George W Bush

WASHINGTON -- It has taken some doing, but the Republicans have finally produced a president the Democrats love to hate almost as much as they hated Richard M. Nixon. His name is George W. Bush. Not since the days long before the Watergate affair, when Nixon's excesses as a political hatchet man made Democrats' blood boil, has a Republican leader unwittingly been such a unifier of the opposition party in its visceral dislike of him as the man starting his second term in the Oval Office.

WASHINGTON - President Bush launched his second term, as anticipated, with lofty words. What was surprising was the subject his often-graceful language addressed. Brushing lightly past his ambitious domestic agenda, he unexpectedly devoted his second inaugural address largely to the question of America's role in the world. His outward-looking remarks included a potentially far-reaching redefinition of the country's interests. Declaring it "the urgent requirement of our nation's security," Bush said that America will use its "considerable" power to align itself with forces of freedom against dictators and oppressive governments around the world.

Delivering the oath of office in a voice hoarse from cancer treatments, a frail-looking Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist symbolized yesterday what could become the biggest battle in President Bush's second term - the looming possibility of a partisan fight over vacancies on the Supreme Court. The president's inauguration marked Rehnquist's first public appearance since October, when he began treatments for thyroid cancer. Rehnquist, 80, leaned heavily on a cane, and the tube from his tracheotomy surgery was visible at the loose collar of his signature judicial robe, its distinctive four gold stripes on each sleeve.

WASHINGTON - At the Commander-in-Chief Ball - the only one of last night's nine inaugural balls specifically in honor of the military - the strains of "God Bless America" snapped guests to attention, acronyms made up the cocktail chatter and most of the names that were dropped belonged to aircraft carriers. This was a crowd that didn't know how to answer when asked where they were from - military bases here and there - but knew exactly what to say when asked about their feelings on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

Minutes before President Bush's parade motorcade passed Fourth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, Celeste Zappala held up a photo of her dead son and urged hundreds of protesters not to give up pleading for peace in Iraq. "My son died looking for weapons of mass destruction, but instead of finding a weapon, the weapon found him," said Zappala, a 57-year-old Philadelphia resident, wiping away tears. Her son, Sherwood Baker, a National Guardsman, died last April in Baghdad when he was struck by debris from an explosion.

WASHINGTON - Helicopters buzzed the skies. Law enforcement officers stood on the roofs of federal buildings, including the White House, watching the crowds through binoculars. Police officers brought in from as far away as Chicago stood shoulder to shoulder along the parade route. The wait at security checkpoints was up to 90 minutes long. Welcome to the 55th inauguration. Please remove your shoes at the door. It seemed a small miracle that anyone attended the swearing-in or parade at all. Anyone trying to get within eyesight of the parade route was subject to a pat-down and metal detector test.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Inauguration night is a fabulous time when the Who's Who of Washington put on their ballroom best and dance the night away, all gussied-up and fussed-over, looking good, smelling sweet and feeling hopeful. But before the Who's Who can shake and shimmy their way into the bright future that lies ahead, many find they have something else to get right first: That darn bow tie. "I only wear a bow tie once every four years," says Michael Brown, a Bush appointee at the Environmental Protection Agency, who was on his way to the Independence Ball, but needed Nordstrom's menswear clothing manager Jack Eggleston to help him with his patterned bow tie. "I just haven't mastered how to tie one."

Laura Bush's gown - an ice blue and silver vision by Oscar de la Renta - took the first lady from her usual prim and proper appearance to one that was shimmery and glamorous. The first twins' gowns, both Badgley Mischka creations, were movie-star extravagant and as snug as security in the nation's capital, but much sexier. It was an extremely tasteful and stylish show for the throngs celebrating George W. Bush's re-election. As the Bushes dashed from swearing-in ceremony to parade to a string of formal galas during yesterday's inauguration festivities, freedom and fashion both took a stand.

WASHINGTON - On his second Inauguration Day, President Bush presented himself as a serious, confident leader, but also as a man able to laugh at a joke. At times, President Bush projected the air of gravity that seemed appropriate for a day that coincided with more bloodshed in Iraq and continued recovery efforts in tsunami-ravaged South Asia. As he walked the corridors of the U.S. Capitol, on his way to deliver his inaugural address from steps overlooking the Mall, he looked stern, eyes focused, lips pursed.

Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, members of the United States Congress, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens: On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.