Reid part of planning for Obama swearing-in

When Barack Obama takes the oath of office today, Sen. Harry Reid will play a sizable role in the proceedings, and not merely because he is Senate majority leader.

Reid sits on an obscure but prestigious congressional committee that is charged with putting on the swearing-in ceremony and the traditional luncheon that follows.

Only one other Nevadan has served on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, and he played an even larger role than Reid will.

Sen. Howard Cannon chaired the committee through most of the 1970s, and he gave the introductions when Jimmy Carter was sworn in Jan. 20, 1977. In photos of the ceremony, a smiling Cannon, his face lit by the morning sun, appears directly behind Carter's raised right hand.

"You can't get any closer than that," said State Archivist Guy Rocha.

Nancy Downey, Cannon's daughter, remembers the day well.

"My mother was there, too. She escorted Rosalynn Carter, the first lady, to her seat," she said.

Downey, meanwhile, looked on from her reserved seat near the top of the stands behind the podium. She was 25 at the time and spent the ceremony fighting to stay warm and control her then-3-year-old son.

"I remember it was cold," Downey said.

Her father was proud of the role he played in the inauguration.

"He kept a framed box of everything from that event," she said.

Cannon died in 2002 at age 90. Among the four-term senator's keepsakes was an inaugural program on which Carter wrote him a thank-you message for his work on the ceremony.

Reid won't be handling the introductions when the president and vice president are sworn in, but he will deliver a toast at the inaugural luncheon afterward.

When reached by phone Friday, Reid was still working on what he planned to say on such a momentous occasion.

"This has been an important time in the history of all Americans," he said. "I'm really happy that I'm going to be part of the celebration come Tuesday."

The first inauguration Reid attended was President Reagan's second. He remembers the occasion fondly because the ceremony had to be moved indoors, beneath the Capitol dome, to escape single-digit temperatures outside.

To Reid, that might be the most memorable thing about attending a presidential inauguration: "how terribly cold it is."

This year's event will be no exception. The forecast for Washington calls for a high right around freezing with a chance of snow.

Reid said he will be ready with long underwear, warmers for his hands and feet, and the Stetson he breaks out for special occasions.

As he has risen through the congressional ranks, Reid's seats have gotten progressively better.

"Since 1998, I've had a good place to watch the inauguration, let's put it that way," he said.

Reid can expect an even better spot this time thanks in no small part to his position on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

By tradition, the committee is stacked with heavy hitters, including the Senate majority leader, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, the speaker of the House, and the House majority and minority leaders.

The Senate oversaw the first 28 inaugurations of both the president and vice president, but since 1901 those duties have been handled by the joint committee.

A Presidential Inaugural Committee, appointed by the president-elect, is responsible for all official inaugural events other than those at the Capitol. The military also plays a role with the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, which coordinates all military participation and support for inaugural ceremonies.

Reid is taking his committee responsibilities seriously. On Friday afternoon, he headed out to the front steps of the Capitol for inauguration practice. The temperature was 17 degrees.

Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.