The big day

The Rahm Inaugural . . .

It's open to the public. It's not fancy. It's minus ball gowns. And Vice President Joe Biden is coming.

† The upshot: "He thought it was cool," said a top Rahm Emanuel source, "so the vice president, who is a real down-to-earth kind of guy, wanted to come to Rahm's Inaugural festivities Monday."

† The backshot: Extra security precautions being taken for the inauguration, akin to Secret Service security, had caused speculation President Obama was planning to show up at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion for the swearing-in ceremony.

† Also in attendance: Emanuel's parents, his brothers, Zeke and Ari, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Whoopee!

The FBI story . . .

Hmmm. Did U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald nix a nod to become head of the FBI — or was he not offered the job?

"No comment," said Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.

† The big question: Did the Obama administration feel Fitzgerald was too hot to handle? Did they steer clear of Fitzgerald, who has built a reputation for being one tough fed, because of the ongoing Gov. Rod Blago corruption trial, which Fitzgerald worked on — in which phone calls made by President Obama's former White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, have surfaced?

† Another view: According to NBC reporter Michael Isikoff, the decision by the Obama administration to extend FBI director Robert Mueller's contract, which was just announced, was due to lack of interest in the job by the administration's top picks.

† The Fitzgerald question: Isikoff also contends it was unclear whether Fitzgerald was seriously eyed because he may have been considered a wild card. And his role in the prosecution of Scooter Libby, onetime chief of staff to former veep Dick Cheney, might have rallied Republicans against Fitzgerald's appointment.

Hat chat . . .

The goofball hat worn by Princess Beatrice at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middelton, which became an international fashion error sensation, will be going on eBay for charity. The hat fueled so much Internet chat, it was given its own Facebook page. Now if Beatrice could only get rid of the Panda eye makeup, we could all get some sleep.

This & that . . .

In case you missed it, actress Angelina Jolie, the mother of six, has a new arm tattoo — which has been described as depicting the longitude and latitude of Brad Pitt's birthplace in Oklahoma. Be still my tongue.

I spy . . .

St. Louis Cardinal baseball players Albert Pujols, Ryan Theriot, Jaime Garcia, Jon Jay, Colby Rasmus, Allen Craig and Daniel Descalso at Gibsons on Monday. "Wow! We could have had a baseball game there if a few Cubs were in the house," said a restaurant source. Atlanta Hawk Al Horford also was at the eatery Monday.

It's payback time . . .

It almost never happens.

But a blue moon shone recently when Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart opened a certified letter and found a check for $6,000 inside.

† Translation: 'Twas compensation from a southwest suburban man who barricaded himself in a local business for several hours — spurring a costly response from the Hostage Barricade and Terrorism Unit.

† The endshot: After the man was convicted, Judge John "Jack" Hynes took the rare step of ordering him to compensate the county for its expenses — and he did!

Sneedlings . . .

Today's birthdays: Darius Rucker, 45; Dennis Rodman, 50; Harvey Keitel, 72; Stevie Wonder, 61; Robert Pattinson, 25, and Stephen Colbert, 47 . . . Saturday's birthdays: Jim Tansey, 70; Mark Zuckerberg, 27; Dan Auerbach, 32; Cate Blanchett, 42; David Byrne, 59; Robert Zemeckis, 59; George Lucas, 67; Monsignor Kenneth Velo, 64, and Boni Fine, ageless.

Princess Beatrice's hat is going on eBay for charity. | chris jackson~getty imagesChris Jackson