[h=3]By LAURA MECKLER[/h][h=3]Live Updates[/h]Follow complete coverage of the presidential inauguration as President Obama is publicly sworn-in to begin his second term. Go to the live stream.
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama, inaugurating his second term on Monday, set out a vision for tackling a stream of Democratic priorities and vowed to protect the most vulnerable Americans.
Speaking on the steps of the Capitol, before hundreds of thousands gathered on the National Mall, Mr. Obama repeated a call from his first inaugural, that Americans together seize the nation's potential and work with "common effort and common purpose."
But the bulk of his 19-minute address was devoted to the ambitions long held by Democrats: protecting Social Security and Medicare, welcoming immigrants, securing equal rights for gays and lesbians and equal pay for women, and promoting sustainable energy sources. The address was dominated by domestic matters, light on foreign affairs.
Some of the lines directly reflected the tone of a presidential campaign that often revolved around questions of taxes and wealth.
"Our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it," he said to cheers. "We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class."
His criticism of Republicans was implicit, as when he defended Medicare and Social Security by saying those programs "do not make us a nation of takers." That appeared to be a subtle reference to rival Mitt Romney's secretly recorded dismissal of those who rely on government programs.
Mr. Obama again vowed to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, taking the oath of office by using his full name. He then addressed the American people, quoting the Declaration of Independence's promise that "all men are created equal."
Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesPresident Barack Obama took the oath of office during the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing-in Monday.
"America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands," he said.
Mr. Obama began the day with a morning service at St. John's Episcopal Church, across from the White House, followed by coffee with congressional leaders at the White House. His first words to Americans on Monday came via Twitter: "I'm honored and grateful that we have a chance to finish what we started. Our work begins today. Let's go," he wrote, signing his initials to the post.
The president, age 51, was officially sworn in during a low-key ceremony on Sunday, meeting the constitutional requirement that a new term begin at noon on Jan. 20. The public ceremony was pushed to Monday, as have past inaugurations that fell on Sundays. Vice President Joe Biden, too, took his oath Sunday morning.
[h=3]Following the Festivities[/h]See a map of inauguration festivities
[h=3]In Their Words[/h]Compare how often presidents used selected words in their inaugural addresses.
He placed his hand on two Bibles as he took the oath Monday—the first once belonged to Martin Luther King Jr., and second, to President Abraham Lincoln.
Monday's crowd was expected to be much smaller than the 1.8 million people who turned out four years ago, and the excitement surrounding the 2009 event could not be matched. Still, 500,000 to 700,000 people were expected, outpacing other past second inaugurals. The festivities coincided with the national holiday marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The president has ambitious hopes for a second term—a deficit-reduction agreement, a tax revamp, an immigration overhaul and new gun-control measures top his domestic agenda. Abroad, he must continue to wrestle with the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, and with unexpected crises, such as the hostage crisis in Algeria just days before the inauguration.
But Mr. Obama's hopes of creating a new bipartisan tone in Washington, voiced in his first inaugural address, have repeatedly crashed, with the political parties barely able to avert economic disasters like the year-end fiscal cliff that were entirely under their control.
In the two and a half months since his re-election, Mr. Obama has struck a confrontational tone with Republicans, forcing them to back down in a year-end deal averting an across-the-board tax increase, and vowing to take his case to Americans rather than try and negotiate with adversaries.
Still, for all the disappointments of his first term, Mr. Obama begins his second with some brightened prospects. The economy, far from fully healthy, is no longer in a tailspin. The war in Iraq is over, and the 11-year war in Afghanistan is winding down. Mr. Obama has already accomplished signature legislative achievements on health care and financial regulation, and his administration is now focused on implementing them.
[h=3]Inauguration 2013[/h]
Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesPresident Obama publicly took the oath of office Monday.
[h=3]Images of Past Inaugurations[/h]
Everett CollectionPresident Warren G. Harding, 1921.
Immediately after the public ceremony, Mr. Obama officially began the work of his second term, signing paperwork to nominate his choices for four key Cabinet posts—John Brennan for the Central Intelligence Agency, Sen. John Kerry for the State Department, Chuck Hagel for the Pentagon and Jacob Lew for Treasury.
After the speech, the Obamas were to lead a traditional parade from the Capitol, down Pennsylvania Avenue, back to the White House. The day will end with two star-studded official inaugural balls.
In partisan Washington, Monday was a rare day of fellowship and good will all around. "Every four years on Inauguration Day, America shows the world that our major political parties can disagree with civility and mutual respect," said a statement from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican.
He said the moment represented "a fresh start when it comes to dealing with the great challenges of our day."
Mr. Obama's recitation of the oath of office on Monday was to be his fourth—matching President Franklin D. Roosevelt's mark—delivering it twice in 2009 and now twice in 2013. In 2009, he repeated the oath in a private ceremony after lawyers concluded that the muffing of the exact words during the public event by both Chief Justice John Roberts and then Mr. Obama could create a challenge to his authority.
Write to Laura Meckler at [email protected]
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama, inaugurating his second term on Monday, set out a vision for tackling a stream of Democratic priorities and vowed to protect the most vulnerable Americans.
Speaking on the steps of the Capitol, before hundreds of thousands gathered on the National Mall, Mr. Obama repeated a call from his first inaugural, that Americans together seize the nation's potential and work with "common effort and common purpose."
But the bulk of his 19-minute address was devoted to the ambitions long held by Democrats: protecting Social Security and Medicare, welcoming immigrants, securing equal rights for gays and lesbians and equal pay for women, and promoting sustainable energy sources. The address was dominated by domestic matters, light on foreign affairs.
Some of the lines directly reflected the tone of a presidential campaign that often revolved around questions of taxes and wealth.
"Our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it," he said to cheers. "We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class."
His criticism of Republicans was implicit, as when he defended Medicare and Social Security by saying those programs "do not make us a nation of takers." That appeared to be a subtle reference to rival Mitt Romney's secretly recorded dismissal of those who rely on government programs.
Mr. Obama again vowed to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, taking the oath of office by using his full name. He then addressed the American people, quoting the Declaration of Independence's promise that "all men are created equal."
Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesPresident Barack Obama took the oath of office during the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing-in Monday.
"America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands," he said.
Mr. Obama began the day with a morning service at St. John's Episcopal Church, across from the White House, followed by coffee with congressional leaders at the White House. His first words to Americans on Monday came via Twitter: "I'm honored and grateful that we have a chance to finish what we started. Our work begins today. Let's go," he wrote, signing his initials to the post.
The president, age 51, was officially sworn in during a low-key ceremony on Sunday, meeting the constitutional requirement that a new term begin at noon on Jan. 20. The public ceremony was pushed to Monday, as have past inaugurations that fell on Sundays. Vice President Joe Biden, too, took his oath Sunday morning.
[h=3]Following the Festivities[/h]See a map of inauguration festivities
[h=3]In Their Words[/h]Compare how often presidents used selected words in their inaugural addresses.
He placed his hand on two Bibles as he took the oath Monday—the first once belonged to Martin Luther King Jr., and second, to President Abraham Lincoln.
Monday's crowd was expected to be much smaller than the 1.8 million people who turned out four years ago, and the excitement surrounding the 2009 event could not be matched. Still, 500,000 to 700,000 people were expected, outpacing other past second inaugurals. The festivities coincided with the national holiday marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The president has ambitious hopes for a second term—a deficit-reduction agreement, a tax revamp, an immigration overhaul and new gun-control measures top his domestic agenda. Abroad, he must continue to wrestle with the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, and with unexpected crises, such as the hostage crisis in Algeria just days before the inauguration.
But Mr. Obama's hopes of creating a new bipartisan tone in Washington, voiced in his first inaugural address, have repeatedly crashed, with the political parties barely able to avert economic disasters like the year-end fiscal cliff that were entirely under their control.
In the two and a half months since his re-election, Mr. Obama has struck a confrontational tone with Republicans, forcing them to back down in a year-end deal averting an across-the-board tax increase, and vowing to take his case to Americans rather than try and negotiate with adversaries.
Still, for all the disappointments of his first term, Mr. Obama begins his second with some brightened prospects. The economy, far from fully healthy, is no longer in a tailspin. The war in Iraq is over, and the 11-year war in Afghanistan is winding down. Mr. Obama has already accomplished signature legislative achievements on health care and financial regulation, and his administration is now focused on implementing them.
[h=3]Inauguration 2013[/h]
Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesPresident Obama publicly took the oath of office Monday.
[h=3]Images of Past Inaugurations[/h]
Everett CollectionPresident Warren G. Harding, 1921.
Immediately after the public ceremony, Mr. Obama officially began the work of his second term, signing paperwork to nominate his choices for four key Cabinet posts—John Brennan for the Central Intelligence Agency, Sen. John Kerry for the State Department, Chuck Hagel for the Pentagon and Jacob Lew for Treasury.
After the speech, the Obamas were to lead a traditional parade from the Capitol, down Pennsylvania Avenue, back to the White House. The day will end with two star-studded official inaugural balls.
In partisan Washington, Monday was a rare day of fellowship and good will all around. "Every four years on Inauguration Day, America shows the world that our major political parties can disagree with civility and mutual respect," said a statement from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican.
He said the moment represented "a fresh start when it comes to dealing with the great challenges of our day."
Mr. Obama's recitation of the oath of office on Monday was to be his fourth—matching President Franklin D. Roosevelt's mark—delivering it twice in 2009 and now twice in 2013. In 2009, he repeated the oath in a private ceremony after lawyers concluded that the muffing of the exact words during the public event by both Chief Justice John Roberts and then Mr. Obama could create a challenge to his authority.
Write to Laura Meckler at [email protected]