SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN is a champion among women. The three-term California Democrat is not just a Washington heavy hitter; she continues to chart a career of firsts.

Feinstein was the first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. As a California native, I vividly recall local anniversary news clips of Feinstein in her toughest role as supervisor. There she stood on the steps of City Hall on November 27, 1978, announcing to a stunned press corps: “As president of the board of supervisors, it is my duty to make this announcement. Both Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk have been shot and killed.”

She automatically ascended to the mayoral position and was twice elected in her own right. Feinstein was San Francisco’s first female mayor, and she went on to become the first woman to serve in the US Senate from California.

The firsts continue in Washington. She is the first woman to serve as chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, which oversees such mundane things as assigning office space and keeping track of the Senate cafeterias. Part of her role as committee chairman during presidential election years is to head the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. It’s a fancy title for a monumental job. Feinstein will be the ringleader for the historic inaugural parade and the swearing-in of the 44th president.

“We’re attending to every detail: sound systems, Jumbotrons, platforms, and ticket design to help ensure security,” Feinstein says. Crowd control alone will take more money and manpower than ever before. When George W. Bush was sworn in in 2005, an estimated 300,000 people lined the streets and crowded in front of the Capitol. “This time we’re preparing for many more. It’s historic, of course, beyond the swearing-in ceremony. There is unprecedented interest,” Feinstein says. Mayor Adrian Fenty is suggesting as many as 3 million people may cram the mall for the swearing-in. That doesn’t even include the people lining the streets for the parade. January 20 promises to be historic all around.

The theme for the 2009 presidential inauguration is “A New Birth of Freedom,” which commemorates the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The words come from the Gettysburg Address, and express Lincoln’s hope that the sacrifice of those who died to preserve the nation shall lead to “a new birth of freedom” for our nation. There is a $1.24 million budget for the 56th presidential inauguration, which is steeped in history. “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel every four years. It’s mostly prescribed by history,” says Carole Florman, communications director for the 107-year-old committee.

The committee is willing to make changes when necessary. For instance, in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was sworn in, the ceremony was moved to the west front of the Capitol to accommodate the larger crowds, where it remains today. The year 1997 marked the first time the ceremony was broadcast live on the Internet.

On the morning of January 20, 2009, Feinstein will meet President Bush and President-elect Obama at the White House. They will ride together in a motorcade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, where Feinstein will serve as emcee for the inauguration. She is of course accustomed to speaking before large crowds, but this scene will be beamed around the globe. The senator does not seem fazed. “This will mark the peaceful and lawful transfer of power from one administration to the next. For a democracy, there can be no greater moment,” she says.

Feinstein will also take part in the departure ceremony for President Bush and Vice President Cheney, and then head inside for a private luncheon at Statuary Hall. Catering, wine, and seating arrangements all fall under her purview. She told me that a California wine is something to count on. “We hope to have a good-quality sample. My husband and I particularly like a wonderful Jordan Cabernet, but it’s all about pairing wine with food.”

Whatever is in her glass, Feinstein will offer a toast to the new president and vice president as committee chairman. I asked the senator, considering all the “firsts” in her life, whether she ever steps back to reflect on her accomplishments. Feinstein says: “I don’t step back. This is what I have dedicated my life to. I have won and I have lost. I have tried to stand tall through tough times, and being effective is the bottom line of what I do. The fact that I come in a female form means I just have to work harder. There is still an old boys’ club in politics. We are still the unusual commodities here.” ★