PAGEANTRY IMPRESSED ALL VIEWERS.

Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Southern Californians huddled in the frosty wind for hours Thursday outside the U.S. Capitol to witness President George W. Bush formally begin a second term in office and pledge to use America's influence ``confidently in freedom's cause.''

Reactions to the speech were mixed, but local Republicans and Democrats in the nation's capital for the event all called it a historic moment they felt lucky to have been part of.

``It was unbelievable. It was a great experience,'' said Ryan Smith of Valencia. ``The ability to see it live and in person, to feel the energy of the crowd while at the same time take it all in, was great.''

A district manager based in Woodland Hills for Automatic Data Processing Inc. payroll service, Smith traveled to Washington with a group of Republican friends. He called Bush a ``strong leader'' who ``will go down in history as one of the best presidents we've had.''

Peter Rich, a Los Angeles attorney with McDermott Will & Emery, said he won't have any photos to take home from the event. His daughter, a ninth-grader at Harvard-Westlake School, was so concerned about security that she left the camera in the hotel, he said.

Still, Rich said, some impressions of the day are etched in his mind.

``The beauty of the sun reflecting on the Capitol building,'' he said. ``The sun came out at just the right time.''

Rich said he didn't find Bush's words particularly memorable, yet was pleased the president promoted the cause of freedom throughout the world.

``I absolutely agree that we have to take steps internationally that will foster freedom and to help people that are fighting for democracy.''

Noah Klein, 22, a Sherman Oaks native studying political science and history at George Washington University, said he was disappointed Bush didn't walk along more of the parade route.

``That's the one time he gets to be close to the people who voted for him,'' Klein said. As a Democrat, he said being among throngs of avid Bush supporters on Thursday ``was odd.'' But, when it came to deciding whether to attend, Klein said he didn't consider skipping it.

``He's my president, too. I never saw an inauguration before and I was in town, so I thought 'Hey, why not?' It's part of being an American.''

Gaby Quintanilla, 13, of North Hollywood, also defined herself as a Democrat. But, the St. Thomas the Apostle eighth-grader said, ``Even though I wanted a different president, it's still a historical event. It's still something you're going to remember your whole life.''

Quintanilla was among a handful of Southern California students who were able to see the inauguration first-hand through the Junior Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference, part of a national group that offers educational opportunities to students.

``I thought it was really cool,'' she said. ``I never would have dreamed I could be at something like this.''

Lisa Friedman, [phone]

lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com