Vice President Biden to Lead Presidential Delegation to Attend the Mass for the Inauguration of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Francis

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President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend the Inauguration Mass celebrating the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Francis, which will take place on March 19, 2013.

The Honorable Joseph R. Biden Jr., Vice President of the United States, will lead the delegation. 

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Susana Martinez, Governor of the State of New Mexico

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader of the United States House of Representatives and United States Representative from California

Dr. John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University

President Obama discusses the need to harness American energy in order to reduce our dependence on oil and make the United States a magnet for new jobs. He highlights his all-of-the-above approach to American energy -- including a proposal to establish an Energy Security Trust, which invests in research that will help shift our cars and trucks off of oil.

In the first foreign trip of his second term in office, President Obama will meet with the new Israeli government and speak to the Israeli people, as well as meet with the Palestinian leadership and the King of Jordan.

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

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President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Sierra Leone to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma

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For Immediate Release February 20, 2013 President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Sierra Leone to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Sierra Leone to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma on February 22, 2013.

The Honorable Carrie Hessler-Radelet, Acting-Director of the Peace Corps, will lead the delegation.

Member of the Presidential Delegation:

Ms. Kathleen FitzGibbon, Chargé d'Affaires, United States Embassy to the Republic of Sierra Leone

Blog posts on this issue February 21, 2013 5:39 PM ESTWest Wing Week: 02/22/13 or “A Single Sacred Word: Citizen” February 21, 2013 1:10 PM ESTA Balanced Plan to Avert the Sequester and Reduce the Deficit

President Obama has already reduced the deficit by over $2.5 trillion, cutting spending by over $1.4 trillion, bringing domestic discretionary spending to its lowest level as a share of the economy since the Eisenhower era.

February 21, 2013 12:53 PM ESTDon't Miss Out! Tickets Lottery for the 2013 Easter Egg Roll Opens Today

Enter today for a chance to join President Obama and the First Family on the South Lawn for a day of singing, dancing and egg rolling.

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President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Inauguration of Her Excellency Park Geun-hye, President-elect of the Republic of Korea on February 25, 2013

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President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Seoul, Korea to attend the Inauguration of Her Excellency Park Geun-hye, President-elect of the Republic of Korea on February 25, 2013.

The Honorable Tom Donilon, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Sung Kim, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea

General James D. Thurman, Commander of the United Nations Command, Republic of Korea- U.S. Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea

The Honorable Daniel Russel, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs, NSS

The two leaders discussed the world economy and President Obama's plan to pursue a U.S.-European Union free trade agreement, which was mentioned in his State of the Union address earlier this week.

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, answers questions from the public about immigration reform and President Obama's State of the Union Address in an “Open for Questions” session moderated by Elianne Ramos from LATISM.

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Report: DC officials lower turnout estimate for Inauguration Day

Officials in the District of Columbia are lowering their turnout projections for President Obama’s second inauguration.

Chris Geldart, the director of the District's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said Sunday that they now expect between 500,000 and 700,000 people to attend the Monday events, according to a report in The Associated Press. 

That figure is below the original 600,000-to-800,000 estimate, which itself was well below the 1.8 million estimated to have watched Obama being sworn in on Jan. 20, 2009.

The report said that city officials are basing their revised number on the number of charter buses that have arrived in Washington as well as an accounting of hotel and restaurant reservations.

But Geldart said that officials are not making any alterations to their security or transportation plans.

President Obama’s second term officially began shortly before noon on Sunday, when he was sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in a short ceremony at the White House.

But because the inauguration date set by the Constitution falls on a Sunday, organizers are holding the ceremonial public swearing-in and inaugural parade on Monday. 

Vice President Biden was also sworn in earlier Sunday, by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

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Obama: Inauguration a chance to celebrate ‘this incredible nation’

In a short speech at the National Building Museum on Sunday night, President Obama thanked his supporters and said his second inauguration was a chance to celebrate “this incredible nation.”

“What we are celebrating is not just the election or swearing-in of a president; what we are doing is celebrating each other and celebrating this incredible nation we call home,” said Obama at a reception for campaign donors and backers of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. 

“And after we celebrate, let's be sure to work as hard as we can to pass on an America that is worthy of our past and our future,” he added, looking ahead to his second term.

Obama was preceded by first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, all of whom also delivered remarks.

“I’m delivering another speech tomorrow, so tonight I’m going to be pretty brief, because there are a limited amount of good lines and you don’t want to use them all,” Obama joked. “My main purpose tonight is just to say thank you.”

The president said looking around the room he could see people from “every walk of life” who had “invested so much of their heart, soul, time, money and energy.”

“One of the things that made this campaign unique was the degree of investment and ownership people had in this common project of ours, because you understood this was not just about a candidate,” Obama added. “It was not just about Joe Biden or Barack Obama. It was about us and who we are as a nation, what values we cherish, how hard we are willing to fight to make those values live for future generations.”

Vice President Biden, who spoke before Obama, said he had been “honored” to serve with the president, and thanked their supporters for “believing in us.”

“This man’s already done an already remarkable job,” said Biden, citing Obama’s healthcare law, the end of the war in Iraq, the drawdown in Afghanistan and his support for same-sex marriage.

“He’s just getting started,” Biden added to cheers. “In the months ahead we are going to reduce gun violence here in America, we’re going to pass comprehensive immigration reform and we’re going to put this nation’s economy on a sustainable path to the future.”

Obama and Biden were officially sworn in on Sunday morning, but on Monday will take their ceremonial public oaths of office.

The president appeared relaxed and encouraged his supporters to enjoy the Inaugural festivities.

“Feel free to stay up as long as you want; tomorrow’s not a school night,” Obama joked.

The president also praised the first lady, who introduced him to the audience.

“First of all, I love Michelle Obama, and to address the most significant event of this weekend, I love her bangs,” said the president about the first lady’s new hairstyle. “She always looks good.”

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Is Washington DC Trying To Hide Its Homeless Population During Inauguration?

This weekend, as many as 800,000 people will show up in downtown Washington D.C. to watch President Obama’s second inauguration. What they won’t see, however, is D.C.’s homeless population.

That’s because on Thursday, the city issued a special order requiring homeless shelters, which normally close during the day, to remain open on Sunday and Monday. As a result, many of the city’s homeless people will be indoors on inauguration weekend, out of public sight.

In and of itself, giving homeless people a refuge during the day is laudable. Doing so solely on the two days when world’s eyes will be on D.C. raises questions about whether the city is simply trying to hide its homeless residents.

On a typical day, shelters open in the afternoon or evening and accept people who need a place to sleep. Everyone must then leave early the following morning. The only times shelters are required to stay open during the day is during a hypothermia alert when the temperature dips below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, as confirmed to ThinkProgress by phone Friday, the city has already made a special declaration because of the inauguration that all shelters shall remain open during the day on Sunday and Monday, regardless of the weather. There is currently a high of 47 degrees on Sunday during the day, though it will be cold with wind chill.

Willis Johnson, a 53-year-old man who has spent time in the DC shelter system after moving here last year, didn’t take kindly to the city’s move, but he understood their motivation. “D.C. wants to look good for visitors,” Johnson told ThinkProgress. “Its an unfortunate means to an end.” He went on to call it a “band-aid measure to a neglected ongoing social challenge.”

Indeed, the District’s homeless population is growing. In 2012, 6,954 homeless people in Washington D.C., a 6 percent increase from the year before.

Another man currently living in a shelter, Charlie, told ThinkProgress he didn’t necessarily take umbrage at the city’s move, saying that perhaps it’s necessary for security. He was looking forward to being able to stay inside over the weekend.

It’s hard to criticize the District for devoting more resources to helping homeless people get shelter this weekend. But the question is are they willing to be as generous when the cameras are off and the city isn’t the center of attention? Last year’s city budget, which cut homeless services by $7 million even as the District enjoyed a $140 million surplus, might be an indication.

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Law Enforcement Preps For Second Presidential Inauguration

The President and First Lady walk in the 2009 Inaugural Parade flanked by Secret Service

Four years later, President Obama will be sworn in for the second time, prompting a new rounds of preparation to ensure his safety as he takes the oath on the steps of the Capitol Building.

With the swearing-in ceremony a little over 48 hours away, planning is moving along at full-tilt, including arranging the security measures required to keep the President and First Lady safe throughout. The Secret Service takes point in designing and implementing security plans during what are called National Security Special Events, gatherings of the size of the Inaugural that would be prove likely targets for terrorism. Partnering with local law enforcement and the military, the result is an estimated 20,000 law enforcement officials prepared to patrol the District of Columbia.

In conjunction with that effort, the FBI is prepared to handle crisis management should an incident incur, along with providing intelligence analysis ahead of the event. It’s in that role that Jacqueline McGwyer, an agent at the Washington Field Office of the FBI, confirmed to ThinkProgress that there is currently “no credible or corroborated threat” towards the President ahead of the Inaugural. In addition, according to McGwyer, there’s less chatter that would suggest a potential attack compared to the same period in 2009.

The decrease in overall noise tracks with what independent observers are seeing as well. What worries J.M. Berger more is the severity of what he’s seeing from the far right. Berger tracks terrorism in the form of both jihadi extremists and white supremacists through their Internet presence on his website Intelwire. According to Berger, “There are certain phrases that you see, that are always in the mix, but are more prominent now.” He described these phrases as calls to action, such as “The time is now,” that ebb and flow in their usage, but have peaked in the last few days.

Compounding the chatter surrounding the inauguration are the President’s recent proposals to reduce gun violence. Volume among the fringe right is as high today as it was immediately after the tragedy in Newtown, CT, Berger said. The real concern, he said, is that protesters will flow into the city in the hopes of setting off a confrontation with law enforcement. Berger described the feeling among the far right-wing internet communities as akin to a “powder-keg poised to go off.” Should the weekend pass without seeing that influx though, Berger predicted that the communities he monitors will calm down until the passage of any firearms legislation in Congress.

The possibility is still out there that a new threat may arise to the President along the same vein as the possible threat that arose during the last Inaugural. In 2009, law enforcement officials were reported to be tracking down leads of a potential threat from the Somalia-based jihadi group al-Shabaab. While that threat was never corroborated and clearly never came to pass, the intelligence community remains high alert.

At least one event scheduled for this weekend shows the potential for getting the far right further riled. Media Matters for America reported on Friday that the “Gun Appreciation Day” event due to take place on Saturday in protest of Obama’s gun proposals is being sponsored in part by a white nationalist group called American Third Position. Groups like American Third Position were the subject of a recent study by the Combating Terrorism Center highlighting the threat that fringe right-wing groups pose to the United States.

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President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Ghana to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Ghana to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama Get Email UpdatesContact Us Go to homepage. The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts 2012: A Year in Photos

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For Immediate Release January 03, 2013 President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Ghana to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Accra, Ghana to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President-elect of the Republic of Ghana on January 7, 2013.
The Honorable Daniel W. Yohannes, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Gene Cretz, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana
The Honorable Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Department of State
The Honorable Donald Teitelbaum, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Department of State

Blog posts on this issue January 04, 2013 6:12 PM ESTJoin President Obama in a National Day of Service

The Presidential Inaugural Committee announces a National Day of Service on January 19, 2013

January 04, 2013 6:05 PM ESTJoin President Obama in a National Day of Service

The Presidential Inaugural Committee announces a National Day of Service on January 19, 2013

January 04, 2013 2:55 PM EST2012: A Year in Photos

Each January, Pete Souza, Chief Official White House Photographer and Director of the White House Photography Office selects his favorite images from the past twelve months, and now, we're sharing them with you.

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