The inauguration:

Barack Obama becomes nation’s 44th president

President Barack Obama gives his inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Associated Press

Published Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 | 6:57 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 | 9:21 a.m.

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Inauguration 2009 blog

Stepping into history as America's first black president, Barack Hussein Obama said in his inaugural address Tuesday that the nation must choose "hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord" to overcome the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

In frigid temperatures, an exuberant crowd of more than a million packed the National Mall and parade route to celebrate Obama's inauguration in a high noon ceremony. Cheering and waving, spectators stretched from the inaugural platform at the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial far in the distance.

With 11 million Americans out of work and trillions of dollars lost in the stock market's tumble, Obama emphasized that his biggest challenge is to repair the tattered economy left behind by outgoing President George W. Bush.

"Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed," Obama said in an undisguised shot at Bush administration policies. "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin the work of remaking America."

The dawn of the new Democratic era - with Obama allies in charge of both houses of Congress - ends eight years of Republican control of the White House by Bush, who leaves Washington as one of the nation's most unpopular and divisive presidents, the architect of two unfinished wars and the man in charge at a time of economic calamity that swept away many Americans' jobs, savings and homes.

Obama's election was cheered around the world as a sign that America will be more embracing, more open to change. "To the Muslim world," Obama said, "we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

Still, he bluntly warned, "To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."

Two years after beginning his improbable quest as a little-known, first-term Illinois senator with a foreign-sounding name, Obama moved into the Oval Office as the nation's fourth youngest president, at 47, and the first African-American, a barrier-breaking achievement believed impossible by generations of minorities.

He said it was a moment to recall "that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

Obama called for a political truce in Washington to end "the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

He said that all Americans have roles in rebuilding the nation by renewing the traditions of hard work, honesty and fair play, tolerance, loyalty and patriotism.

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

With the economy in a long and deepening recession, Obama said it was time for swift and bold action to create new jobs and lay a foundation for growth. Congressional Democrats have readied an $825 billion stimulus plan of tax cuts and spending for roads, bridges, schools, electric grids and other projects.

"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works," the new president said.

A mighty chorus of cheers erupted as Obama stepped to the inaugural platform, a midday sun warming the crowd that had waited for hours in the cold. There were some boos when Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney came onto the platform.

In his remarks, Obama took stock of the nation's sobering problems.

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood," he said.

"Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age," Obama said. "Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

Discussion: 7 comments so far…

By johnevegas

1/20/09 at 7:37 a.m.

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"A bit of advice given to a young Native American at the time of his initiation: "As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm. Jump. It's not as wide as you think."

~Joseph Campbell"

Or more recently...

"Might as well jump, jump
Might as well jump
Go ahead, jump. jump
Go ahead, jump

- Van Halen"

Good luck jumping Barack!
By JustTheFactsJack

1/20/09 at 7:56 a.m.

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Today "We The People" take back our Country. We will have a Government for the People and by the People.
By Our_Linn

1/20/09 at 10:01 a.m.

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Thank you President Bush for keeping terrorism off U.S. soil for the past seven years. God bless you.

I hope your successor will be as successful.
By gqbossing

1/20/09 at 10:04 a.m.

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Expectations:
1. Tomorrow unemployment will be 1%; purely out of choice rather than realistic economics
2. Racial equality will be complete
3. The rest of the world will love us like they did, well, never
4. Home values will be back to 2007 levels
5. Stock market will surge past 14,000 all the way up to 100,000 allowing us all to become rich
6. energy and food costs will be at 1998 levels (not too far off on this one relatively speaking)
7. Crime will dissapear
8. Everyone's dreams will come true with no effort on their parts whatsoever
9 Deficit will magically dissapear

Reality:
1. Unemployment will contiune to rise to 10%+ (not his fault or control)
2. Racial tension might get worse(not his fault or control)
3. Crime will get worse(not his fault or control)
4. Foreclosures will get worse(not his fault or control)
5. The world will still find a way to hate us (not his fault or control)
6. Home values aren't going up anytime soon (not his fault or control)
7. Stock market will still be hovering around 8K-9K into 2010. (not his fault or control)
8. Deficit is going to balloon (spending programs he's talking about)

I guess my point is, even though this is a historic day, don't plan on your lives changing or the world to somehow morph into Utopia. If you took the pulse of any presidency including Bush, there were periods of time where things were great and times when things were bad. The president really doesn't do as much as people think, but still recieves the blame on just about everything.

Good luck Obama, I didn't vote for you, but I support you and wish you well, and I realistically expect you to do a good job but not have much impact how I live my life
By getalife

1/20/09 at 2:25 p.m.

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gqbossing, exactly, couldn't have said it better. The only thing to add is expectations are so high, what going to happen when reality sets in.

Are the Kool-aid drinkers going to storm the bastille or cut him some rightly deserved slack....you know like they did Bush. LOL
By ksand99

1/20/09 at 3:19 p.m.

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I don't know who you have been talking to, but no one on Earth that I know has any of those outlandish expectations. That's a gigantic straw man fallacy, actually.

Obama does deserve some slack. All new Presidents do. People should reserve some judgment until he is given a chance to lead. But by all means, if his decisions are bad or unpopular, he should be taken to task for those decisions.

I have no quarrel with people who criticize the decisions of a President. That is a great part of our nation, the right to dissent! It is not unpatriotic or un-American to voice your dissent.

President Bush garnered nearly universal support after the attacks of 9/11, and he squandered that support and goodwill. One can only hope that Obama will work to maintain and expand whatever support and goodwill the American people extend to him.
By johnevegas

1/20/09 at 6:34 p.m.

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"...but no one on Earth that I know has any of those outlandish expectations."

I think our friends across the isle are mistaking our overwhelming relief that Bush is finally gone for unrealistic expectations of Obama. Understandable. Or intentional. Or both, which is my pick.