Obama's first day on the job
What did President Obama do on his first day in office? The following is a tick-tock of the day's events based on pool reports and statements from the White House press office
8:35 a.m. President Obama spends ten minutes in the Oval Office alone. Reads a note from former President Bush in an envelope marked, "To: #44, From: #43".
8:45 a.m. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel enters the Oval and discusses the president's schedule for the day.
9:10 a.m. The First Lady enters the Oval Office.
9:25 a.m. President Obama and Michelle walk to the presidential limousine (click here to read about the new cadillac) and depart to the National Cathedral.
9:36 a.m. Motorcade arrives at the National Cathedral.
10:00 a.m. Vice President Biden and wife Jill enter the cathedral with the president and first lady behind them and walk to the front row where President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State designee Hillary Clinton are already seated. Roughly 3,200 people are in attendance.
Shortly thereafter, the four stood as the National Cathedral choir sang "My House Shall be Called a House of Prayer."
The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, dean of the Washington National Cathedral, welcomed the Obamas and the Bidens stating, "This is his first day on the job. We have come together from many different perspectives to give us the hopes and prayers for the work ahead."
Short invocation and long opening prayer follows.
10:16 a.m. National Anthem is sung. President Obama places his hand over heart and sings.
11:17 a.m. Service concludes with the singing of "He's got the whole world in his hands".
11:27 a.m. Motorcade departs.
11: 36 a.m. Motorcade arrives at White House.
1:18 p.m. President Obama meets with dozens of staffers and their families to sign five executive orders. Vice President Biden administers oath of office for White House senior staff. The vice president asks for a hard copy of the oath quipping, "My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts".
1:26 p.m. The president signs the first executive order.
2:30 p.m. The president and first lady attend an "open house"
2:40 p.m. In the Blue Room, the president and first lady shake hands and welcome attendees of the open house. President Obama tells one young man, "Welcome, enjoy yourself. Roam around. Don't break anything".
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. The president meets with economic advisers in the Roosevelt Room.
4:15 - 5:15 p.m. The president meets with Iraq Military Commanders (Ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and the overall theater commander in the region) in the Situation Room.
7:35 p.m. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts administers the oath of office (again) in the Map Room. Explained White House Counsel Greg Craig in a statement, "...out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice Roberts administered the oath a second time." President Obama joked to the Justice, "We're going to do it [the oath] very slowly."
Read about this odd event and watch the video by going here.
8:40 p.m. The president and first lady arrive at the D.C. armory for yet another ball. This "thank you ball" with thousands of campaign, inaugural, transition and DNC staff. The president spoke shortly after 9 p.m. Following his remarks, he worked the rope line thanking supporters.
