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Pa&e2________ ______________ <ri'c jÎîortlanh (©bseruer_________________ lanua^ 23.2013 A Day to Remember c o n t i n u e d f r o m front nation must "respond to the threat of climate change" and tackle the comprehensive immigration reform that has eluded Washington for years. "Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of oppor tunity," he said. Obama urged the nation to set an unwavering course toward prosper ity and freedom for all its citizens and protect the social safety net that has sheltered the poor, elderly and needy. In an era of looming budget cuts, he said the nation has a commitment to costly programs such as Medi care, Medicaid and Social Security. "These things do not sap our initia tive, they strengthen us," he said. "Our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it," Obama said in his relatively brief, 18-minute address. "We believe that rising middle class," he added, echoing his calls from the presidential cam paign that catapulted him to re-elec tion. M o m e n ts e a r l i e r , O b a m a p laced his hand on tw o B ibles - one used by the R ev. M artin L u th er K ing Jr. and the o th er used by A braham L incoln - and rec ite d the b rie f oath o f o ffice. M ichelle O bam a held the B ibles, one on top o f the other, as daugh- ters M alia and S asha looked on. VicePresidentJoeBidenwasalso sworn in for his second term as the nation's second in command. Monday's oaths were purely cer- emonial. The Constitution stipulates that presidents begin their new term at noon on Jan. 20, and in keeping with that requirement, Obama was sworn in Sunday in a small cer- emony at the White House. The inaugural fanfare spread across the capital Monday, with a joyful parade down Pennsylvania Avenue and two glitzy inaugural balls in the evening. The president also lunched with lawmakers in the S llh s c r ih p l O U U d C Illje j 503-288-0033 Fill Out & Send To: Jlortiaiib ©bseruer Attn: Subscriptions, PO Box 3137, Portland OR 97208 $45.00 for 3 months • $80.00 for 6 mo. • $ 125.00 for 1 year (please include check with this subscription form) N ame : ___________________ T elephone : _______________ A ddress : _____________________________ or email subscriptions@portlandobserver.com ÿtartlanii (Bbaerüer P u b l is h e r : E d it o r : Established 1970 Rakeem Washington E xecutive D irector : Mark Washington M ich a el L eighton C reative D irector : P aul N e u feld t O ffice M anager /C lassifieds : A dvertising : U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall for the 57th Presidential Inauguration on Monday in Washington. Looking ahead to those chal lenges, Obama implored Congress to find common ground over the next four years. And seeking to build on the public support that cata pulted him to the White House twice, the president said the public has "the obligation to shape the de bates of our time." "Not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and en during ideals," Obama said. Because inaugural celebrations are historically not held on Sun days, organizers pushed the public events to Monday, the same day the nation marked the late civil rights USPS 959-680 Cari Hachmann leader King's birthday. Obama soaked in the history on a day full of traditions as old as the Republic. Gazing over the crowd before retreating into the Capitol, he said, "I want to take a look, one more time. I'm not going to see this again. " A fter a stu n n in g sunrise, the w eath er fo r the sw earin g -in and p arad e was c h illy — upper 30s risin g into the lo w er 40s — and o v e rc a st. O nce the c eleb ra tio n s su b side, O bam a w ill be co n fro n ted w ith an array o f p ressin g p rio ri ties: an econom y still stru g g lin g to fully a recover, the fiscal fights w ith a d iv id ed C o n g ress, and new threats o f terrorism in N orth A frica. T he p resid en t has also p led g ed to tack le im m ig ratio n refo rm and stric te r gun law s in th e w a k e o f th e s c h o o l sh o o tin g s in N ew tow n, C onn., - - sw eeping dom estic reform s that w ill req u ire help from relu ctan t law m akers. The president did not offer any specific prescriptions for address ing the challenges ahead, though he is expected to offer more detail in his Feb. 12 State of the Union ad dress. Asserting "America's possibili ties are limitless," he declared at the Capitol: "My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together." O b a m a's se c o n d in a u g u ra l lacked the electric enthusiasm of his first, when 1.8 m illion people cram m ed onto the N ational Mall to witness the sw earing-in o f the nation's first black president. Far few er people attended this year's inauguration — officials estim ated up to 800,000 people — but the crowd still stretched from the Capi tol to the W ashington M onum ent. And shortly before the president sp o k e , U .S . P a rk P o lic e a n nounced that the public viewing areas on the M all were full. David Richardson of Atlanta and his two young children were among the early-goers who headed to the Mall before sunrise. "We wanted to see history, I think, and also for the children to witness that anything is possible through hard work," Richardson said. 47 47 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 I hc Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. 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Sandwiched between the bruis- ing presidential campaign and re- lentless fiscal fights, Monday's in- augural celebrations marked a brief respite from the partisan gridlock that has consumed the past two years. Perhaps seeking a fresh start, Obama invited several lawmakers to the White House for coffee before his speech, including the Republi- can leaders with whom he has fre- quently been at odds. n&vs QpQrtlQndvbserver. com CALL 503-288-0033 FAX 503-288-0015 QiL@porllandobserver.com subscription@Dortlandobserver.co P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer, P 0 B o x 3 1 3 7 , Portland, OR9 7 2 0 8