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Braving frigid temperatures, an exuberant
crowd of hundreds of thousands packed the National Mall on Tuesday
to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as America's
first black president. He grasps the reins of power in a high-noon
ceremony amid grave economic worries and high expectations.


      It was the first change of administrations since the terror
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Crowds filled the National Mall from the
Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol for a glimpse of the
proceedings and, in the words of many, simply "to be here."
Washington's subway system was jammed and two downtown stations
were closed when a woman was struck by a subway train.

      Two years after beginning his improbable quest as a
little-known, first-term Illinois senator with a foreign-sounding
name, Obama moves into the Oval Office as the nation's fourth
youngest president, at 47, and the first African-American, a
barrier-breaking achievement believed impossible by generations of
minorities.


      Around the world, Obama's election electrified millions with the
hope that America will be more embracing, more open to change.


      The dawn of the new Democratic era - with Obama allies in charge
of both houses of Congress - ends eight years of Republican control
of the White House by George W. Bush. He leaves Washington as one
of the nation's most unpopular and divisive presidents, the
architect of two unfinished wars and the man in charge at a time of
economic calamity that swept away many Americans' jobs, savings and
homes.


      Bush - following tradition - left a note for Obama in the top
drawer of his desk in the Oval Office.


      White House press secretary Dana Perino said the theme of the
message - which Bush wrote on Monday - was similar to what he has
said since election night: that Obama is about to begin a
"fabulous new chapter" in the United States, and that he wishes
him well.


      The unfinished business of the Bush administration thrusts an
enormous burden onto the new administration, though polls show
Americans are confident Obama is on track to succeed. He has
cautioned that improvements will take time and that things will get
worse before they get better.


      Culminating four days of celebration, the nation's 56th
inauguration day began for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden
with a traditional morning worship service at St. John's Episcopal
Church, across Lafayette Park from the White House. Bells pealed
from the historic church's tower as Obama and his wife, Michelle,
arrived five minutes behind schedule.


      The festivities won't end until well after midnight, with
dancing and partying at 10 inaugural balls.


      By custom, Obama and his wife, and Biden and his wife, Jill,
went directly from church to the White House for coffee with Bush
and his wife, Laura. Michelle Obama brought a gift for the outgoing
first lady in a white box decorated with a red ribbon. A sleek,
heavily armored Cadillac limousine stood ready to take them to the
Capitol for the transfer of power, an event flashed around the
world in television and radio broadcasts, podcasts and Internet
streaming. On Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney pulled a muscle in
his back, leaving him in a wheelchair for the inauguration.


      Just before noon, Obama steps forward on the West Front of the
Capitol to lay his left hand on the same Bible that President
Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration in 1861. The 35-word
oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, has
been uttered by every president since George Washington. Obama was
one of 22 Democratic senators to vote against Roberts' confirmation
to the Supreme Court in 2005.


      The son of a Kansas-born mother and Kenya-born father, Obama
decided to use his full name in the swearing-in ceremony.


      The Constitution says the clock - not the pomp, ceremony and
oaths - signals the transfer of the office from the old president
to the new one.


      The 20th Amendment to the Constitution specifies that the terms
of office of the president and vice president "shall end at noon
on the 20th day of January ... and the terms of their successors
shall then begin."


      To the dismay of liberals, Obama invited conservative
evangelical pastor Rick Warren - an opponent of gay rights - to
give the inaugural invocation.


      About a dozen members of Obama's Cabinet and top appointees were
ready for Senate confirmation Tuesday, provided no objections were
raised. But Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas indicated he would
block a move to immediately confirm Secretary of State-designate
Hillary Rodham Clinton. Still, she is expected to be approved in a
roll call vote Wednesday.


      More than 10,000 people from all 50 states - including bands and
military units - were assembled to follow Obama and Biden from the
Capitol on the 1.5-mile inaugural parade route on Pennsylvania
Avenue, concluding at a bulletproof reviewing stand in front of the
White House. Security was unprecedented. Most bridges into
Washington and about 3.5 square miles of downtown were closed.


      Obama's inauguration represents a time of renewal and optimism
for a nation gripped by fear and anxiety. Stark numbers tell the
story of an economic debacle unrivaled since the 1930s:

      Obama and congressional Democrats are working on an $825 billion
economic recovery bill that would provide an enormous infusion of
public spending and tax cuts. Obama also will have at his disposal
the remaining $350 billion in the federal financial bailout fund.
His goal is to save or create 3 million jobs and put banks back in
the job of lending to customers.


      In an appeal for bipartisanship, Obama honored defeated
Republican presidential rival John McCain at a dinner Monday night.
"There are few Americans who understand this need for common
purpose and common effort better than John McCain," Obama said.


      Young and untested, Obama is a man of enormous confidence and
electrifying oratorical skills. Hopes for Obama are extremely high,
suggesting that Americans are willing to give him a long honeymoon
to strengthen the economy and lift the financial gloom.


      On Wednesday, his first working day in office, Obama is expected
to redeem his campaign promise to begin the withdrawal of U.S.
forces from Iraq under a 16-month timetable. Aides said he would
summon the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Oval Office and order that
the pullout commence.

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Politics and Government News

Braving frigid temperatures, an exuberant
crowd of hundreds of thousands packed the National Mall on Tuesday
to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as America's
first black president.

Crowds pack frigid Mall for Obama's inauguration

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