Oprah's Take: 'It's Sacred'

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 20, 2009 9:23 PM CST
Oprah's Take: 'It's Sacred'
Oprah Winfrey, center, is joined by companion Steadman Graham, left, as she arrives for the inauguration at the Capitol.   (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

The impact of today's inauguration was not lost on Oprah, a key early backer of Barack Obama. "It means everything," she told Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times. "It means everything and more and everything. It's like no moment I ever expected to experience." Sweet found Oprah near the West Capitol steps within a celebrity goldmine of sorts—Denzel Washington, Caroline Kennedy, and Jesse Jackson, among others.

"I can't say anything that hasn't already been said," said Winfrey. "It's beyond. It's sacred. You know I feel both celebrative and like celebratory and also very sobered by it." Kennedy, speaking hours before her uncle Ted suffered a seizure, echoed the sentiment. "It's so exciting for everyone," she said. "I am thrilled to be here." New York Gov. Paterson, meanwhile, will soon name his pick for the Senate, and Kennedy is still believed to be a front-runner.
(More Barack Obama stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X