January 20, 2009
And We Remain
(image: Saul Loeb/Reuters. caption: U.S. President Barack Obama (L) with his wife Michelle, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (R) and his wife Jill (2nd R), watch as the presidential helicopter carrying former U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, leave the U.S. Capitol after Obama was sworn in as the 44th U.S. President in Washington, January 20, 2009. Obama became the first African-American to be elected to the office of President in the history of the United States)
11 Comments Leave a comment
mcmama said:
Life just doesn’t get any better than this, does it?
I guess Bush and Cheney could have been frog-marched out of the White House in handcuffs, but barring that – well, the new administration waving goodbye to the previous administration is a sight that does my heart good.
Karen H. said:
when the helicopter lifted up, MSNBC let their mikes pick up the crowd singing “Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye.” Very amusing. Wonder if Bush heard it….
statusquomustgo said:
that was a sight to behold… I have been waiting
8 looooong years to see that.
Rima said:
Why is Biden saluting?
Michael said:
The simple civility that marked this moment, plus the plain and civilly expressed rejection of Bush/Cheney tone and ideas in the inaugural address, adds a sense of equanimity to this photo. Not just relief that they’re gone, but relief that it all went so smoothly and without evident rancour.
Clem Guttata said:
For some reason, this is my very favorite image of the day. It sums up a feeling of “good riddance.”
Another indelible image for me is seeing genuinely happy looks on the faces of the Bush twins when I caught a glimpse of them on stage. No bitterness in evidence, my sense is even they are happy to have Obama arrive and bring new energy to difficult times.
yg said:
Why is Biden saluting?
i don’t trust him.
biden pushed for hillary to be made sos.
in ‘04 he urged kerry to invite mccain to be his vp.
upon returning from georgia, he refused to acknowledge saakashvili fired the first shot.
prior to iraq war, he refused to invite oppositional voices to testify at hearings,
etc.
Karen H. said:
yg, you could find that Biden would have been more of a rival than Clinton if left in the Senate. Biden is immobilized now, pacified under the weight of his ego. I agree with the media that Biden was a strategic pick, but not for the reasons they believe are true.
ST said:
The salute is a sign of respect for the OFFICE. In the military we salute each other to acknowledge respect for our organizational structure, NOT as a deferential gesture to the PERSON wearing the uniform. This peaceful transfer of power, subjugation to the constitution and the rule of law, not to individual power, is what makes our country great. The salute acknowledges that a president is leaving and shows respect for the moment of transition.
JayDenver said:
Having spent the better part of Inauguration Day hiking in the Rockies (yeah, life IS tough), I came back that evening to the plethora of images and words marking this occasion. In this photo, I found Biden’s salute very much as describe by ST at 9:47 p.m. — a gesture of respect. And I continue to admire the Vice-president for his evident good manners.
The other gesture which has gone pretty much unremarked is the colorful interlocking of arms of Michelle and Jill — something that, for me, shows an intimacy and trust that defines the two and the couples as well, I hope.
yg said:
respect is a two way street, jack.
this is how bush saluted us all:
http://www.maniacworld.com/George_Bush.htm
deference was for the wealthy.