The new official White House web site is up, and is much more interactive than the "Bush Version".

Maybe our gal Asfaneh can tell us what exactly this TIME quote means:

"A soft revolution has been programmed against our country."

- A top Iranian INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL,
in a Monday message aimed at the Obama administration cautioning the U.S. against spying on Iran by stationing intelligence agents in neighboring countries

I thought he struck the right tone in the address and not going for the soaring oratory of which we all know he is capable. This was an honest evaluation of what we need to do as c ountry to right ourelves, and a moment to remind us that we are all in it together.

To me his most important line was the quote from St. Paul about putting away the things of a child. This was a clear call to everyone to stop the nasty partian bickering that has been going on since the '60's on BOTH sides, and to start acting like grown ups.

I have seen on these boards many people who did not vote for Obama and who actively questioned him take the position that they wish him well because if he succeeds, America succeeds. These people are to be congratulated.

I regret to say that my generation, the "boomers" have failed miserably at governance. We have two presidents for our entire generation, neither of whom are going to be Mt. Rushmore material.

I think that he will do well. He's a leader, which is what we need. Someone who is bold and willing to think outside the box. He has also shown that he won't take the bait.

Say what you will about Reagan, but he was decisive and he was not afraid to say what he felt was right, and to stand by it. After the wishy-washiness of the Carter administration, Reagan's firing of the air traffic controllers sent the world a message - do not mess with us.

Amen. I did not agree with many of his programs, but he had a clear vision and was absolutely a man of great principle.

I've compared Obama to Reagan before, but they both do seem to share the mentality they truely believe that indeed America is the greatest country on Earth, not because of power or guns, but because it's the most unique as the oldest continuing active republic.

A nation indeed where anything is possible, and in spite of mishaps, bad deadly mistakes, and poor choices in who we help at times, we can still be a moral leader. China nor Russia or much of Europe can't do that, but we can at anytime, when we get our shit together.

That's probably why alot of conservatives voted for Obama, and indeed notice some of them like Peggy Noonan giving thumbs up to his Inaugural address. Obama is different from the Gipper for his liberalism and foreign policy, but alot of that rhetoric he used to describe America and its history...

You could have heard Reagan say them himself.

First day on the job the man means business

Does this mean you're changing your opinion of him already?

He holds the office now. And if he can get the job done then God bless him.

BTW Obama save the country even more money by putting a pay raise freeze on the Senators and Congressmen. Or make them take a pay cut. Other people have to so why not them.

After his $150-170 million inauguration, I think Obama was wise to do this. Now if he had enough money back home, he could also forego his Presidential salary for this year (which is about $400,000) which JFK did, but Obama doesn't.

The lobbying guideline is nice, and I support his Executive Order plan to close Guantanamo.

Though he'll have a headache in having to come up with a new court system, and actually try alot of these terrorists, and shit if I know the right best solution for that mess.

But at the least, Guantanamo closed would rob the terrorists a visual propaganda location of symbology for the Middle East.

I don't think he has the power to do that. I'm sure they'd have to pass a bill to do this, and I doubt many of them are going to vote in favor of it.

Only Congress has that power, but yes I agree with that sentiment.

But with Reid/Pelosi leading Congress, knowing how tone-deaf they are, they'll never realize how they could capitalize on this simple action of great PR value.

I'm sure me, Pizzaboy, and others have patiently waited for this image to come to reality...

I don't see it happening like term limits but it was a nice thought.

I've been waiting for this one even more.

God Bless President Obama!

Kind of sounds like George W Bush. He didnt care about the polls. He did what he thought was right for the country.

It's official. Hillary Clinton is now Secretary of State (once she takes the oath of office).

I just heard on Fox News that Obama re-did the oath of office tonight since he goofed up a couple words yesterday.

Whatever trips your trigger.

Except for Obama jumping the gun on the first line, Judge Roberts is the one that screwed up the oath by mixing up the words.


Obama retakes oath of office after Roberts' mistake

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama retook his oath of office Wednesday after Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed while delivering it at Tuesday's inauguration.

Roberts administered the oath the second time as well, according to the White House.

The move was aimed at dispelling any confusion that might arise from Tuesday's take and erase any question that Obama is legally the president.

Roberts made no comment on becoming tongue-tied Tuesday.

Count me in as one waiting for this image too. I read earlier (I think on Huffington Post) that Obama broke a Bush tradition by taking off his suit jacket while in the oval office. Hmmm!

My co-worker's son went to the inaugaration yesterday and said it was awesome. I can't wait to seek pictures.

Anyway, I hear Chris Wallace from Fox News still has doubts that Obama's oath "counted" because it was botched , totally ignoring the fact that Obama was President at noon oath or not. (I too thought it was Obama that messed up, but except for the very beginning he did ok, like JL said). It was Roberts, the news reported, this morning that messed it up.

TIS

Now you know why people want Civics to be taught seriously again in schools.

Man, did he ever screw up the oath. While he was flubbing it, Bush leaned over to Laura and said, "Even I never did THAT."

Honestly, if Bush had butchered one of his oaths, it would be played and replayed on the late night shows.

He didn't butcher it. Roberts did. Obama didn't repeat it at first because he knew Roberts was wrong.

They both screw up, though it started with Roberts and then Obama fumbled, like a chain reaction car wreck on a highway.

Anyway, I think this is a non-issue. Notice how both men quickly had this re-do conducted last night as a low-key affair that took everyone by surprise, and no bad blood left over it.

Even if Biden was a dick about it earlier that day (and you could tell in body language that Obama wasn't happy with his VP.)

Obama didn't know what to do. Say it correctly, or repeat after Roberts incorrectly.

Exactly.

Out of my patriotic service, here is Obama's entire Inaugural Address:

"My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. 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. 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.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

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.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. 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.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. 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. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the 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.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. 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.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. 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.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — 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, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

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.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America."

Just to add to what I read is a "first" for an Inaugration speech, Obama including 'non-believers'.


"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers."

Now, which line(s), if any, will become historic? Any guesses?


TIS