As Barack Obama Takes Oath of Office, the World in Crisis Embraces the Moment

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21inaug.html?ref=us

As Barack Obama Takes Oath of Office, Nation in Crisis Embraces the Moment

Doug Mills/The New York Times
After the inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol, Barack and Michelle Obama walked part of the way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.


By PETER BAKER
Published: January 20, 2009
WASHINGTON — Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday and promised to “begin again the work of remaking America” on a day of celebration that climaxed a once-inconceivable journey for the man and his country.

Mr. Obama, the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, inherited a White House built partly by slaves and a nation in crisis at home and abroad. The moment captured the imagination of much of the world as more than a million flag-waving people bore witness while Mr. Obama recited the oath with his hand on the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln used at his inauguration 148 years ago.

Beyond the politics of the occasion, the sight of a black man climbing the highest peak electrified people across racial, generational and partisan lines. Mr. Obama largely left it to others to mark the history explicitly, making only passing reference to his own barrier-breaking role in his 18-minute Inaugural Address, noting how improbable it might seem that “a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”

But confronted by the worst economic situation in decades, two overseas wars and the continuing threat of Islamic terrorism, Mr. Obama sobered the celebration with a grim assessment of the state of a nation rocked by home foreclosures, shuttered businesses, lost jobs, costly health care, failing schools, energy dependence and the threat of climate change. Signaling a sharp and immediate break with the presidency of George W. Bush, he vowed to usher in a “new era of responsibility” and restore tarnished American ideals.

“Today, I say to you that the challenges we face are real,” Mr. Obama said in the address, delivered from the west front of the Capitol. “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.”
The vast crowd that thronged the Mall on a frigid but bright winter day was the largest to attend an inauguration in decades, if not ever. Many then lined Pennsylvania Avenue for a parade that continued well past nightfall on a day that was not expected to end for Mr. Obama until late in the night with the last of 10 inaugural balls.

Mr. Bush left the national stage quietly, doing nothing to upstage his successor. After hosting the Obamas for coffee at the White House and attending the ceremony at the Capitol, Mr. Bush hugged Mr. Obama, then left through the Rotunda to head back to Texas. “Come on, Laura, we’re going home,” he was overheard telling Mrs. Bush.

The inauguration coincided with more bad news from Wall Street, with the Dow Jones industrial average down more than 300 points on indications of further trouble for banks.
The spirit of the day was also marred by the hospitalization of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, whose endorsement helped propel Mr. Obama to the Democratic nomination last year. Mr. Kennedy, who has been fighting a malignant brain tumor, suffered a seizure at a Capitol luncheon after the ceremony and was wheeled out on a stretcher.
The pageantry included some serious business. Shortly after he and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. were sworn in, Mr. Obama ordered all pending Bush regulations frozen for a legal and policy review. He also signed formal nomination papers for his cabinet, and the Senate quickly confirmed seven nominees: the secretaries of homeland security, energy, agriculture, interior, education and veterans’ affairs and the director of the Office of Management and Budget.
When he arrives in the Oval Office on Wednesday, aides said, Mr. Obama will get to work on some of his priorities. He plans to convene his national security team and senior military commanders to discuss his plans to pull combat troops out of Iraq and bolster those in Afghanistan. He also plans to sign executive orders to start closing the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and could reverse Mr. Bush’s restrictions on financing for groups that promote or provide information about abortion.

Delays in the confirmation process have left both the State Department and the Treasury Department in the hands of caretakers. But Hillary Rodham Clinton was expected to win Senate confirmation as secretary of state on Wednesday, and the Pentagon remains under the control of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who was kept on from the Bush administration and did not attend the inauguration so someone in the line of succession would survive in case of terrorist attack.

In his address, Mr. Obama praised Mr. Bush “for his service to our nation as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.” But he also offered implicit criticism, condemning what he called “our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.”

He went on to assure the rest of the world that change had come. “To all other peoples and governments who are watching today,” Mr. Obama said, “from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.”

Some of Mr. Obama’s supporters booed and taunted Mr. Bush when he emerged from the Capitol to take his place on stage, at one point singing, “Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye.” By day’s end, Mr. Bush had landed in Texas, where he defended his presidency and declared that he was “coming home with my head held high.”
The departing vice president, Dick Cheney, appeared at the ceremony in a wheelchair after suffering a back injury moving the day before and was also booed.

The nation’s 56th inauguration drew waves of people from all corners and filled the expanse between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. For the first transition in power since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, much of the capital was under exceptionally tight security, with a two-square-mile swath under the strictest control. Bridges from Virginia were closed to regular traffic and more than 35,000 civilian and military personnel were on duty.

Mr. Obama secured at least part of his legacy the moment he walked into the White House on Tuesday, 146 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, 108 years after the first black man dined in the mansion with a president and 46 years after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. declared his dream of equality.

Mr. Obama, just 47 years old and four years out of the Illinois State Senate, arrived at this moment on the unlikeliest of paths, vaulted to the forefront of national politics on the strength of stirring speeches, early opposition to the Iraq war and public disenchantment with the Bush era. His scant record of achievement at the national level proved less important to voters than his embodiment of change.

His foreign-sounding name, his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia and his skin color made him a unique figure in the annals of presidential campaigns, yet he toppled two of the best brand names in American politics — Mrs. Clinton in the primaries and Senator John McCain in the general election.

Mr. Obama himself is descended on his mother’s side from ancestors who owned slaves and he can trace his family tree to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. The power of the moment was lost on no one as the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, one of the towering figures of the civil rights movement, gave the benediction and called for “inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.”

The Rev. Rick Warren, a conservative minister selected by Mr. Obama to give the invocation despite protests from liberals, told the crowd, “We know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.”

For all that, Mr. Obama used the occasion to address “this winter of our hardship” and promote his plan for vast federal spending accompanied by tax cuts to stimulate the economy and begin addressing energy, environmental and infrastructure needs.

“Now there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans,” he said. “Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.”

He also essentially renounced the curtailment of liberties in the name of security, saying he would “reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.” He struck a stiff note on terrorism, saying Americans “will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense.”

“For those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken,” he said. “You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

But Mr. Obama also added a message to Islamic nations, a first from the inaugural lectern. “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect,” Mr. Obama said. “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history — but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”

Mr. Obama’s public day started at 8:45 a.m. when he and his wife, Michelle, left Blair House for a service at St. John’s Church, then joined the Bushes, Cheneys and Bidens for coffee at the White House.

The Obamas’ daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, joined them at the Capitol, as did Mrs. Clinton and Mr. McCain, as well as former Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and the elder George Bush.
While emotional for many, the ceremony did not go entirely according to plan. Mr. Biden was sworn in by Justice John Paul Stevens behind schedule at 11:57 a.m., and Mr. Obama did not take the oath until 12:05 p.m., five minutes past the constitutionally prescribed transfer of power.
Moreover, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. stumbled over the 35-word oath, causing Mr. Obama to repeat it out of the constitutional order. Instead of swearing that he “will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States,” Mr. Obama swore that he “will execute the office of president of the United States faithfully.”

Following time-honored rituals, the Obamas attended lunch with lawmakers in Statuary Hall at the Capitol, then rode and walked to the White House, where they watched the parade from a bulletproof reviewing stand. They planned to attend all 10 official inaugural balls before spending their first night in the White House.

In his Inaugural Address, Mr. Obama seemed at times to be having a virtual dialogue with his predecessors. “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility,” he said, “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.” Mr. Bush and Mr. Clinton likewise called for responsibility at their inaugurations, but Mr. Obama offered little sense of what exactly he wanted Americans to do.

Mr. Obama also seemed to take issue with Ronald Reagan, who declared when he took office in 1981 that “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Mr. Clinton rebutted that in 1997, saying, “government is not the problem and government is not the solution.”

Mr. Obama offered a new formulation: “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.”

Mr. Clinton, at least, applauded the message. In a brief interview afterward, he said Mr. Obama’s installation could change the way America was viewed.
“It’s obviously historic because President Obama is the first African-American president, but it’s more than that,” Mr. Clinton said. “This is a time when we’re clearly making a new beginning. It’s a country of repeated second-chances and new beginnings.”

The Great Depression 2009.......

Yes it does happen this way, one day u wake up to realize that the ground beneath ure feet is freakily shaky. That the stuff on your wish list is several dreams away. Life is such and we are witnessing tuff times each day y of our life. There is an eternal struggle that pursues inside of me and it is now that I must realize what life is worth, what my greater goal is and whether or not I can work my way up there. Everyday I log on to news from allover the worlds reading about people losing their livelihoods left, right and center. They say it’s the Great Depression revisited –only this time its manifold! U feel the pangs when ure own workplace looks somber, when the business from your key clients start drying up….when all you do from start to finish is read online reports and inanely surf the net for anything that can hold your attention for 5 mins atleast, when you have just come back from your 1st trip abroad and start planning for the next just to realize that this is not exactly the right time to plan anything at all! You realize you have been hit by it. Its not a distant phenomena that you only read about and are not unfortunate enough to witness. This is right here and right now! We have to live it, survive it and conquer it!

Now my point is how do u live through it, survive it or even think of conquering it! It seems the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off coz of the recession!!!!!!!

I need assurance every minute, I feel the jitters, I am scared and I am simply praying...at home, at work, in the loo everywhere. After all a new series in my life had just begun and it seems the joyride is almost getting over. God not just me but everyone across the world needs a miracle!

To London To London.......

4th Dec- off to the airport, butterflies in my tummy, no agenda in mind but sure of one thing- To have the time of my life!

Arrival at Heathrow meeting pisho for the 1st time ever and totally in love with his concerned yet not so interfering demeanour. In the evening just went around in the wembley park and heathrow neighbourhood. Pisho took us to an Indian supermarket to pick up some paranthas and samosas for his beloved jamai and namesake Amit. With monkudi and baju joining in the fun by late evning, we just had to sum it up with some amazing adda session and catching up on anything and everything.

5th Dec-Our schedule is being worked out by Baju and Monkudi and we zero in for the Madame Tussauds-London Dungeons and London Eye combo with Chhopishi for the day. Also pack some stuff in a stroller for staying over at Anu-Pallavi’s for the night. Had an out an out fun day walking through the London streets, getting acquainted with the brilliant London underground and pretty much soaking it all in. Met up anu over coffee in the evening and headed to his placee at Deptford Bridge (nice and compact pad) which is a very organized gated community(complete with super market, gym, tennis court, swimming pool, lounge etc) Another adda session by the evening with some free flowing booze and a movie called Oye Lucky Lucky Oye much later. The next day’s agenda- Undecided!

6th Dec-Waiting at their place for the entire 1st half of the day, trying to figure out what to do today!!!! No agenda no guideline nothing fixed. Ultimately left the house at 4pm to hit the Greenwich Village Market (A videshi version of our very own Dilli Haat- but with an explosive repertoire of world food and lifestyle goods) I tasted some yummy mulled wine for the 1st time and must say was quite blown out with its spicy tangy taste. Moved to the GMT next which honestly I couldn’t make much sense of during the night. I knew the gates closed at 5pm everyday and we were missing out on some real good stuff unless we plan another rendezvous at this place. Ferry on the Thames was next- This was a pretty novel ride which took us around some of London’s choicest landmarks (from Greenwich-to London eye-to tower bridge-to London bridge-the HMS Belfast moving past canary wharf, St.Pauls, The Museums etc. London by the night looked utterly gorgeous. Finally we went to Oxford Circus to watch the famous London Westend theatre staging the evergreen play-The Sound of Music. I am speechless! What do I say,every word would sound like an understatement! The actors, the sets, the music, the theatre-GORGEOUS! To say the least. As long as I was in, I knew I was going through the experience of a lifetime and I was happy that Amit was with me in it! I sorely missed baba, nanu and maa and wished they could take it in too. While I was still reeling under the hangover from the play- we all decided to hop on lil rickshaws which took us around the frenzy of the oxford street, all dressed up in its Saturday night and countdown to X-Mas fervour. Next we did Soho, Picadilly and Trafalgar and finally headed home for some yummy dinner whipped up by Chhopishi

7th Dec-We cover the magnificent Tower of London, St.Katherine’s Dock and the not-so-great Spitalfield marketplace. The best part of the day was the lovely family dinner buffet we all had at Sakoni’s. Never imagined vegetarian food in faraway London could be so delicious. After stuffing ourselves like Pigs, Amit and Me took off to Canary Wharf to meet with anu-pallavi once again for yet another night-out at their place.Had a quick drink at a nearby pub and headed homewards.

8th Dec- Today we are on our own and there is an immense sense of confidence in the air, ‘All alone in big big London!’ Wow What Fun! We get separated at the Canary Wharf station…as I reach Westminster and he is still stranded at Canary Wharf. Later I panic and plead Baju to help coordinate between us and like they say-It pours when it rains-our mobiles decided not to work either. Anyway after wasting an hour in coordinating back and forth. We meet at exit 4 of the Westminster station and set forth to explore the Westminster Abbey. It took us exactly 2 and half hours to cover the whole of the abbey; simply coz there was so much to see. Its rich history and architecture simply engulfed us and we were swept in the grandeur. I mean just imagine walking over the coronations and burials of the Elizabeth 1, Mary queen of Scots, Jane Austin, Shakespeare, DH Lawrence, Einstein, Newton et all I mean I couldn’t believe my luck. It darkens in London post 3pm everyday and our camera gives up on us, so it’s typically between-12 and 2:30noon that we can flash as much as we can. We are hungry but we take a leisurely walk down the beautiful St. James Park watching the lovely flock of birds and naughty squirrels all around up to the Buckingham Palace. And here we are at 'The Buckingham palace'! But honestly it dint fascinate me as much as the other places did! Wonder why….Checked out the Queen’s gallery and picked up some real nice souvenirs though ended up shelling out a lot of money for the same….We split again as the boy went to spend the evening at a friends Budday while I decided to stick with my sisters and have a fun girls night out which included gorging on a delicious Chinese buffet. Ah sheer bliss!

9th Dec- Again all by ourselves, meeting at Westminster. An unbearably cold day today, we just went Brrrrrrrrr all through….we walked down St. James again…much more beautiful by the day and what do we see now the ‘Changing of Guards’ at the Buckingham Palace! Now this was something! Charming guards in their smart attires and the long black headgears marching past everyone else. Brilliant indeed! OK head towards the breathtaking St. Paul’s cathedral. Again no flashes allowed inside so all we have are beautiful memories of the magnificent cathedral resplendent in its rich architecture, history and culture. A wonderful thing that we got to experience in London were the brilliant audio guides that one gets to pick up. These guides simply make the overall experience all the more effective and organized. And now the best part of the day-enroute to the British Museums, I come across Dorothy Perkins-An impulsive buyer all my life, I head straight to the accessories section, then clothes, then cosmetics and then another, till I finally get to the shoes section..try out some 8-10 pairs of boots till I pick up one that we both seem to like.So that’s how Ria Mukherjee ends up purchasing her 1st pair of knee high boots that she is going to be very proud of all her life. Shopping done,burnt a hole in Amits pocket, day made! :) Later we catch a quick dekko at the museum for about 10 mins before it shuts shop. Very hungry by now, we stop at a pretty lil café called ‘Munchkin’ for some fish an chips and whiskey before we head home to Anu-Pallavi’s again.

10th Dec-Today is technically our last day in London, so we decide to make the most of it. We start early today from Greenwich again this time. I was glad that we came to this side of the town during the day and got up close and personal with the Prime Meridian. Ah bliss! We are joined by Amit’s friend-Dahiya, who happily takes us around. So here we are going click click click on the streets, stopping over at subways, McDonalds, the Thames , the nearby bookstore(from where I picked up The Golden Notebook) and then head towards the National Maritime Museum and the GMT. En route I go click click click at the famous Trinity College of Music! Where I once dreamt of being admitted! But fine, I was having fun and that was important! Some more walking and hot dogs later we reach Covent Garden- one of my most favorite places in London, known for its quaint charm and piazzas. Shopping at The Body Shop, Disney’s (bumped into Ayesha Dharker) and then watching 2 very entertaining street performances, we finally went home, had dinner and sat for wat I was looking forward too an unending chat session with everyone all night long. We discussed life, love, fate, faith, food, fantasies an lots more till we finally hit teh wee hours of morning

11th Dec- I woke up fairly somber, trying to live up every lil moment left in the trip. We chat, we eat, we shop, we pack and finally its time to go. Back to Muscat, back to reality and we bid adieu to London-The city which enamoured me right from my childhood, the city I only dreamt of visiting, the city that pulls me so close that its difficult to let go, the city that I just cant get enough of.

Our trip has come to an end and I am badly hung over….even after 2 months!