It appears that Russia is catching Obama fever.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had a tense relationship with President Bush, particularly over the Iraq invasion and Bush’s plans for a missile shield in Eastern Europe.

But Putin appears to be softening his stance on America and the new Obama administration.  “We wish the new team success,” Putin told the Times of London.  “Militarization does not help solve problems.  We are against spending more money on military efforts.”

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If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out CNN’s satellite image of the crowds on the Mall watching Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration.  You can zoom in and scroll around the image with your computer mouse.

Satellite Image of 44th Presidential Inauguration

Barack Obama made good on his pledge for “Change” by issuing numerous executive orders in his first few days in office to overturn eight years of Bush legacy.

Obama decreed that interrogators must follow techniques outlined in the Army Field Manual when questioning terrorism suspects, though he also ordered a review that could allow CIA interrogators to use more harsh interrogation methods for high-value targets.

Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo detention center within a year, as well as any remaining secret CIA “black site” prisons in foreign countries.  He then met with top military officials at the White House and asked them to draw up plans to “execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq.”

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Perhaps E.T. wanted to witness the swearing in of America’s first black president along with the rest of the world.

A CNN video shows an unidentified object flying past the Washington Monument at high speed as the crowd dispersed after listening to Obama’s inauguration speech.  It couldn’t be a jet or helicopter because there was a no-fly zone around the entire Washington D.C. area during the event.

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President Barack Obama took his oath of office again after Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed it during Tuesday’s inauguration.  Roberts administered the second oath at 7:35 p.m. Wednesday in the White House Map Room.  The oath was redone to eliminate any question that Obama is legally the president.  However, according to the Constitution, Obama became president at noon Tuesday with or without taking the oath.

But the Constitution does explicitly state the language that should be used in the oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

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Barack Obama was sworn in on Tuesday, January 20, 2008 as the 44th president of the United States of America and the nation’s first African-American president. Following is a transcript of his prepared speech.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

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