By Ellen Horne

Here at the Old Ebbit Grill in DC, the crowd's loudest celebratory cheer was at the sight of G.W. Bush boarding a helicopter and leaving Washington. TVs and a large projection screen are all tuned to MSNBC.

This party, thrown by the Democratic Leadership Council, is only a block from the White House, and directly on the parade route, and as the 500 or so attendees await their front row view of the inaugural parade, some are speculating about their host organization's future. The Democratic Leadership Council has a reputation as a centrist organization, no stranger to compromise.

The second loudest exclamation of this crowd was at MSNBC's first shot of Bill Clinton on the Capitol steps. As the DLC had not initially backed the winning horse in this presidential race, some are wondering what role they will play in an administration which today feels to many to have claimed a mandate.