President Obama

On a bitterly cold day in January, thousands of Americans flooded the streets, intersections, and byways of Washington, D.C. They descended on the nation’s capital, coming from across the globe to bear witness to history. More than 1.4 million filled the National Mall and surrounded the U.S. Capitol to see Barack Hussein Obama sworn in as the first African American president of the United States.

It was a moment of pride and joy that brought tears to the eyes of many–especially those African Americans who fought the atrocities of Jim Crow and marched during the civil rights movement. Lee Archer, 90, the silver-maned former financier and member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, basked in the moment: “My son asked me why I had tears in my eyes. I told him I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life.”

But Obama’s inauguration was a milestone that belonged to all of the nation’s citizenry; America had made an evolutionary leap. A glass ceiling had been forever shattered. A new generation of leaders had come to power.
Throngs of Americans came to see a new chief executive take the helm of the nation as it deals with what President Obama calls “the gathering clouds and raging storms” of war and financial crisis. This was the same crowd that cheered and jeered the sight of the helicopter carrying George W. Bush away, signaling the end of an administration marked by ineptitude, apathy, and neglect.

Obama’s inaugural address was short–roughly 18 minutes long–but powerful. It was more of a vision statement than a speech. He told the teeming masses that stretched 2.5 miles from the Capitol to the Washington Monument: “We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when the crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month. 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 the work of remaking America.”

He focused on the economy, which he said demands “action, bold and swift.” His call for the development of a new foundation for growth emphasizes the construction of roads and bridges, the repair of electric grids, the installation of broadband technology, and investment in energy-related research and development to get America working again.

The new commander-in-chief reaffirmed the nation’s strength and influence in foreign affairs by promising open dialogue with nations large and small, but he made it clear that America will never “waver in its defense.” Across all issues the theme was consistent: the restoration of the country. And he was clear that the task requires an enormous commitment from government and, at the same time, sacrifice and responsibility from its citizens.

In implementing his policies, Obama stresses a government that’s action-oriented, accountable, and transparent. He demonstrated this approach during his first week, acting swiftly to roll back eight years of Bush’s policies while setting a new course. Obama made “a clean break from business as usual” by freezing salaries of senior White House staff members who earn more than $100,000 a year as well as implementing the strictest ethics rules of any presidential administration.

From day one, he worked to meet his campaign promises. For example, Obama told members of his national security team to “engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq”; and signed four executive orders, which included creating panels to study interrogations of suspected terrorists and closure of the Guantanámo Bay Detention Camp within a year.

His quick action during the transition helped put the administration in the starting blocks. Days after his swearing-in ceremony, several of his cabinet appointees, including Hillary Clinton and Timothy Geithner, designates for secretary of the State and Treasury departments, respectively, were confirmed.

His communications officials maintain that keeping Americans safe from terrorists is priority No. 1, but fixing the economy is a primary concern. Thousands of Americans still contend with massive layoffs, the foreclosure crisis, and a lack of confidence in the economy. To attack the problem, the nation’s chief executive has added a comprehensive economic briefing–similar to the national security review–to his daily schedule. His economic team, led by Geithner and Lawrence Summers, his chief adviser in this area, is in the process of developing recommendations on the deployment of the remaining half of last year’s $700 billion bailout. They plan to use those dollars for foreclosure relief and stabilizing financial institutions, among other things. And he seeks to gain bipartisan congressional support for his ambitious $825 billion American Recovery

and Reinvestment Act, a stimulus plan that promises to create jobs through a $250 billion infrastructure repair program, help the jobless and families through $300 billion in state aid, and boost consumer spending through $275 billion in tax breaks. “I think it’s the type of program that will revitalize our state economies,” asserts Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, one of a number of governors who met with Obama shortly after his election. But not all pols embrace the Obama plan. A number of Democratic congressmen want to reduce the tax package, while the Republican opposition wants deeper tax cuts.

Nevertheless, Obama appears energized and focused on the challenges of strengthening the economy, rebuilding American industry, and restoring confidence in our integrity at home and abroad. For one, he has considerable political capital due to the overwhelming support of the American public–most of whom seem patient enough to wait until his policies take hold. They have heeded Obama’s words: “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.”