By JENNIFER LOVEN, AP White House Correspondent Jennifer Loven, Ap White House Correspondent ? Sat Jan 17, 11:43Jan 17, 11:43
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
am ET
PHILADELPHIA-President-elect Barack Obama, tracing the train route Abraham Lincoln took nearly a century and a half earlier, undertook the final leg of his inaugural journey to the nations capital Saturday, pledging to reclaim Americas spirit but also warning of steep challenges facing the country.
pStarting now, lets take up in our own lives the work of perfecting our union, he told several hundred people gathered inside a hall at Philadelphias historic 30th Street train station. Lets build a government that is responsible to the people and accept our own responsibilities as citizens to hold our government accountable. … Lets make sure this election is not the end of what we do to change America, but the beginning and the hope for the future.
While talking about the future, Obama reflected on the past, echoing the words of the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln and President John F. Kennedy. He cited the founding fathers who risked everything with no assurance of success in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776:
They were willing to put all they were and all they had on the line ? their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor ? for a set of ideals that continue to light the world: That we are equal. That our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness come not from our laws, but from our maker. And that a government of, by, and for the people can endure.
Its a momentous time for the Obamas. And for Michelle Obama, it was also her 45th birthday.
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August 5th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Just wanted to say HI. I found your blog a few days ago on Technorati and have been reading it over the past few days.