Obama urges public service at DC school makeover
By Julie Pace
President Barack Obama, joined by first lady Michelle and their daughters, set the tone for the weekend by volunteering to spruce up a Washington-area school.
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama wants Americans to take time out and volunteer for community service projects to give back to others.
Obama is highlighting a National Day of Service and the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Saturday, the beginning of a whirlwind weekend of inaugural events marking the end of his first term and start of his second.
The president and first lady Michelle Obama stained a bookshelf at Burrville Elementary School in Washington. They were joined by about 500 volunteers for the school makeover project.
Obama praised the volunteers, from adults to children, for understanding the importance of giving back.
The volunteer project is part of the larger National Day of Service Obama started in 2009, ahead of his first inaugural. The day is meant to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.
Obama publicly takes the oath of office Monday, the same day the nation marks King's birthday.
There will be formal balls, an inaugural parade and, of course, the president's address from the steps of the Capitol.
Even as Washington delves into the once-every-four-year celebration of the presidency, there is decidedly less energy surrounding Obama's second inauguration than there was in 2009. That history-making event drew 1.8 million people to the National Mall to watch Obama be sworn in as the nation's first black president.
This time around, Obama takes the oath of office following a bruising presidential campaign and four years of partisan fighting. He's more experienced in the ways of Washington, and he has the gray hair and lower approval ratings to show for it.
For at least the inauguration weekend, the fiscal fights and legislative wrangling will be put aside in favor of pomp and circumstance.
The White House did not say in advance what Obama's service project would be on Saturday. In 2009, he helped spruce up a shelter for homeless teens in one of Washington's porter neighborhoods then visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
In an effort to expand the day of service, former first daughter Chelsea Clinton will headline a volunteer summit on the National Mall and the inaugural committee has organized volunteer events in all 50 states.
The White House sees the call to service as a way for Americans across the country to honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. The day Obama takes the oath of office publicly — Monday — marks King's birthday, and 2013 is the 50th anniversary of the civil rights leader's March on Washington.
Also Saturday, Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden will host the Kids' Inaugural Concert, an event paying special tribute to military spouses and children.
The crowds pouring into Washington this weekend will be far smaller than they were four years ago, and there will be fewer inaugural balls for the president and first lady to attend. Still, Obama's swearing-in at the Capitol on Monday is expected to draw up to 800,000 people, which would make it the largest second presidential inaugural ever.
The president was still working on his inaugural address heading into the weekend. He isn't expected to delve deeply into the policy objectives he'll tackle in a second term, but the tone and theme of the speech will set the stage for the policy fights to come.
Aides said he will make the point that while the nation's political system doesn't require politicians to resolve all of their differences, it does require Washington to act on issues where there is common ground. And he will speak about how the nation's core principles can still guide a country that has changed immensely since its founding.
The weather in Washington on Saturday was expected to be sunny and a balmy 50 degrees. But temperatures were forecast to fall throughout the weekend and be in the 30s on Monday when the crowds gather along the parade route that will take Obama from Capitol Hill to the White House.
Despite scaling back on some of the revelry, Obama's second inauguration will be a star-studded affair. Top acts including Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Brad Paisley have signed on to perform at the weekend's events.
The inauguration also is bringing thousands of Obama campaign staffers and donors to Washington, with many getting invitations for tours and other events at the White House. On Friday, the president and first lady held two private events for donors who helped finance his 2012 campaign.
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