Obama: "Freedom Is More Powerful than Fear"

Last night, the President addressed the nation from the Oval Office for only the third time in his presidency, speaking about the threat of terrorism and the means to overcome it:




As might be expected, prominent Republicans immediately denounced the speech.

Full text of the President's remarks here.


Update, 7 p.m.: Adam Glopnik writes about Obama's speech and Republican double-talk in the New Yorker, concluding:

If the gun lobby ever spoke honestly, what they would say is that of course we are broadly responsible for these killings, but regular mass killings of innocent people is the price we pay for the liberty to own whatever guns we want, in order to be protected from a phantom threat we cannot name. That is their actual belief, although one sees, on examining it, why they never want to state it quite so clearly. So there will be ever more mass gun murders, some to be accepted blankly as the cost of liberty, others to become the occasion for surrendering liberty to a militarized state. Like the song says, only in America.

The New York Daily News front page referred to in Gopnik's article:
who is a terrorist, exactly?

Marriage News Watch, 7/21/14

Matt Baume of the American Foundation for Equal Rights reports:




And some long-awaited good news today from the White House, the Washington Post reports:

President Barack Obama on Monday gave employment protection to gay and transgender workers in the federal government and its contracting agencies, after being convinced by advocates of what he called the “irrefutable rightness of your cause.”

“America’s federal contracts should not subsidize discrimination against the American people,” Obama said at a signing ceremony from the White House East Room. He said it is unacceptable that being gay is still a firing offense in most places in the United States. . . .

Since Obama announced that he would take executive action, he’s faced pressure from opposing flanks over whether he would include an exemption for religious organizations. He decided to maintain a provision that allows religious groups with federal contracts to hire and fire based upon religious identity, but not give them any exception to consider sexual orientation or gender identity. Churches also are able to hire ministers as they see fit. . . .

The change for federal contracting will impact some 24,000 companies with 28 million workers, or one-fifth of the U.S. workforce. Many large federal contractors already have employment policies barring anti-gay workplace discrimination. However, the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School estimates that the executive order would extend protections to about 14 million workers whose employers or states currently do not have such nondiscrimination policies.

While few religious organizations are among the biggest federal contractors, they do provide some valued services, including overseas relief and development programs and re-entry programs for inmates leaving federal prisons. . . .

Obama also amended an order signed by President Richard Nixon in 1969 to prevent discrimination against federal workers based on race, religion, gender, nationality, age or disability. President Bill Clinton added sexual orientation, and Obama will include gender identity in a change that will immediately take effect.

Rosa Sat So Martin Could Walk

By Chicago singer-songwriter Amy Dixon-Kolar.

(Honk to David Mixner)

Name the New Era

When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office [in 1933], the nation was in deep economic trouble. State governors had shut down every bank and every bank account was frozen--no one could get a bank loan or cash checks or get at their deposits. Unemployment was 25% and higher in major industrial and mining centers. The agricultural sector, with a fourth of the nation's population, was in worse shape than industrial areas. Deflation was raging--prices were falling, making future planning difficult and raising the burden of existing debts. Mortgages were being foreclosed by the tens of thousands. Worst of all, many people seemed to have given up hope for a better future and were desperately holding on. [From Wikipedia]

And you just thought things were bad right now. As the excerpt above shows, things could be a helluva lot worse. I remember my parents and grandparents talking about those hard times; and let me tell you, Roosevelt was a saint in my family. Everybody agreed that if it hadn't been for FDR, "we'd have all perished to death," as my little grandmother put it.

The New Deal may not have been as successful as desired, but it created jobs, put money in people's pockets, food on the table, and hope in their hearts. I'm wondering today what to call the Obama era, which may have some strong similarities to the FDR era.

Sometimes presidents come up with a name themselves: the Square Deal (Teddy Roosevelt), the Fair Deal (Truman), the New Frontier (Kennedy), the Great Society (LBJ). Obama may yet come up with a nametag of his own devising, but in the meantime what would you call this new era, guys?

Since the theme of Obama's inauguration was "A New Birth of Freedom," I sorta like the idea of calling his term of office the American Renaissance. (Renaissance = rebirth.)

But that's just me. What would you suggest?

Obama Tells It Like It Is

In case anybody's been wondering - which I very highly doubt - here are my views on the current economic crisis: I don't know squat about it, not really.

Neither does 99.9994% of the rest of the world. It's too big, too complicated, too abstract for me to get my mind around, like quantum physics or why Miley Cyrus has a bigger annual income than half the countries of the world.

All I know is what I read in the papers, and I 'spect that goes for you too. I had a few business courses in college, but found out that wasn't my thing. Never had a class in economics, wish I had. So all I can do - all any of us can really do - is trust that the people we elected to run the big shebang get it right. And I think that Obama will do the best that anyone can do with all this. Not merely because he's a Democrat, but because he seems sincerely committed to getting the best advice, the best people, and the best minds to work on it, and not simply to gain a political advantage for himself, but because it needs to be done.

By the time you get past 50, like me, you're a fool if you haven't learned to size people up at least to the degree of knowing when they are truthing or bullshitting. I believe he's telling the truth; that doesn't mean he's infallible by any means, no man is. But at least with a leader who is honest and dealing with the actual reality of things, we can have hope for a good outcome in the long run.

I got a kick out of this fired-up speech he gave yesterday to House Democrats in Williamsburg, think you will too.

And here's the President's weekly video address on the same subject (text here):

Update: When I say I believe Obama is telling the truth, I mean on the whole and in the main. Like every other politician, he is sometimes guilty of elision: glossing over the small details, giving the gist of something but not the whole entire truth.

As, for example, when I noted several times during the campaign he would say something like "I passed this-and-such legislation"; well, no single legislator does any such thing. Legislation is passed by a vote of the full body. But presumably he and his opponents, who all used the same phraseology, meant that as shorthand for "I worked really hard to encourage my fellow legislators to pass this bill."

I have no doubt that when he talks about the economy, the stimulus, the war, or any of a number of other topics, he's often leaving out the fine print, as every politician does. Go read up on Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR if you don't believe me. "All we have to fear is fear itself"; not literally true - but true in a metaphorical way that makes the bare enumeration of details beside the point.

Now most of the time that may be harmless, though of course sometimes the devil is in the details. But my point is, I do believe Obama comes pretty near the mark of speaking the truth most of the time; certainly much, much more than his predecessor ever did. Obama's neither perfect nor inerrant; but he's a helluva lot better than what we had. I believe he really intends to do all he can, from the noblest motives, to run this country in the best interests of ordinary people and to restore constitutional government; and I have faith that Change will in the long run be a great and wonderful thing for us all.

The Obama Effect

Will the perennial gap between black and white students' test scores be reduced or eliminated by the mere fact of a black President? The New York Times reports on one small study that suggests a wonderful Change might be coming to classrooms in America, check it out.

Andrew Sullivan has this poignant anecdote:

I know a neighbor in my hood from walking my beagles. She teaches in a local school and is even more aware than the rest of us in this city how challenging it is to teach and rear a self-confident generation of minority kids. She's African-American and has long bemoaned the ubiquitous use of the n-word by young black teens. But she pointed out to me months ago that there was one man they never used the n-word to describe. It was Obama. If he can help lift eyes to a larger horizon for more generations of minority children, then surely liberals and conservatives and everyone in between can be glad.

President Obama's Weekly Address

Rarely in history has our country faced economic problems as devastating as this crisis. But the strength of the American people compels us to come together. The road ahead will be long, but I promise you that every day that I go to work in the Oval Office I carry with me your stories, and my administration is dedicated to alleviating your struggles and advancing your dreams. You are calling for action. Now is the time for those of us in Washington to live up to our responsibilities.

Full text at whitehouse.gov.

Today in the White House

It seems CHANGE is coming along smoothly, and I'm proud of the new President and First Lady.

Unlike the Howie Long jackass bullies of this world - and there have been some even in the White House as recently as last week - who throw their weight around, hurt and humiliate people just because they can, a real man protects, helps, rewards, and encourages the people around him. And saves the shame and blame for the bad guys who deserve it.

Now fellas, in case you aren't quite sure what I'm talking about, this is what a real man looks like in action:

Meanwhile, the First Lady did her part to reward and encourage good people by hosting a reception for Lily Ledbetter, whose name is attached to a new equal pay act, the first bill the President has signed into law:

Together, the Obamas are setting a refreshing new tone on Pennyslvania Avenue. As the Associated Press reports,

The new president, a man who says he never sweats, has seemed uncowed by his new job and the majestic trappings of his new workplace.

When the White House released its first picture of the president at work in the Oval Office, there he was in his shirt sleeves.

Bush, by contrast, made it a point to be in coat-and-tie whenever he entered the Oval Office.

Obama opened a bill-signing ceremony in the East Room on Thursday with the White House equivalent of a "wassup," casually calling out, "What's going on?"

The night before, trying to build support for his economic stimulus package, Obama invited House and Senate leaders over to the White House for cocktails.

Cocktails? The previous president was a teetotaler.

I'll drink to that, and make mine a screwdriver please.

Zoooooom This

These are not three photos, but one - showing you the zoomability of the incredible Inaugural photo over at Gigapan.org. Nice to see that Texas was represented . . . even if it was waaaay back there in the crowd.

Zoom in on the VIP stand to see Clarence Thomas snoozing through Obama's address. Figures.

(Honk to Andrew Sullivan)

The Obameter

Well we woke up to a cold, gray, gloomy day here in Texas, with freezing rain expected tonight and icy stuff continuing through Wednesday. The kind of weather that makes you want to say Oh shit and just roll back under the covers and stay put. Till April.

All last week it was crisp and sunny, but not now; guess you could take it as a metaphor for the everyday drudgery returning after a wonderful party. Oh well, that's life. The sun can't shine every day, and Monday morning always comes around again.

So from excitement and high hopes we turn to slogging away at what needs to be done, shoulder to the wheel once more. No doubt even the President is settling in for a long, hard pull this week. And he knows - if his predecessor didn't - that he's accountable for what he does or doesn't do. That's what makes this a democracy, and a great one.

So I think it's great that the St. Pete Times has come up with the very cool Obameter, which tracks the President's progress on about 500 campaign promises he made last year. He's already made good on five of them.

You can sort through them all by subject; gay rights are numbers 290-294. So far, no progress on any of those, but hey, I know he's got a lot of important stuff on his plate right now - like rescuing the economy from collapsing into a black hole, and other very scary things.

So I think we can afford to be patient while he sorts out his priorities. But a day is coming, not too far off, when we must hold him to account on behalf of the gay community.

I think he will do us proud in the long run. But since the dawn of history, it's always been the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, you know?

(Honk to Citizen Crain)

Sunday Drive: The Spark of Greatness

(Photo: coloroflincoln.com, which has more colorized images of the sixteenth president.)

The past week could hardly have gone better, and the nation's joy could hardly be greater at the commencement of the 44th President's term of office. Although his significance as the first African-American to hold the office cannot be denied, yet from another point of view, Obama seems to me an Everyman figure: the hardworking guy from humble origins whose efforts have been crowned with success in a still-youthful middle age; the husband still very much in love with his wife, the devoted father of two adorable little girls: a man neither arrogant nor subservient, but strong, smart, capable, and confident.

A popular guy, a very likeable sort. Someone everybody wants to know, everyone would like to count as a friend. A guy everyone envies, but nobody is jealous of. The kind of guy we would all like to be, if we could: successful, popular, well-adjusted. Loved - by all but the most narrow-minded and bitter-hearted.

He and his lady made a lovely picture the other night, dancing cheek to cheek at the ball, as they did watching the parade, waving and smiling, their children at their side. Had the circumstances of his life, the accidents of history, been different - had he ended up, instead of at the White House, as simply your neighbor down the street, or one of the middle managers where you work - you might find yourself thinking still: "Now that guy has it made, he has it all." Without grudging him the least bit of happiness.

Some people, so it seems, are just lucky that way. Sometimes all the bits and pieces of life come together in an exceedingly neat pattern, whether by design or accident: just the right amounts and the right kinds of nature, nurture, temperament, ability, and opportunity. For others, perhaps, through no fault of their own, a deficiency here, a defect there, too much of this, too little of that, make a jagged pattern, or an incomplete one. But for some few, at least, the application of the will to a fortunate pattern granted by fate makes a winning combination indeed.

I have wondered, though, what motivates a man like that to put it all on the line, to place himself at great risk of losing all that - which many another man or woman might sincerely wish for and strive all their life to attain, yet never possess - what animates such a man in the depths of his being to move his life out of such a happy orbit, which he might maintain indefinitely without too much effort? Why disrupt, endanger, the pretty pattern for an uncertain achievement?

I don't know, can't say. An ambition of some kind - yes, certainly - though in this particular case it seems to be one that is not merely for the sake of self, but for the betterment of others. A noble aim - though as history has all too often shown, a sometimes thankless, even dangerous one.

And yet, it seems to me upon further reflection, the making of greatness lies in that very course of action: not drawing back to preserve one's own happiness, but reaching out for that greater good of their neighbors.

Most of us do not have that spark of greatness in us - that combination of determination and selflessness. Our highest dreams, if we dared lay them bare for inspection, rise to a much lower height: winning the lottery, building the perfect house, finding the handsome lover. We are too full of ourselves, too preoccupied with me and my. Our vision reaches no higher than our own rooftop. That is our common human nature: to want our own needs met - and if possible, exceeded - before we consider the needs of our neighbors.

And yet, uncommonly, every now and then, some one of us breaks away from the crowd, and reaches out for something higher, something better, not counting the cost, not fearing the risk. A mere mortal, like the rest of us - but one on whom a divine ambition rests, a divine fire burns in the heart. Such women, such men, we call great; for they exceed, transcend, the ordinary limitations of our human race. Within themselves, they bear a glory in this world, which lights the way through the darkness that surrounds our beginning and our end; they walk a shining path of service and of love the rest of us may follow.

Their hearts are restless until they glow in the pure, bright flame of eternity.

. . . How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
As though to breathe were life. . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

--from Robert Browning, "Ulysses"

Times Change

And thank God they have. From Wallstats - The Art of Information (click to enlarge):

(Honk to NGblog and Maybe It's Just Me . . . )

You Rock, Daddy!

I totally missed this moment during the Inauguration, but the roommate told me about it last night so I had to go find a pic of it. Love that Sasha. Here's a video replay, in slow motion:

Why Is This Man Laughing?

Caption this.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong. More great BIG Inaugural pics at the Denver Post photoblog here.)

Gitmo Gone, Torture Out!

President Obama restored America's honor and ideals today by signing executive orders to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay as well as the CIA's "black site" secret prisons around the world, and also ordered an end to torture, requiring interrogators to adhere to the non-abusive techniques listed in the Army Field Manual.

As the Associated Press reports,

"We believe that the Army Field Manual reflects the best judgment of our military, that we can abide by a rule that says we don't torture, but that we can still effectively obtain the intelligence that we need," Obama said. He said his action reflects an understanding that "we are willing to observe core standards of conduct, not just when it's easy, but also when it's hard."

The New York Times reports,

As Mr. Obama signed three orders in a White House ceremony, 16 retired generals and admirals who have fought for months for a ban on coercive interrogations stood behind him and applauded. . . .

The orders, and Mr. Obama’s televised statement, marked an abrupt break with the Bush administration. Critics for years have accused Mr. Bush of permitting torture and damaging the country’s moral standing in the world, while Dick Cheney, the former president and vice president, insisted that all their programs were lawful and had prevented a repeat of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

John D. Hutson, a retired admiral and law school dean, was at the signing ceremony “He really gets it,” Mr. Hutson said of Mr. Obama in an interview a few minutes after the ceremony. “He acknowledged that this isn’t easy. But he is absolutely dedicated to getting us back on track as a nation. This is the right thing to do morally, diplomatically, militarily and Constitutionally. But it also makes us safer.” . . .

Sen. John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, “Today is a great day for the rule of law in the United States of America,” adding: “America is ready to lead again — not just with our words, but by our example.”

Yes, another great day in America. Once again, a man of honor and integrity as our President, who believes in constitutional government and the rule of law. Hallelujah!

As Obama said in his Inaugural Address:

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.

In another example of the change that has come to America, Hillary Clinton was given a rousing welcome at the State Department as she embarked upon her new duties there, as shown in this CBS News video:

In Today's News

Also online, a wonderful family picture from First Sister Maya's 2003 wedding.

On Day 2 in the ObamaNation, as reported by the New York Times:

* At the White House, the President was sworn in again by the Chief Justice "out of an abundance of caution" following yesterday's tongue-twister on the steps of the Capitol. White House legal counsel thought the re-do was unneccesary, but this should silence the mad-dog rightwing nuts, who've been foaming at the mouth about it.

* Ted Kennedy was released from hospital with apparently no ill effects from the seizure he suffered yesterday at the Capitol during the Inaugural luncheon.

* His niece, Caroline Kennedy, announced she was withdrawing herself from consideration for being appointed to Hillary Clinton's vacated Senate seat, citing concerns about her uncle's health.

* Hillary was confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of State, and resigned her Senate seat (D-NY), which she has held for the past 8 years.

* The President ordered a halt to prosecutions at Gitmo while the new administration reviews the system of war-crimes trials held there.

* The stock market bounced back up after about a 4 percent dip on Inauguration Day.

* The Obamas, Bidens, and Clintons maintained post-Inaugural tradition by attending a morning prayer service at Washington National Cathedral, with 20 interfaith ministers, including women leaders of the Muslim and Hindu faiths, and featuring a sermon by a woman, the president of the Disciples of Christ church. "The service featured a gospel choir of African-American children in crisp white shirts and black pants and dresses, many of whom broke into smiles as they glimpsed the new president when they filed in. They sang a rocking rendition of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” as if giving a commentary not only on the Almighty, but on the new president’s job description. Mr. Obama sang along, and the First Lady clapped. "

* And the NYT had a feature article on the extended First Family:

For well over two centuries, the United States has been vastly more diverse than its ruling families. Now the Obama family has flipped that around, with a Technicolor cast that looks almost nothing like their overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly Protestant predecessors in the role. The family that produced Barack and Michelle Obama is black and white and Asian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish. They speak English; Indonesian; French; Cantonese; German; Hebrew; African languages including Swahili, Luo and Igbo; and even a few phrases of Gullah, the Creole dialect of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Very few are wealthy, and some — like Sarah Obama, the stepgrandmother who only recently got electricity and running water in her metal-roofed shack — are quite poor.

“Our family is new in terms of the White House, but I don’t think it’s new in terms of the country,” Maya Soetoro-Ng, the president’s younger half-sister, said last week. “I don’t think the White House has always reflected the textures and flavors of this country.”

It does now. All in all, a very good day in America. I'm so glad we finally got here.

Rev. Lowry's Benediction

Totally cool, and totally holy. I loved it.

(Honk to Sebastian at sufferthearrows, who found it first)

His First Official Act

Shortly after his swearing-in yesterday, President Obama - the phrase is still new enough to tingle my ears in a strange and delightful way - declared a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. You can read it at the equally new official White House blog.

Gay Rights: Obama's Agenda

It's not just the "gay agenda" anymore. It's now the President's agenda. Believe it.

From whitehouse.gov:

Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." -- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.

Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.

Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.

Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the currentpolicy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.

Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.

Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.

Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

All this was previously listed on change.gov; nothing new here.

But man, to think that the President of the United States - our president, my president - supports all this, and promises to work for us and our rights.

Wow. What a difference a day makes, huh fellas?

The Blue Truck hit counter just went over 10,000. Thanks much for your support, guys.

The Inaugural Address

Have to say I was a little disappointed; Obama is a brilliant man with a polished style - steeped in Lincoln's words - who knows how to move an audience, but although it was a good speech, I was not nearly as moved by it as I was by, say, his speech to the Democratic convention in Denver last August. I was hoping for something as ringing and memorable as Kennedy's ("the torch has been passed to a new generation . . . ask not what your country can do for you . . . ), but strangely, it seemed more like a standard campaign speech to my ears than an Inaugural Address.

However, it improves upon a second reading. Marc Ambinder has neatly annotized the speech here and here. A few of my favorite passages:

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 forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

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

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. . . .

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. 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 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.

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.