He has left the White House, never to return as president. (The White House photo was taken shortly before his departure, when he walked out to greet the Obamas for the ride to the ceremony.)

It is impossible, with the event not much more than an hour away, not to invoke the famous words:

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When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual,

“Free at last!  Free at last!  Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

CNN just said more people will watch the inaugural than any event in the history of television. Even the World Cup.

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