On his rival's big day, Kerry keeps low profile on the observation deck

WASHINGTON -- It was not John F. Kerry's day, not his win, not the moment he had hoped for -- to lay his hand on the Bible and pledge to uphold the Constitution of the United States as its 44th president.

If Kerry, a prominent observer at the inauguration, seated up front -- and slightly left of center -- on the Capitol's west side, was feeling wistful, he hid it well. He applauded politely when President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney took their oaths and playfully nudged the cowboy hat sported by his colleague seated in front of him, Democratic Senator Max Baucus of Montana. A few jeered when Kerry took his place on the Capitol stage, but the senator ignored them, instead chatting amiably to a group of Mississippi high school girls, many of whom wore ''Luv Ya Dubya" stickers, seated on the level beneath him.

In a navy blue coat and light blue scarf, the senator stood just steps away from the reelected president, singing along to ''America the Beautiful" and bowing his head during the opening and closing prayers.

Kerry declined interviews on a day that belonged to the GOP president, but released a statement saying he hoped the two major parties could work together. ''Democracy means working together for the good of our country; it also means keeping faith with your ideals," Kerry said. ''There has been a lot of talk over the past four years about uniting Americans. I hope now there will be a real effort to make true bipartisanship a priority."

Some of Kerry's Democratic colleagues were less conciliatory, suggesting they were not confident their voices would be welcomed in Bush's second term. ''When the inauguration bands stop playing and Congress comes back into session, we Democrats will be on guard and ready to fight against the Republicans' extreme policies once again," Senator Charles Schumer, Democrat of New York and incoming chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a fund-raising letter to supporters.

Representative Steny H. Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland and the House minority whip, said Bush must demonstrate by his actions that he is ready to be bipartisan. ''That is a challenge that he failed to meet in his first term, and I am hopeful that he will see the wisdom of embracing it in the second," Hoyer said.

Kerry stayed out of the rhetorical fray yesterday, although he has made it clear since his return to Congress that he will continue to question the Bush administration. Already, Kerry cast one of just two votes in the Foreign Relations Committee against the nomination of Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state.

Kerry's last hours before the swearing-in, whether by accident or by design, reflected a transition from presidential candidate to incumbent senator. On Wednesday night, the one-year anniversary of Kerry's comeback win in the Iowa caucuses, the senator attended a dinner party at the home of his close friend Jim Johnson, then drove to Capitol Hill to surprise some young Iowa campaign staffers who had gathered at the Hawk and Dove, a local bar, to commemorate the win that propelled Kerry's presidential candidacy forward.

At breakfast, downing his favorite morning meal of eggs, bacon, and whole-wheat toast, Kerry teased his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, about the NFL game this weekend that will pit her Pittsburgh Steelers against his New England Patriots. En route to the Capitol for the ceremony, Kerry called his friend and former swift boat crewmate, Del Sandusky, to wish him a happy birthday. Kerry's younger daughter, Vanessa, called from London to wish her father well.

At the office, Kerry forged ahead with the day-to-day business of being Massachusetts' junior senator, working with staff on a children's health bill he plans to offer on Monday, the first day senators can introduce legislation. In the Capitol Rotunda, Kerry posed for pictures with several people there who asked for them. Then he headed outside to watch the inaugural ceremony with his wife.

Last night, Kerry planned a large dinner with friends and family, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Victoria Reggie Kennedy.