USA: Barack Obama sworn in as America's 44th president, former president George W. Bush departs by helicopter

Record ID: 588873

  • Title: USA: Barack Obama sworn in as America's 44th president, former president George W. Bush departs by helicopter
  • Date: 22nd January 2009
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JANUARY 20, 2009) (U.S. POOL -- REUTERS CONTRIBUTOR) VARIOUS CROWDS STRETCHING TO WASHINGTON MONUMENT VARIOUS BARACK OBAMA BEING SWORN IN AS U.S. PRESIDENT AT CAPITOL VARIOUS CROWDS GUN SALUTE OBAMA WAVING VARIOUS CROWDS VARIOUS OBAMA AND WIFE MICHELLE IN GOLD VARIOUS CROWDS SENATOR CALIFORNIA, DIANNE FEINSTEIN OBAMA WALKS TO PODIUM VARIOUS CROWDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING: "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." CROWDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING: "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." VARIOUS CROWDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING: "And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, 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."
  • Embargoed: 6th February 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAALZCE4CXC0LGM0JNMA1STUIO9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of thousands of people erupted in roars of approval on the broad National Mall grounds on Tuesday (January 20) as they watched Barack Obama stand with one hand raised, one hand on a Bible used to swear in Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and repeat the brief oath to become the 44th U.S. president and succeed George W. Bush.
    Beaming broadly, the new president had kisses on the cheek for his wife, Michelle, and his school-age daughters, Malia and Sasha. Then he turned to the crowds stretching away into the distance on a cold, wintry day.

    "Obama, Obama," the crowd cheered.
    Obama, a Democrat, replaced the Republican Bush, who served two terms and left office having plumbed record lows in approval ratings and leaving a legacy of two wars and an economy in recession.
    Obama quickly turned the page on the Bush years, urging Americans to rally together to end the worst economic crisis in 70 years and repair the U.S. image abroad.

    "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,"Obama said, addressing a festive sea of people in his inaugural speech after taking the oath of office.
    The inauguration of Obama, 47, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white mother from Kansas, was steeped in symbolic meaning for African-Americans, who for generations suffered slavery and then racial segregation that made them second-class citizens.

    "This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny," said Obama.

    "This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath," he added.
    The new president pledged bold and swift action on the "badly weakened" U.S. economy, which will be a top priority as he works with the Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress on an estimated $825 billion economic stimulus package aimed at jolting the economy back to life.
    U.S. stock indexes extended losses and hit session lows after his speech, which provided few new details on how to tackle the crisis.
    Beginning a presidency with great expectations, Obama vowed the United States would leave Iraq "responsibly" and will help Afghanistan earn a hard-earned peace.
    He did not provide a specific timetable for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, but under a U.S.-Iraqi agreement, U.S. troops would depart by the end of 2011. He has pledged to increase U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan to turn back a resurgent Taliban.
    To millions watching abroad, Obama said, "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."
    After years of tense relations with Muslims following the Sept. 11 attacks and the Bush war on terrorism, Obama offered conciliatory words to the Islamic community, saying he would seek a "new way forward" based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
    But on the issue of terrorism, he said: "We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and 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; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."
    Polls show widespread U.S. public support for Obama and optimism about the coming four years of his presidency. But Obama sought to temper soaring expectations with reality.
    Soon after President Obama was inaugurated, Bush left Washington for his home state of Texas.
    The former president bid farewell to the politics of Washington, leaving with little fanfare as the country turned its attention to Obama.
    After eight years in office, Bush flew home to Texas where he will spend the night at his Crawford ranch. He leaves office with low public approval ratings and signs of discontent with his presidency were evident around the inauguration festivities.
    Bush plans to open a presidential library and a public policy center called the Freedom Institute in Dallas from where he is expected to defend the policies of his controversial presidency.
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