Yes We Can: Republicans for Barack Obama

The President On The View

2010-07-31T00:06:00.000-07:00

See full episode

http://abc.go.com/watch/the-view/SH559080/VD5578323/the-view-729

President Obama Signs Health Reform Into Law

2010-03-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Daddy's Little Girls

2009-09-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

What a sweet set of pictures of our President and his two girls Sasha and Malia.\

See more of these pictures here

President Obama's Eulogy for Senator Edward Kennedy

2009-08-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

Presidential Obama NCAA Basketball Bracket

2009-03-18T18:32:00.001-07:00

President Obama Address to Congress

2009-02-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

Our New President On Air Force One

2009-01-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

Full transcript of President Barack Obama's Inaugural Speech

2009-01-22T16:12:00.001-08:00

Full transcript as prepared for delivery of President Barack Obama's inaugural remarks on Jan. 20, 2009, at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

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.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

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.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

* WATCH: Barack Obama Sworn In as President
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* ABC News Guide to the Inauguration
* Complete 2009 Inauguration Coverage

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. 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.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. 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 - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

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.

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.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; 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.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

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 and the silencing of dissent, 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.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

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.

Mr. President

2009-01-20T16:06:00.002-08:00

Inauguration Day

2009-01-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

January 20 — Inauguration Day

According to the National Weather Service, a typical Inauguration Day's normal temperature for the noon hour is about 37°F under a partly cloudy sky with a 10 mph wind. They rate the chances of precipitation at 1 in 6 and the chances of snow at 1 in 20. On the plus side, if it does rain or snow, there is a strong likelihood (a 4 to 1 chance) it will only wet the pavement. For up-to-date weather information, see the Capital Weather Gang blog.

Time Event
8:00 AM Gates open for ticketed attendees -- if you have tickets, it will be wise to arrive very early as crowds will be huge and security heavy.
10:00 AM Preliminary festivities begin, including music by The United States Marine Band, The San Francisco Boys Chorus, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
11:30 AM If you have tickets to the Inauguration ceremony, you must have passed through security by this time.

* Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
* Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
* Aretha Franklin will sing
* Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office
* Music composed by John Williams and performed by Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill.

12:00 Noon As specified by the U.S. Constitution (20th Amendment), presidential terms of office begin and end at 12:00 noon on January 20. Barack Obama will take the oath of office, which is this simple, 35-word, statement:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

12:05 PM (approx) President Barack Obama will give his inaugural address, speaking to the nation and world, for the first time, as President of the United States, followed by:

* Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
* Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
* The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"

1:00 PM (approx) Inaugural Luncheon. For details on the menu and invited guests, see the news release.
2:30 PM (approx)

Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. If you have tickets, you need to be in your seats by 1:00 PM. There is open seating along Pennsylvania Avenue. For information on how to get to the parade route, for people with and without tickets, see the Inaugural Committee'sparade information page.
Evening There are many inaugural balls held around Washington, DC. Some will be hosted by President Obama, others are just parties.

Balls Hosted by President Obama
For details, see the press release.

* Youth Inaugural Ball - Young Americans aged 18-35
* Obama Home States Inaugural Ball - Illinois and Hawaii invited guests
* Biden Home States Inaugural Ball - Delaware and Pennsylvania invited guests
* Eastern Inaugural Ball - CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, PR, and USVI invited guests
* Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball - MD, VA, DC, NY, NJ, and WV invited guests
* Midwest Inaugural Ball - KS, IN, IA, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI, and MO invited guests
* Southern Inaugural Ball - AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, and TX invited guests
* Western Inaugural Ball - AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY, AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT, OK, GUAM/AS invited guests
* Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, hosted by President Obama (New 1/5)
Washington Convention Center. Low Cost and open to public.
* Commander-in-Chief's Ball, hosted by President Obama (New 1/1)
For men and women in uniform only.

Unofficial Balls

* All American Ball
* Change Has Come Inaugural Gala
* NEW 1/9: "The Dream Come True" Inauguration Gala (7:30 PM EST – 1:30 AM)
* Hawaii State Society Inaugural Ball
* The Hill Ball
* Inaugural Purple Ball
* Link Live Inaugural Gal
* MTV Be the Change Inaugural Ball
* State Society of Arizona Inaugural Ball
* Unity Ball
* Blue Diamond Ball
* Hip Hop Inaugural Ball

The Barack Obama Administration Theme Song 'BETTER'

2008-12-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama's Economic Dream Team

2008-11-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

First Interview with the First Family on 60 Minutes

2008-11-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

It's a New DAY

2008-11-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

The New First Family

2008-11-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

How Awesome is the site of this Picture. The NEW FIRST FAMILY!!!!

Obama Victory - Emotional Reactions

2008-11-05T11:25:00.001-08:00

Obama Victory - Emotional Reactions

2008-11-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama Wins

2008-11-04T23:00:00.003-08:00

Barack Obama Wins

2008-11-04T23:00:00.002-08:00

Barack Obama Wins

2008-11-04T23:00:00.001-08:00

Barack Obama Wins

2008-11-04T23:00:00.000-08:00

YES WE CAN, YES WE DID!

2008-11-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

American Stories, American Solutions, Vote for Barack Obama

2008-10-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama in Denver in front of 100k+ Supporters

2008-10-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama's Plan

2008-10-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words of Sorrow

2008-10-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

"Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no. That's not America. Is there something wrong with a seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion that he is a Muslim and might have an association with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel particularly strong about this because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay, was of a mother at Arlington Cemetery and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone, and it gave his awards - Purple Heart, Bronze Star - showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death, he was 20 years old. And then at the very top of the head stone, it didn't have a Christian cross. It didn't have a Star of David. It has a crescent and star of the Islamic faith.

And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan. And he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was fourteen years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he could serve his country and he gave his life."

--Colin Powel

This is the picture of Elsheba Khan, taken by Platon for the New Yorker:

Colin Powel Endorses Barack Obama

2008-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

A Brighter Day WILL COME

2008-10-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

RNC And The Barack Roll

2008-09-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama at the 2008 DNC Making History

2008-08-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama spoke to an audience of 84,000 at Mile High Stadium, in Denver, CO.

Joe Biden accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for VP

2008-08-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

President Bill Clinton at the 2008 DNC

2008-08-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton at the 2008 DNC

2008-08-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

Michelle Obama Speech at the DNC

2008-08-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

Behind the scenes in Denver with Michelle Obama

2008-08-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Joe Biden take a moment to talk to us

2008-08-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

Obama Chooses Joe Biden as his Vice President

2008-08-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

Hey,

Want a free Obama/Biden sticker? MoveOn's giving them away totally free--even the shipping's free. I just got mine, and wanted to share the opportunity with you.

Click this link to get a free Obama/Biden sticker:

http://pol.moveon.org/barackstickers/?id=-10175136-Y_k7GGx&rc=manual_forward

Thanks!

McCain's The One Ad

2008-08-10T01:19:00.001-07:00

Barack Obama's New Energy Plan For America

2008-08-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama's New Energy Plan For America - Upload a Document to Scribd

McCains Ad About Barack Celebrity Status

2008-08-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Is this all the McCain campaign can do against Barack Obama.

Barack in Berlin In Front Of Over 200k+

2008-07-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Vanity Fair Covers The New Yorker

2008-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Obama responds to the tasteless “New Yorker” cover

2008-07-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama at 4th of July Picnic

2008-07-05T01:54:00.001-07:00

John McCain - Lost in Space

2008-07-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton's Concession Speech Endorsing Barak Obama

2008-06-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama Democratic Nomination Victory Speech

2008-06-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton's Assassination Remarks - Unforgivable

2008-05-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

75,000 Show Up in Oregon Rally to See Barack Obama

2008-05-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama

2008-05-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

It is Over Hillary

2008-05-11T04:34:00.001-07:00

Obama Has Mad B-Ball Skills

2008-04-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton: Before and After

2008-04-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

This Youtube video was taken from the website The Nation. What are your thoughts on its content?

The Boogiedown Bronx Says "Yes We Can"

2008-04-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

I was born and raised in the South Bronx section of New York City. I attended Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx and was one of only 8 black young men to graduated from a 95% white class in 1986.

These young kids who attend the Bronx High School of Performing Arts and Stagecraft have truly been inspired by the same words that have inspired me. If Barack Obama can touch these young men and women with his words of hope and change in America, in my opinion he has already won.

Bill Richardson Endorses Barack Obama

2008-03-23T01:13:00.000-07:00

Donate NOW

Young Girl Answers back to Negative Hillary Clinton Ad

2008-03-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Lets show hilary that these types of tactics don't work

Donate NOW

20 Year Black Registered Republican Joins the Obama Movement

2008-03-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

I was so moved by this speech that I am now going to join the movement of Barack Obama even though I am a registered republican. I have been a republican ever since I could vote some 20+ years ago but I am also a black man. I saw this attack on Mr. Obama's campaign as one that had no way out for him to defend himself. If you denounced Rev Wright he would be made into a back stabber to the American public and if you defended him he would be crucified in the media over the words the Reverend used for the rest of his campaign. I was so impressed with how this speech not only told the story of a man who was angry and bitter at what was going on in his own past and what was going on in the world at that time but he took away all of the criticisms that were against him one after the other. It was a masterful speech and I will look to replay it and share it again and again with my 4 year old son and the rest of my family and friends.