Okay, for those of you living under a rock or in a sugar coma around Noon today, we have a new President: Barack Hussein Obama.

At 11:42 AM  a trumpet fanfare ushered in the President-elect to his inauguration. Cheers of “O-BA-MA” resound through the crowd. Hmmm…at McCain’s rallies the folks used to chant “U-S-A.”

Diane Feinstein introduced Pastor Rick Warren - everyone’s favorite preacher-turned-publicity-whore this side of Mike Huckabee. It was a so-so invocation that, at least, ended with the Lord’s Prayer.

Aretha Franklin followed up with “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” sung in much the same fashion that present day pop divas sing the national anthem at every SuperBowl - dragging it out into a Wagnerian aria.

Associate Justice John Paul Stevens administered the oath of office to Joe Biden. Incredibly enough there were no lightning strikes or other manifestations of Divine Wrath.

There was another musical interlude, a piece composed by John Williams played by classical quartet. It was a very beautiful piece; some of the violin strains reminded me of Vaughn Williams “Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis.” By 12:01 the music was still playing and I was wondering if they were going to hurry the performers along like they did many years ago to Bonnie Raitt on Saturday Night Live. Boy, was she pissed.

Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office and mentioned the President’s middle name, Hussein. I guess he was never copied on John McCain’s memo to Bill Cunningham.  Both Roberts and Obama fumbled clumsily through it. Perhaps they should have put it on a teleprompter.

The speech began at roughly 12:05 and ended at 12:20. It was an okay speech, not particularly inspired or astonishingly eloquent. It seemed hollow - as if he delivered another campaign speech - and full of platitudes, mostly of the “it’s time to remake America” variety together with assurances that government will cure all our ills.

It was peppered with many historical references but wandered all over the place, and in trying to say everything, it said nothing.  In some places he seemed to channel Ronald Reagan, in others FDR and JFK. Toward the end he did not refer to George Washington but, rather, turned INTO George Washington - complete with campfires along the Delaware.

If I had to sum up the inaugural address in three words it would be: YES WE CAN!