WASHINGTON — Barack Obama became the 44th
president of the United States on Tuesday afternoon, banishing forever
more than 200 years of history during which the office passed from
white hands to white hands and promising a new era of “hope over fear,
unity of purpose over conflict and discord.”Under
the Constitution, Obama became president at noon ET, even though he had
not formally been sworn in with the inaugural ceremonies running behind
schedule. Using his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, the new president
took the oath of office at 12:05 p.m. from Supreme Court Chief Justice
John Roberts, whose nomination to the court he opposed as the junior
Democratic senator from Illinois.Clasping
hands with his wife, Michelle, Obama smiled and waved to the crowd of
as many as 2 million people who jammed the National Mall.As
the crowd chanted “Obama, Obama,” the president thanked his
predecessor, George W. Bush, and said he was “humbled by the task
before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the
sacrifices borne by our ancestors.”Obama acknowkledged that “we are in the midst of crisis.”“Our
nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and
hatred,” he said. “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.
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.”Saying
”the time has come to set aside childish things,” Obama declared:
“Today, I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are
serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short
span of time.“But know this, America — they will be met.”
Biden sworn in as vice president
Supreme
Court Justice John Paul Stevens swore in former Sen. Joe Biden of
Delaware as vice president at 11:57 a.m. ET before as many as 2 million
people who swarmed the National Mall. They were there to witness
Obama’s banishing forever more than 200 years of history during which
the office had passed from white hands to white hands.Obama
and Bush arrived together at the Capitol, riding in a motorcade from
the White House, where Bush and his wife, Laura, hosted the Obamas and
Biden and his wife, Jill. CONTINUE READING...
