STARS & STRIPES:Jay-Z and Beyoncé steal the show yesterday while heading to their seats outside the Capitol. (REUTERS)
STARS & STRIPES: Jay-Z and Beyoncé steal the show yesterday while heading to their seats outside the Capitol. (AbacaUSA)
Washington’s power brokers were star struck yesterday — not by the president or first lady but by the entertainment world’s first couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
Fawning politicians scrambled for the their cellphones to snap photos of the sexy siren and her hip-hop-mogul hubby at President Obama’s inauguration.
It was as if Obama was playing second fiddle at his own party.
Among those swooning was Rep. Peter King, the Long Island Republican who normally spends his time railing against terrorists. He was caught snapping Beyoncé as she and Jay-Z strolled out of the Capitol — right past him — to take their seats.
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“She’s been after me for years,” King joked.
“I was in a good location, and just for historical record, anybody who looked important I took a picture of,” said King, who was using his BlackBerry.
“I didn’t know the guy beside her, Jay-Z.”
Likewise, Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California posed for pictures with Beyoncé and Jay-Z on the dais.
But it was the crowd in the cheap seats outside the Capitol that set the tone, greeting the stars with a loud cheer as they came into sight.
And when Beyoncé walked to the front to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Vice President Joe Biden gave her an appreciative look up and down.
Behind Biden, ex-President Bill Clinton craned his neck to get a better look at her.
Twitter exploded with Beyoncé-mania as she belted out the anthem, leaving Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas clapping vigorously and fans on the Mall demanding an encore.
“One nation under Beyoncé,” tweeted Ronan Farrow, son of actress Mia Farrow.
“American Idol” alumnus Todrick Hall posted, “How nice of Obama to show up to the Beyoncé concert.”
Beyonce’s performance came after James Taylor sang “America the Beautiful,” and Kelly Clarkson gave a rendition of “My Country ’Tis of Thee.”
“Wow ….I was incredibly nervous and cold ha! I just wanna officially thank President Obama for opening for me haha! Just kidding :),” Clarkson tweeted afterward.