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Evan Vucci / AP
President Barack Obama receives the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts as first lady Michelle Obama (L-R) and his daughters Malia and Sasha listen at the ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013.
Published Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 | 6:38 a.m.
Updated Monday, Jan. 21, 2013 | 3:53 p.m.
Turning the page on years of war and recession, President Barack Obama summoned a divided nation Monday to act with "passion and dedication" to broaden equality and prosperity at home, nurture democracy around the world and combat global warming as he embarked on a second term before a vast and cheering crowd that spilled down the historic National Mall.
"America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands," the 44th president declared in a second inaugural address that broke new ground by assigning gay rights a prominent place in the wider struggle for equality for all.
In a unity plea to politicians and the nation at large, he called for "collective action" to confront challenges and said, "Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time — but it does require us to act in our time."
Elected four years ago as America's first black president, Obama spoke from specially constructed flag-bedecked stands outside the Capitol after reciting oath of office that all presidents have uttered since the nation's founding.
The events highlighted a day replete with all the fanfare that a security-minded capital could muster — from white-gloved Marine trumpeters who heralded the arrival of dignitaries on the inaugural stands to the mid-winter orange flowers that graced the tables at a traditional lunch with lawmakers inside the Capitol.
The weather was relatively warm, in the mid-40s, and while the crowd was not as large as on Inauguration Day four years ago, it was estimated at up to 1 million.
Big enough that he turned around as he was leaving the inaugural stands to savor the view one final time.
"I'm not going to see this again," said the man whose political career has been meteoric — from the Illinois Legislature to the U.S. Senate and the White House before marking his 48th birthday.
On a day of renewal for democracy, everyone seemed to have an opinion, and many seemed eager to share it.
"I'm just thankful that we've got another four years of democracy that everyone can grow in," said Wilbur Cole, 52, a postman from suburban Memphis, Tenn., who spent part of the day visiting the civil rights museum there at the site where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.
The inauguration this year shared the day with King's birthday holiday, and the president used a Bible that had belonged to the civil rights leader for the swearing-in, along with a second one that been Abraham Lincoln's. The president also paused inside the Capitol Rotunda to gaze at a dark bronze statue of King.
Others watching at a distance were less upbeat than Cole. Frank Pinto, 62, and an unemployed construction contractor, took in the inaugural events on television at a bar in Hartford, Conn. He said because of the president's policies, "My grandkids will be in debt and their kids will be in debt."
The tone was less overtly political in the nation's capital, where bipartisanship was on the menu in the speechmaking and at the congressional lunch.
"Congratulations and Godspeed," House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, said to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as he presented them with flags that had flown atop the Capitol.
Outside, the Inaugural Parade took shape, a reflection of American musicality and diversity that featured military units, bands, floats, the Chinese American Community Center Folk Dance Troupe from Hockessin, Del., and the Isiserettes Drill & Drum Corps from Des Moines, Iowa.
The crowds were several rows deep along parts of the route, and security was intense. More than a dozen vehicles flanked the president's limousine as it rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue, and several agents walked alongside on foot.
As recent predecessors have, the president emerged from his car and walked several blocks on foot. His wife, Michelle, was with him, and the two held hands while acknowledging the cheers from well-wishers during two separate strolls along the route.
A short time later, accompanied by their children and the vice president and his family, the first couple settled in to view the parade from a reviewing stand built in front of the White House.
A pair of nighttime inaugural balls completed the official proceedings, with a guest line running into the tens of thousands.
In his brief, 18-minute speech, Obama did not dwell on the most pressing challenges of the past four years. He barely mentioned the struggle to reduce the federal deficit, a fight that has occupied much of his and Congress' time and promises the same in months to come.
He spoke up for the poor — "Our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it" — and for those on the next-higher rung — "We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class." The second reference echoed his calls from the presidential campaign that catapulted him to re-election
"A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun," said the president who presided over the end to the U.S. combat role in Iraq, set a timetable for doing the same in Afghanistan and took office when the worst recession in decades was still deepening.
"We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom," he said in a relatively brief reference to foreign policy.
The former community organizer made it clear he views government as an engine of progress. While that was far from surprising for a Democrat, his emphasis on the need to combat global climate change was unexpected, as was his firm new declaration of support for full gay rights.
In a jab at climate-change doubters, he said, "Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms." He said America must lead in the transition to sustainable energy resources.
He likened the struggle for gay rights to earlier crusades for women's suffrage and racial equality.
"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law — for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well," said the president, who waited until his campaign for re-election last year to announce his support for gay marriage.
His speech hinted only barely at issues likely to spark opposition from Republicans who hold power in the House.
He defended Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as programs that "do not make us a nation of takers; they free is to take the risks that made this country great."
He referred briefly to making "the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit," a rhetorical bow to a looming debate in which Republicans are seeking spending cuts in health care programs to slow the rise in a $16.4 trillion national debt.
He also cited a need for legislation to ease access to voting, an issue of particular concern to minority groups, and to immigration reform and gun-control legislation that he is expected to go into at length in his State of the Union speech on Feb. 12.
But his speech was less a list of legislative proposals than a plea for tackling challenges.
"We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect," he said, and today's "victories will only be partial."
There was some official business conducted during the day.
Moments after being sworn in, the president signed nomination papers for four new appointees to his Cabinet, Sen. John Kerry for secretary of state, White House chief of staff Jacob Lew to be treasury secretary, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel for defense secretary and White House adviser John Brennan to head the CIA.
Associated Press writers Larry Margasak, Darlene Superville, Donna Cassata, Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Stephen Ohlemacher, Jim Kuhnhenn, Julie Pace, Tom Ritchie and Tracy Brown, in Washington; Adrian Santz in Memphis, Tenn., and Stephen Singer in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this story.
Obama spoke and told us he won again and he would expand the liberal progressive bigger government agenda. This was an unyielding restatement of his in your face campaign nomination speech.
No hint of concern about fiscal responsibility or of the growing infringement on personal liberties.
No hint of working across the parties. No extended hand.
----
Obama has created an off the books 501(c)(4) non-profit campaign agenda PAC "Community" organization "Organizing for Action" to avoid negotiating with conservative that opposite his policies. Thats right Obama pays no taxes on this multi-million dollar business.
The sole purpose of the Obama 501(c)(4) non-profit is to denigrate and vilify the opposition while Obama can sit smugly in the WH and claim to being above the mean spirited brawl.
Why is this necessary - Obama is seeking a legacy - but a legacy needs a great national decision for a great national crisis. Washington brought forth a new Country and Lincoln ended slavery. Something Obama who has a listless agenda and is incapable of.
America becomes more limited everyday. As the debt clock ticks, it takes more and more of our "LIMITED" resources to feed the debt monster, a greater portion of your taxes go to the interest on the debt, not to education, military, ss, or any investment, just wasted. Keep sleeping my fellow Americans.
Good luck Mr. President..all true Americans wish for your success.
OMG! Did you know that the Washington Times and Matt Drudge are reporting that the president dropped 'Hussein' from his oath of office? They are saying that when that guy obama took his oath before Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts that obama abbreviated his birth name and gave only the initial "H"!!!! Is obama that ashamed of being Muslim that he thinks he can now hide it from us Americans! It's not going to work obama! You can "H" all you want to but you will always be "Hussein" to us Americans! We TeaPublicans WILL take back America in 2014 and 2016! And we will NOT take back the name "Hussein". Obama you will be stuck with that Muslim name for life! Bahahaha!
So far under obama the only thing "limitless" in America is his running up the debt.
Got to admit he is very, very good at that.
4 Years of business hell. At least the clock is officially winding down now!
The "Lame" duck quacks
"4 Years of business hell. At least the clock is officially winding down now!"
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I can assure you that unless the Republican party undergoes a big makeover by 2016, you can look for 8 more years of Democratic control of the White House. That's a given.
Great speech... Great day!
It amazes me that the people who adamantly opposed him continue to be "shocked" that his views and comments don't reflect theirs. You chose your side and you refuse to compromise on anything. Enjoy the next four years, I will.
I've never enjoyed Fox's The Five more than today... Obama's speech was giving them heart-attacks!
Brit Hume and Chris Wallace of Fox are so blatantly anti-Obama, it's laughable that they parade themselves as fair and balanced. At least Krauthammer gave Obama a backhanded compliment. I'd have more respect for these guys if they stood up and said "I'm a staunch Republican, I didn't vote for Obama, I don't like his policies and I wanted him to lose".....
In more simple words... act fast and destroy what is left of America before she wakes up.
With Boehner at the helm-the GOP is doomed. It's laughable.
Obama spoke at his inaugural and told us he won again and he would expand the liberal progressive bigger government agenda. This was an unyielding restatement of Obama's in your face campaign nomination speech. This was a 50 year old inaugural speech only for gays, women, blacks, and Hispanics not the rest of the country.
Obama inaugural declared war on conservative polices and values. Fiscal responsibility, freedom and liberty.
No hint of concern about fiscal responsibility or of the growing infringement on personal liberties.
No hint of working across the parties. No extended hand.
The WH (Pfeiffer) said "We do not have an opposition party worthy of the opportunity..." to work together
Make "No Amnesty" the first thing your Rep. hears in Congress
https://www.numbersusa.com/content/nusab...
I'll contend the Republicans had the Whitehouse for 20 of 24 years from 1968 to 1992 with a small break for a peanut farmer who won because Gerald Ford blundered by pardoning Nixon. Why is there a continued shift toward more liberal policies?
I'll say one of those reasons is people have seen their former middle class lives exported to China. They have seen their former company sponsored health insurance decapitated. They have seen their pension plans gutted while at the same time CEO pay and compensation has mushroomed like an atomic bomb.
There's a reason for the shift that has nothing to do with "takers", welfare queens and those not paying federal income taxes. You can't keep crying that river. There has been a shift that has nothing to do with entitlement but just a large portion of the population feeling their "fair shake" of going to school, getting a job and being able to get by without forking over $12,000/year to cover his family insurance plan has gone by the wayside.
The Republicans had better shift and adapt and find a way to get elected because at the present pace you are guaranteed another 12 years of democratic control. Times a wasting...find ELECTABLE candidates, not ones who only espouse the conservative value but those that have no chance of winning. Romney/Ryan was a complete blunder.
GREAT SPEECH, PRESIDENT OBAMA!
Thank God that we have four more great years with
the most awesome president of our lifetime.
And our own HARRY REID was also awesome today.
We have the best of the best leaders running our
great country.
DEMOCRATS FOREVER!
Is there anyone with a working brain cell, that believed anything this fake said??
Cut the deficit while spending record amounts of money? Work together while trying to divide the country?? Create jobs while offering 99 weeks of unemployment benefits?? Tax the business owner then wonder why everything is costing more??
Destroy the Constitutions then declare you will uphold it??
Look at the photo, even he can't keep a straight face with all the lies he is telling...
Mark.....
You fool no one here.
republican extremism was SOUNDLY REJECTED AGAIN.
And we Democrats will take back the House, next
year.
Ahhh, the Haters...
'Waaah, waaah, waaaah'.
A GREAT DAY, INDEED!
Seeing that sea-level rise is decelerating and global warming has stopped for 16 years now I can see how the president's "science" would have this be a pressing need. Placating the hollywood-eco-whacko crowd,
No amnesty of any kind. Expulsion and removal of illegals, priority one. No action on anything until there is a plan and a proposal from the administration on how to restore the economy. Ever consider a jobs program? Perhaps on our southern border? No budget, then no spending. If the politicos are gonna keep playing with our debt limit, lack of budget.... perhaps they could start prioritizing spending -- ESSENTIAL things funded from incoming receipts so that can continue as Obama and company talk and dance.
Time to act while America has become a nation of takers instead of makers. Let's destroy America while she is down. AHHH... the voice of a democrat. Tell your voters to hate/envy their neighbors because they are more successful. How sad a once proud nation has become.