at the convenient relationship Clinton and Obama will have: Obama "manages to look magnanimous in pursuing his 'team of rivals'-style cabinet, while turning a potential critic into a loyal subordinate. In addition, he frees himself from some of the demands of US allies, whose expectations are as great as those of his most ardent supporters… Besides, it now seems as though there never really was much of a difference between the Clintons and Obama on foreign policy, only campaign-trail bickering. By sticking together, the two biggest names in the Democratic Party should both come out ahead."

NBC's John Yang reports that in keeping with tradition, President Bush wrote a note for Obama yesterday and put it in the drawer of the Oval Office desk for his first visit to the office. The people Yang talked to won't divulge the note's contents as it's private, intended for Obama.

NBC's Savannah Guthrie and Chuck Todd noted that Bush's last night in the White House yesterday, reporters got some surprise visitors: former president George H.W. Bush and Mrs. Bush. The former first couple walked down from the residence to take a look at the newly refurbished press briefing room and gamely chatted with the small crowd of reporters that soon gathered. The elder Bushes were there for a private family dinner with the president. When asked how her son is faring on his final night as president, Mrs. Bush said he was "a little emotional."

As was the former first lady, Guthrie and Todd add. Mrs. Bush said she had spent the day saying goodbye -- again -- to White House staffers, many of whom served during her husband's term in office. Mrs. Bush said the second farewell was just as difficult, and the tears flowed. Mr. and Mrs. Bush lingered several moments, agreeing to pose for photographs with members of the White House press corps.

The AP covers Bush granting clemency yesterday to two ex-Border Patrol agents. "The prosecutions of Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos became a cause celebre for many conservatives, who argued that the pair were just doing their jobs in trying to apprehend a dangerous illegal immigrant. The victim, Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, admitted smuggling several hundred pounds of marijuana on the day he was shot."
 
More: "The Justice Department strongly defended the prosecution, noting that Davila was unarmed and shot in the buttocks while fleeing and that the two agents tried to cover up their actions with a false report of the incident. Their sentences were upheld last year by a federal appeals court. Administration officials said Bush believed the verdicts in the case were just, but thought that the sentences were excessive. Compean had been sentenced to 12 years in prison, and Ramos, 11 years. The commutation means the pair will walk out of federal prison March 20 after serving 26 months each, officials said."

"A White House official insisted no further pardon announcements are expected in the final hours of George W. Bush's presidency," The Hill writes. 
 
Dick Cheney hurt his back moving into his new home in a Virginia-DC suburb. He will be in a wheelchair for today's inauguration.

The Raleigh News & Observer: "U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan says women have made progress in politics. But she's already found a place in the Senate that's open only to her male colleagues. ... 'Imagine my surprise when I tried to use the Senate members' gym recently and found out that there is a pool, but -- guess what -- it's only for the men,' she said."