Dearly Departed
During last night's "Thank-You Ball" for Pres. Obama's campaign staff, the nation's chief executive urged his faithful workers not let go of the ideals they brought to his cause.
"Cling on to that essential thing about you," he said before a crowd of thousands of twenty-somethings at the D.C. Armory event hosted by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. "You'll set me right. And maybe someday you'll be in office, and you'll make it right."
Following a performance by Arcade Fire, VP Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, took to the stage. Over chants of "Joe, Joe, Joe," Biden told the assembled staffers that they "created this moment." The VP said that, like the crowd, he feels young, adding, "In my heart, but not in my hair."
He also gave special thanks to the staffers from Tallahassee, whom he credited with the campaign trail chant, "Jill Baby Jill!"
Actor Kal Penn, an active campaign surrogate, introduced campaign manager David Plouffe, who was greeted by enthusiastic cheers. Plouffe then introduced Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who wore a sparkling, black tea length dress.
Looking energized, Obama told the crowd he gets "choked up" when talking about Plouffe. Paying homage to his campaign manager, Obama referenced a line from "The Departed" spoken by Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam (played by Mark Wahlberg): "I'm the guy who does his job. You must be the other guy."
"That's Plouffe," Obama said. "Always working, always doing his job, never hobnobbing with the big shots."
Obama surveyed his audience. "Look at you," he said. "You guys are so young. You guys dress a lot sharper than you did in Iowa. You clean up nice!"
Although he said his wife had instructed him to be brief, Obama spoke for 15 minutes, paying tribute to all those who helped him reach the White House. He said that their example, discipline and creativity drove the campaign.
As Obama exited the stage, staffers put down their plastic wine-filled cups and lifted their cameras to the air, hoping to capture a snapshot of the man who benefitted from their door-knocking, phone-banking and volunteer-organizing.
(NORA McALVANAH)
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