INDEPTH: GEORGE W. BUSH
The second inauguration of the second President Bush
CBC News Online | January 20, 2005
As a crowd of more than 200,000 – including three former presidents – looked on, George W. Bush uttered 35 words that marked the beginning of his second term in office:
Chief Justice William Rehnquist administers the oath of office to President Bush on Capitol Hill. First lady Laura Bush holds the Bible. (AP photo)
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I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
The oath, administered by an ailing Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, was the climax of three days of celebrations of Bush's Nov. 2, 2004, election win.
Following a 21-gun salute, Bush began a 17-minute inaugural address in which he pledged to spread liberty and freedom "to the darkest corners of the world.''
Bush made no mention of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that marked his first term in office, at least not directly.
"Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfil and would be dishonourable to abandon,'' Bush said.
What he did mention – repeatedly – were the words "liberty" and "freedom."
"The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands," Bush said. "The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world."
Bush also reached out to allies, many of whom were sharply critical of the U.S. decision to invade Iraq.
"And all the allies of the United States can know: we honour your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help," he said. "Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom's enemies."
"America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way."
Bush also pledged to make sweeping changes to improve education, health and the finances of Americans.
"We will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance, preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society."
Robert Pastor, a professor of international relations at American University in Washington, found the speech surprising.
"What's startling is that it's not a conservative speech," Pastor told CBC News. "It could have been given by a Democrat."
Pastor said Bush's record of making cuts to education budgets may make it difficult to improve schools. And on spreading democracy, Pastor suggested the way the U.S. approaches the Middle East will be telling.
"The real test there will be the Middle East. Will we be on the side of democrats and dissidents, or will we continue to support oppressive governments?"
At 17 minutes, Bush's speech was a lot longer than the shortest inaugural address: George Washington uttered 135 words on March 4, 1793, to start his second term.
It was a lot shorter than the longest inaugural address: William H. Harrison's 10,000 words delivered in a snowstorm on March 4, 1841, began the shortest presidency in U.S. history. A month later, Harrison was dead of pneumonia.
President George Bush and Laura Bush walk during the inauguration parade in front of the White House. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)
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Most of Washington was locked-down for Bush's inauguration: a 100-block section of the city was closed to traffic in the biggest security operation the U.S. capital has ever seen. More than 6,000 law enforcement officers from 50 federal, state and local agencies were involved.
Security was so tight, police managed to snare two-time inauguration crasher Richard Weaver. In 2001, he got through security and was photographed shaking Bush’s hand and handing him a coin and a note. He pulled a similar stunt in 1997 during former president Bill Clinton’s second inauguration.
There were some protests – mainly along the parade route, after the inaugural address. But protesters were far outnumbered by supporters. The crowd was so friendly, Bush and first lady Laura Bush got out of their bullet-proof limousine and walked part of the route.
The cost of security wasn't part of the $40-million to $50-million price tag of the three days of celebrations. Neither was the cost of giving all U.S. federal government workers in the Washington area their second paid holiday of the week (Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day was the first). That's estimated at $66 million.
American taxpayers are contributing just under $3 million for the official inauguration events. The rest of the money was raised privately.
Donors who pony up for the $250,000 "underwriter package" received tickets to all official inaugural events, two additional tickets to an exclusive lunch with Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney - and an all-access pass to any inaugural ball.
More than 50 people or corporations did just that - including oil giant Exxon Mobil, Occidental Petroleum, defence contractor United Technologies, Time Warner, Home Depot, pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer, and corporate takeover specialist T. Boone Pickens.
Donations of $100,000 bought a scaled-down sponsor package, which included tickets to all official inaugural events, including an elegant candlelight dinner with a special appearance by Bush.
Nine official inaugural balls were scheduled for inauguration evening. Tickets were sold for eight of them.
The ninth was reserved for members of the armed forces who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq or are about to go there. Tickets for the Commander-in-Chief Ball were free for 2,000 military personnel and their families.
Tickets for the eight other balls went for $795 each. They all sold out.
The tradition of holding an Inaugural Ball began in 1809 when first lady Dolley Madison hosted a party for 400. Tickets for that affair sold for $4 apiece.
In 1857, James Buchanan went all-out with $3,000 worth of wine, 1,200 quarts of ice cream, 60 cuts of mutton, 75 hams and 125 tongues as well as 400 gallons of oysters plus plenty of beef and chicken salad.
John F. Kennedy got the multi-Inaugural Ball ball rolling in 1961 with five. Twenty years later, Ronald Reagan upped the ante to nine.
Bill Clinton matched that nine in 1997 - and threw in four more for good measure.
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