Obama Summons All To Begin ‘Remaking America’

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama was sworn in yesterday as the nation’s first African-American president, declaring it time for Americans to “pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work of remaking America.“

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The youthful embodiment of the diversity that now defines U.S. politics, Obama — the 47-year-old son of a black Kenyan and a white Kansan — promised bold action by Washington to repair the nation’s deepening ills. Its effectiveness, however, hinges on unity, he said.

“Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans,“ said Obama, a Democrat who succeeded Republican George W. Bush.

“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.“

Obama said: “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. This is the price and the promise of citizenship.“

Obama’s inauguration as the 44th president — on the West Front of a Capitol built, in part, by slaves — was rich in symbolism, most notably as a measure of black achievement. But the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a veteran of the civil-rights struggle that was roiling before Obama was born, said in the ceremony’s benediction that the new president is a measure of the nation’s shared progress.

Invoking an image synonymous with the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday — a national holiday — was observed on the eve of Obama’s swearing-in, Lowery said in a quavering voice, “As we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold onto this fellowship.“

Enduring sub-freezing temperatures and a steady northerly breeze under a blue, cloud-whisped sky, more than 1 million people swarmed over the Capitol grounds and 1.9 miles down the Mall to witness history and hear Obama’s call to action, which largely focused on the ailing economy.

“Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill,“ said Obama. “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.“

The mood was subdued but celebratory.

Obama was sworn in using the same Bible Abraham Lincoln used at his first inaugural in 1861.

During the ceremony Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Obama briefly stumbled over the oath.

The president, hand-in-hand with first lady Michelle Obama, later walked the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue. Jubilant crowds shrieked with excitement as the waving, beaming couple strolled toward the White House.

At the Capitol, the audience was littered with celebrities, including rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, the singer Beyonce, film actor John Cusack, and Maria Shriver, first lady of California and a member of the Kennedy clan.

Even the Obamas’ daughters, Sasha and Malia, were caught up in crowd-watching, snapping photographs of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his wife, Jill.

Seated with the gubernatorial spouses — and wearing a blue-yellow-and-white hat — was former Virginia Gov. Linwood Holton, a Republican attending his sixth inauguration since 1956.

Obama’s remarks, which ran 19 minutes and were interrupted by applause at least six times, also dealt with America’s security and diplomatic challenges: Bush-initiated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, possible nuclear armament by Iran and associated tensions with the Muslim world.

Obama said America emerged stronger from the divisions of yore — “the bitter swill of civil war and segregation,“ he called them — and from that history could address, by engaging U.S. adversaries, hatreds sweeping the globe.

“We cannot help but believe . . . 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,“ said Obama.

He continued, “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, 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.“

Hoping to close the cultural and ideological fissures that in recent years have shaped American politics, Obama — citing Scripture — said, “The time has come to set aside childish things.“

His selection of Rick Warren, a conservative pastor, to give the invocation was intended as a gesture to the right, though the choice enflamed core Democratic constituencies.

Gay-rights activists were angry over Warren’s opposition to same-sex marriage.

In his prayer, Warren acknowledged Obama’s appeal for unity as well as the power of the moment, saying, “We celebrate a hinge point in history.“

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