Back in the days of the first Mayor Richard Daley, when an alderman got out of line during a City Council debate, the power on his microphone was unceremoniously cut, whether he had the floor legitimately or not.

Agusto Cesar Sandino Segundo writes, "A cynical summary: On Tuesday Jan. 20th 2009, aka Inauguration Day, the newly sworn in Citizens in Chief's of the peoples republik celebrated the installation of the latest in a long series of puppets and front men for gangster capitalism aka de'mock'cracy Amerikkkan style. Although the day remains historic in the history of race relations in this nation, and for many this is an important victory in the civil and political rights struggle, it remains to be seen how much change really lies ahead despite all the rhetoric from this young president. While this commentator believes Prez Obama has more or less good intentions, the system he rose to power in is rotten to the core and will hinder his ability to deliver on his many promises."

Around 2 dozen people gathered the day after president Obama's inauguration to hold a vigil and pray for comprehensive immigration reform in the first 100 days of his new administration. This was one of multiple events that took place around the country raising the issue of immigration reform. An organizer at the event said that on the campaign trail both McCain and Obama had promised to make changes to the broken immigration system in the first 100 days of their administration, and that this event was hoping to softly nudge the administration to do so.

The event was composed largely of reading of scripture and prayers by clergy men and women about the Christian commandments to love our neighbor and take care of the foreigner. There were also speeches given by community organization composed of and advocating for immigrants , including the Houston Interfaith Worker Justice Center, the Central American Resource Center, and FIEL (Immigrant Families and Students in Struggle). [Read full story with photos]

Some 400 people showed up at the Muslim Inaugural Celebration, Monday January 19th, 2009.

Here we have part 1 and part 2 of our footage taken on day 3 (MLK Day), enjoy! read more

In freezing weather, over one million, but maybe not 2 mil mostly 20 and 30 something year olds, were packed into the National Mall around the jumbotron screens to watch Obama get inaugurated (There was one big empty space behind the Washington Monument where there was no TV.) When the 43rd Pres, Bush, was introduced to the crowd, there was a very loud boo. And thumping gloved hands for the Obama. Read More

Obama's Inaugural address honors settlers, snubs Native Americans

More video from the last part of the trip to D.C. and our arrival at Sascha and Faith's. Also we have photos from the whole trip including some from Day 3... Look out for tomorrows videos containing interviews done on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well as Inauguration Day. read more

Just before the November 2008 elections, a few people at the IMC started talking about a road trip to Washington, DC for the presidential inauguration - a trip we would especially want to make if Barack Obama won the election, there was enough local interest in making the journey, and we could find group transportation. The motives were fairly simple: to witness the crowds and celebrations (or protests) in our nation's capital while also documenting citizens' reactions and perspectives. As winter progressed, we decided this would also be an opportunity for the Independent Media Center to represent the Urbana-Champaign community and to produce a video diary that we could send home for everyone who could not join us. This is a glimpse - unfettered by mainstream media - into our experiences traveling across country, meeting new and old friends, having light-hearted and serious discussions, and being part of a massive crowd for a historic event in a historic city. read more

As the final hours of the Bush-Cheney regime draw nearer millions around the world are breathing a collective sign of relief that they survived the Bush-Cheney era. The one word Obama campaign slogan: Hope, is still the operative word in the minds of the public. The crowds at 2009 inauguration are expected to break all records with perhaps over 3 million people lining the parade route. Not in recent history as a president entered the office with expectations so high.

Corporate media has transformed the event from an inauguration into a coronation. The pre-inaugural hype now resembles that of the Rose Parade or a Super Bowl game. The voices of alternative viewpoints lost in the spectacle of the parade and tournament. With the news that KPFK, a major local outlet of alternative news, has been denied access to broadcast facilities at the inauguration non-corporate representation of the event will be very limited.

Fortunately Indymedia activists are gearing up to cover counter-inaugural events. The DC-Indymedia web site has a redesigned homepage for special coverage. There are reporters from Urbana-Champaign IMC in DC now and filing reports. Also there is a live webcast at Radio Portland IMC. Locally here in Los Angeles there is a counter-inaugural event downtown planned for Tuesday.

Latest from the newswire: Commentary - Some Thoughts on Obama and the US Empire by Chris Burnett

Here is a warning posted to emails by Eric Sheptock about DC's "Migration" plan for the homeless for the duration of the Inauguration. SHAME ON OBAMA for demanding the homeless pack up and leave!

The city Auditor is resigning in May. This position is a powerful position that is in charge of auditing (or ignoring) city projects and runs the Independent Police Review. The powers that be want a special election held that is in 4 months. This is bad as most people who can qualify for auditor will be busy doing Taxes and not able to run. Also, this is not enough time for people to qualify for Public Financing. Which leaves an auditor who is elected by the PDC, business and the Portland Police Union. If you can please attend the following meeting and support Portland Publicly Financed Elections by asking that the election happen in September (this will give time for good progressive people to run for this office).

BARACK OBAMA: THE CHANGE WE NEED, OR A NEW FACE ON THE SAME ROTTEN EMPIRE? Carl Dix will be speaking at Busboys & Poets on Sunday, Jan 11th, at 6 PM. He is available for interviews and commentary on the below themes. To those who worked to get Obama elected, those who voted for him and those who hope his election will usher in the change this world desperately needs:

Those following Obama's earlier presidential campaign rhetoric recognize a substantial shift from his stump speech promises. Author Jeremy Scahill's Dec. 5th Alternet article ("Obama Doesn't Plan to End the Occupation in Iraq") notes Obama as recently as July telling his progressive anti-war constituency (a key voting block in his election), "I intend to end this war. My first day in office I will bring the Joint Chiefs of Staff in, and I will give them a new mission, and that is to end this war — responsibly, deliberately, but decisively."

Obama's transitional website is now pledging to send an additional 65,000 American military personnel to Afghanistan, and expand the "Global War on Terror" (GWOT). An important feature of the expanded war on terror, according to the Obama website, will be the U.S. government's extensive investment in surveillance technology. The website also states that U.S. military incursions into Pakistan will be part of his plan for the "war on terror." Click here to read the full article.

The beat goes on. As with his economic and security appointments, Obama again disappointed but didn't surprise. Without exception, his team assures business as usual, a near-seamless transition from George Bush, and not "change to believe in." His latest choices raise more cause for concern and with good reason.

wow. I have no problem "bringing in people that are disagreed with" and my problem is not JUST a support of measure 8. Seriously he compared me and my loved ones to beastiophiles and pedophiles. I can not think of another minority group that such direct hate and bigotry could be leveled against and cast off so easily. As you make room at the table sir, I am sad to see that I will remain at "the other table". I actually backed you in the primaries, after giving up on mainstream politics, as have many of my friends. I am sure that next election I will note this. And yes I know you democrats believe you own my vote one way or another. but once again I find myself finally feeling the need to sit it out.

A group of concerned New York citizens announced today that they are launching a campaign to have Governor David A. Paterson appoint long-time consumer advocate Ralph Nader to the US Senate. There are no real residency requirements for US Senate. Nader’s supporters noted that while President elect Obama has made a big point of naming many of his former Presidential opponents to Cabinet positions, he has not yet offered a position to Nader, who finished third in the general election. Obama’s first public interest job, which he credits for training him as an organizer, was with a group that Nader helped established, the New York Public Interest Research Group.

Barack Obama has chosen Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the Presidential inauguration. Warren and his Saddleback church are well known for their strong anti-gay and anti-abortion views. LGBT activists demonstrated at Saddleback following the passage of Prop 8.

The internet has been a flood lately with discussions on what anarchists, anti-authoritarians and others should do on January 20th.

On one side of the debate is the website hopefrompeople.com, who put out a call to form a "Celebrate People’s History and Build Popular Power" bloc. Signed by many high-profile figures, including Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, the site states:

As people striving toward a non hierarchical society, yes, we can—and should—be rigorously critical of Barack Obama. […]But not all heads of state are alike, and if we fail to recognize both the historical meaning and power of this particular moment, we will ensure our own irrelevance.

Perhaps, as people working to build a world from below without electoralism or statecraft, we also need to listen on January 20. It is neither the time nor the place to critique hope or excitement on the part of people who have engaged in grassroots struggles in so many ways and won a substantial victory.

Many strongly disagree with this idea though. On DC indymedia, an anonymous author posted a critique of the call

The quickest way for anyone to ensure their own irrelevance, especially in the face of seminal historical events such as this one, is to renege on one’s responsibility to offer true and honest analysis of the situation, as one sees it through one’s own eyes.

Is it a "victory" to be "celebrated" when we get our half a loaf? Or is it a set-back? If the sole motivation for being given half a loaf is to dissuade us from revolution, to restore our faith in the supposedly “representative” nature of liberal democracy, aren’t we dutifully serving the interests of the ruling class we purport to oppose by acting as agents of conduit for the very lies they seek to spread?

The discussion continued on many rochester email lists and face-to-face conversations (post 1, post 2). It seems the radical community is split on how to respond to the this historic election.

So what do you think? How should people respond to Obama's inauguration? What plans do you have for the 20th? Click the "Read More" link below, and let's discuss.

So far as most of us can tell, the "economic stimulus" plan issuing from The Office Of The President-Elect (snicker) includes the most staggeringly pants-pissing amounts of cash to prop up failing corporations, banks and executives, and jack for the rest of us, unless we're prepared to summon up some cajones and engage in a little good old-fashioned shop-floor smackdown, like those laid-off workers in Chicago. On the local level, here in DC, as Inauguration Day – or, as now known to some, Barack Obama Day – approaches, The One's economic stimulus program for DC has finally begun to jell; according to The Office Of The President-Elect (snurf), this plan will take a two-pronged approach: one prong for the quite well-off, and another big prong for the rest of us...

President-elect Barack Obama has been busy picking out the cabinet and advisers that will staff his administration: Lots of familiar faces, including some Bush loyalists. Obama on Monday announced a foreign policy team which includes President Bush's defense secretary, Robert Gates - an early supporter of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Also picked to re-up is Gen. David Petraeus, the general who heads up U.S. Central Command, in charge of running the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though he believes that al Qeada has become more of a threat in Afghanistan, he still thinks they are the power causing so much unrest in Iraq. A view few Iraqis share, by the way. Also in line for a seat in the cabinet is Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, as secretary of homeland security. According to John Trazvina, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, under her term: "Arizona has become one of the worst states for immigrants in this country."

[...] Do you voters understand why so many of us have less-than-zero faith in the electoral process now?