Wednesday, January 21, 2009

a little footnote to History from yesterday....

-- okay Garrison Keillor over at Salon, notes that after Obama was sworn in, but before the luncheon, when the JumboTron screens showed Bush & Co taking off in a copter from behind the Capitol:

"But the great moment came later, as the mob flowed slowly across the grounds. I heard loud cheers behind me and there on the giant screen was the Former Occupant and Mrs. Bush saying goodbye to the Obamas in the parking lot behind the Capitol, the Marine helicopter behind them.
The crowd stopped and stared, a little stunned at the reality of it.

They saw it on a screen in front of the Capitol and it was actually happening on the other side. The Bushes went up the stairs, turned, waved and disappeared into the cabin, and people started to cheer in earnest. When the blades started turning, the cheering got louder, and when the chopper lifted up above the Capitol and we saw it in the sky heading for the airport, a million jubilant people waved and hollered for all they were worth. It was the most genuine, spontaneous, universal moment of the day. It was like watching the ice go out on the river."

(Garrison Keillor is the author of a new Lake Wobegon novel, "Liberty," published by Viking.)

http://www.salon.com/opinion/keillor/2009/01/21/inauguration/