January 15, 2009
Obama Inauguration Mania!
From this official Obama portrait just unveiled, to the cover of Time magazine, to Madam Tussauds in NYC -- Barack Obama is everywhere!
America is gearing up for the inauguration of the President-elect next Tuesday -- and that means galas and fashion in Washington D.C. -- including a Hollywood battle of the balls!
Mariah, Beyoncé and Jay-Z will be taking the stage at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, while the big show -- a free, star-studded concert on the National Mall in the capital -- has Halle Berry, Denzel Washington and Ashton Kutcher among celebrities on the guest list.
Which ball will be the one to attend? A Politico.com source tells us, "I would pick the Creative Coaltion Ball because it has the most wow factor. I was told on good authority that Secret Service had done a security sweep for the Creative Coalition Ball -- which at the very least means it's on Obama's radar."
Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and Bow Wow will pump up a younger crowd at the "Kids' Inaugural: We are the Future" event. The President-elect recently penned a personal letter to his daughters and the youth of the nation via Parade magazine in order to keep young Americans excited about politics.
"Right after he won the election, Parade went to President-elect Obama and asked if he'd write a letter to his daughters," Parade editor Janice Kaplan explained to "Extra," adding, "He didn't need any convincing. I didn't change a word that he wrote."
Time magazine currently has Barack on the cover for the 13th time in a year -- and calls future First Lady Michelle "America's Next Top Model." Celebrity stylist Lloyd Boston agrees -- and reveals to "Extra" that the first daughters are fashion fierce! He suggests, however, that their mom should avoid trying to make the girls match at the inauguration. "Hopefully, she'll choose outfits for the girls that complement her and Barack, but aren't a complete match. That would be a fashion mistake."
Tune in to "Extra" all next week for our special coverage of Barack's inauguration, the parties -- and the glamour!