A moment occurred in the nation today as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. That moment reaffirmed the promise of the greatest nation on Earth : that anyone can achieve their dreams if they are willing to work for it. And Jesse Watters and I were fortunate enough among the throngs of the estimated 2 million Americans who turned out to brave the cold.

We were positioned in the crowd that surrounded the Washington Monument and we stood elbow-to-elbow with people of all ages, colors, backgrounds and religious persuasions. For a little perspective, it’s exactly one mile from the Monument to the Capitol – and the crowds flowed well beyond there and all the way to the Lincoln Memorial.

It is my observation, from the bleacher seats if you will, (although no one actually sat at any point), that the real story today wasn’t as much about our new President Barack Obama, but more so the crowd that turned out. They were unprecedented in numbers, jubilant in spirit and as diverse as any political crowd the country has ever seen. The came peaceably and they left immediately at the conclusion of President Obama’s Address.

It wasn’t an overly emotional moment – only a few people were moved to tears around us. But it was a powerful moment as the racial, political and generational shift in America occurred and history was made.

Click here for more EXCLUSIVE FOX Fan features on Inauguration 2009!

Want to know what it’s really like here in Washington during this year’s historical 56th Annual Inauguration? It’s a PARTY!

Seriously, I’m not joking – the traffic is horrendous, Starbucks is overcrowded and it’s as frigid as the Antarctic… but everyone is deleriously HAPPY!

Jesse Watters and I were dispatched on the streets of Washington this week to cover all of the balls, parties and cultural events and one common thread is constant: the nation’s capital is electrified as Barack Obama assumes the Presidency. We have yet to meet anyone who has a negative thing to say, or express parting shots at President Bush as he leaves office. We’ve been to star-studded events and talked to folks like Jessica Alba, Jamie Foxx, Wyclef Jean, Hayden Panettiere and George Clinton of the P Funk All Stars. And perhaps, the King of Funk, put is best last night at the Aloha Ball when he told me, “Everybody’s in a groove, man. Gotta keep the funk flowing!”

I guess you could say, it’s about as close as you can come to bringing Rio to Washington!

Click here for more EXCLUSIVE FOX Fan features on Inauguration 2009!

It’s coming…  Are YOU ready?!

Some two million plus folks are coming from all over the country to descend on the Nation’s Capital. Bridges are closing and authorities are telling people to plan to walk, wait and endure general hair-pulling lines at security check points.

But will it be worth the hassles?

You BETCHA! After all, this is not only one of the most historical inaugurations in history, but also a moment in time that I will enjoy telling my children and grandchildren about some day.

So how does one prepare to survive the headaches and chaos and truly enjoy this magnificent opportunity?

You have to get into… your ALOHA mode!

I’ll secretly confess that of all the balls that I am invited to attend as a reporter for FOX News, the Aloha Ball may be the winner!

For starters, it’s 11 degrees outside today, so wearing my best Hawaiian shirt with my tuxedo and a lei may be a mental boost alone! But more than that, it’s a first-ever Aloha Ball that seeks to celebrate the music, food and culture that shaped President Elect Obama’s youth. (And the legendary George Clinton and the P Funk All Stars will be there!)

Event organizer Skip Kelly told me a few days ago, “Barack may have learned his sharp political elbows in Chicago… but you know that calm and cool demeanor that he possesses? That’s his ALOHA spirit.”

If you want to read more — or even attempt a last minute effort at attending this one, go to www.alohaball.org. So bring on the snarling traffic, lost and confused masses, and general chaos…  I’m ready — I’m in my Aloha State of Mind!

Mahalo!

Keep checking back for more Inauguration 2009 features!

Resolution Time, people! With the New Year upon us, it’s time to kick that bad habit, trim those love handles, get into great shape or start saving some money for the economic storm clouds that continue to haunt us!

Let’s go to the numbers: Truth is that most of us DO make New Year Resolutions… only to ultimately break them! In fact, more than 30% of us break our personal improvement vows within SEVEN DAYS. More than 80% of us have fallen off the horse by Jan 31st. And by year’s end… well, only 3% of us kept their resolutions.

So that means that 97% us prefer:  a)  pizza, nachos and Twinkies over broccoli and rice cakes; b) sleeping late and playing video games over physical exertion and sweating; and c) nice clothes, cars and houses over a life at Walden Pond.

But that didn’t stop me from heading down to Times Square to ask folks what their resolutions are for 2009. It was so entertaining… we made a second clip for you too! Check ‘em out!

done

done

Good Luck. Go Forth. And remember the wisdom of Rudyard Kipling (as not quoted by IL Gov Blagojevich) – “Today is the opening verse on the opening page of the chapter of endless possibilites!”

Happy New Year — and BE SURE TO TUNE INTO FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S UPARTY 2009. I’ll be there — with some NEVER BEFORE SEEN Hot Pants!

Also – text us YOUR New Year’s Message to scroll on the FNC Ticker to: “36288″ and type “Utext (space) Your Msg” in the message area!

In his quite funny latest HBO special, Chris Rock had this one-liner:

“John McCain is 72… When was the last time you hired a 72-year old for ANYTHING?!!”

Now, to be fair, John McCain has proven his toughness and even poked a little self-deprecating fun at himself on SNL several months ago claiming on the show that he had the “oldness” neccessary to be President…

Yet the question continues to be posed to me in private by people… Some as recent as yesterday, asking about the senator’s age as a factor in this election…

Well today, I saw this video!

Ken Mink is a 73 year-old retiree, full-time college student and member of the Roane State Community College who’s still got game!