What else? Obama

“Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred,” he said. “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.”

A great quote. First time since Carter a President has essentially lectured the American people to tell them that we need to buckle down and bite the bullet. And Carter's speech was VERY unpopular. The amazing thing, he said all that, and yet still managed to leave the audience with the taste of hope and opportunity. Remember what Teddy White said about what makes great Presidents? He summed it up in 1 word - opportunity. The greats had a vision of opportunity. 

It was a great inauguration, and I'm sure you've heard all about it!

Also see http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090121/pl_politico/17707  for a sober look at the Presidential retoric. Now the rubber meets the road, and we will see.