Fergus Falls Band, Sen. Klobuchar Part Of Inauguration
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The temperature in Washington, D.C. for the president's inauguration was a far more pleasant 41 degrees at the time of Obama's swearing in.
CBS estimates put the crowd at around 700,000 people for the swearing-in ceremony, less than the estimated 1.8 million that gathered for his first inauguration in 2009.
The president sounded themes of civil rights and national unity in his address.
The crowd may have been smaller, but it was still the largest crowd for a second inauguration in history.
In his inaugural address, the president called for all Americans to unite and move forward together despite political differences.
The president said in his speech, "My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it -- so long as we seize it together."
The address was a call for equality in the face of political and economic divisions.
"We the people understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it," Obama said.
The President called for action on climate change and, invoking the Civil Rights movement, called for expansion of gay rights.
"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law for it was truly created equal," he said. "Then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."
After the swearing-in, the president and First Lady got out of their limousine and walked, as crowds continued to cheer.
Then came the inaugural parade with Sen. Amy Klobuchar telling CBS Bob Schieffer and Scott Pelley to check out one band.
"You are going to be watching the Fergus Falls band and when they go by I expect you to say, 'Wow, that is the best band in the country," she said.
The Fergus Falls Band was also in the 2009 inaugural parade and this year, they will be playing the same song they did then -- Yankee Doodle Dandy.
The band raised $68,000 to send the band back to the inauguration.
