Bush Set to Take Oath for Second Term

There was a fresh blanket of snow in Washington, as President Bush left the White House on a busy inauguration eve. As trumpets played a traditional salute, the president arrived at an adjacent park for an outdoor concert on a frigid night. The event was supposed to last two hours, but was compressed to one because of the cold. All the same, the applause for the performers was warm as the sound of their voices filled the air. The president picked up the theme of the song "God Bless America" in his remarks, offering his own prayer for the country and for those serving in the U.S. military far from home. "We pray for our troops, we pray for their families. And on this night, as we celebrate the blessing of liberty, America honors the spirit of service that keeps our nation strong and free," he said. This is the first U.S. presidential inauguration since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and it comes at a time when large numbers of American troops are deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.