Today: The Inaugural Concert
Today is the big inaugural concert to celebrate Barack Obama’s incoming presidency, featuring acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder and many more. HBO has the exclusive TV rights, but the audio will also be streamed online by NPR from 2-5 p.m. ET.
Obama And Biden Visits Arlington National Cemetery
Barack Obama and Joe Biden visited Arlington National Cemetery this morning, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Obamas Attend Church In Washington
The Obamas attended church this morning at the 19th Street Baptist Church, the oldest historically-black church in Washington. A release from the Presidential Inauguration Committee indicated that the Obamas are still looking at various churches in the area, and will settle on a permanent one at a later time.
Polls Give Obama Sky-High Ratings Ahead Of Inauguration
Multiple polls out this morning give Barack Obama some incredibly high approval ratings in the days leading up to his inauguration. A new CBS/New York Times poll has 79% of Americans saying they are optimistic about the next four years with Obama as president, compared to only 16% who are pessimistic; the new CNN poll gives him an 84% approval rating; and the new ABC/Washington Post poll gives him an 80%-15% approval ratings.
Polls Also Show Approval For Obama’s Economic Plan
The new CBS/NYT poll shows a 63%-24% approval of Obama’s economic plan. The ABC/WaPo poll shows that 72% of Americans are confident that Obama’s plan will improve the economy, compared to only 17% who are not confident. And the CNN poll finds 58%-40% approval for increased government spending to stimulate the economy, with support jumping to 71%-28% when the spending is combined with tax cuts.
More Polls: People Don’t Like Bush
The new CBS/NYT poll gives George W. Bush an approval rating of only 22%, with a disapproval of 73%. The ABC/WaPo poll gives him a 33%-66% rating. And the CNN poll shows 68% of Americans rating George W. Bush’s president as a failure, with only 31% saying it was a success.
Pelosi To Obama: Don’t Wait For 2010, Repeal Bush Tax Cuts Sooner
During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Nancy Pelosi said that Barack Obama should not wait for the Bush tax cuts on the top-earners to expire, but should instead seek to repeal them ahead of schedule. However, she did add that any discussion on this issue is not part of the economic stimulus plan.
Axelrod Predicts Strong Action From Obama
David Axelrod told CNN that Barack Obama will take diplomatic action “early and aggressively.” Said Axelrod: “I think that the events around the world demand that he act quickly, and I think you’ll see him act quickly.”
