The swearing in of our new president went down without a hitch--save for a slightly mangled oath (proof that even Obama can make an oratory misstep).
If you were not one of the estimated 1.8 million people in attendance at the inauguration on Tuesday, here are some stats to give you a better feeling of how it all went down:
- Total cost: We're looking at some pretty big numbers here, with most estimates putting the final tab at around $160 million.
- Safety first: That final number includes the cost of having more than 20,000 police officers, National Guard troops and Secret Service agents patrolling the area.
- Swear words: The actual swearing-in ceremony should be considered a bargain, costing only $1.24 million.
- Wait your turn: 5,000 port-a-potties stylishly lined the walkways between Capital Hill and the Lincoln Memorial, averaging out to 1 port-a-potty for every 360 people.
- Party's over: Washington's trash trucks have already hauled away 90 tons of garbage left by revelers, with at least 40 more tons to go.
And there you have it. The presidential powers have transitioned and it's back to business as usual.
--Erin
The photo is taken from this photostream and used with permission of a Creative Commons license.
Obama didnt mess up on the oath, the guy swearing him in messed it up huge!! Obama paused because he knew the guy messed up..
Hey Matt, yeah you’re totally right, Obama doesn’t deserve all the blame–although he did jump the gun a little bit at the beginning. Chief Justice John Roberts incorrectly switched the words around. You got me.
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