Barack Obama Will Never Be President

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.

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Sights & Sounds  Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009

This newsletter features the best of our multimedia offerings. To see more of our cool stuff, go to the Photos & Video front.

INTERACTIVE FEATURE
» VIDEOS | Witnessing Barack Obama's Historic Inauguration.



Inauguration Photo Mosaic









MORE FEATURES
» PHOTOS | When Adwai Malual, of Sudan, first learned she was pregnant with multiple children she thought it would be easy.
» PHOTOS | Washington D.C. copes with the season's first round of sleet, freezing rain and ice after Tuesday's snowfall. VIDEO:President's Message

»PHOTOS | The Obama administration's Middle East envoy, George J. Mitchell arrives in Israel as renewed clashes threaten tenuous cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
» PHOTOS | Our weekly photo gallery showcases animals from across the globe.
MORE PHOTOS FROM
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Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.

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Personal Finance  Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009


Spotting a Scam: Live Chat Today
singletary

Wondering what a Ponzi Scheme is or how to prevent yourself from getting taken by this type of scam? Join me today at noon for the monthly Color of Money Book Club discussion. This month we're reading "Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend," by Mitchell Zuckoff, which explains how the scheme originated. If you can't join me live send your questions early or read the transcript later.

Ponzi schemes are a tried-and-true con in which the money collected from later investors is used to pay early investors. The con collapses when not enough investors can be recruited to keep paying those who got in early. It's hard to recover money.

Read my column Investor Beware: The Con Is On (April 24, 2005) for more about investment schemes.

Down But Not Out

Are you staring at your bills, wondering what to pay and what you may have to let go until next month? Do you feel like a failure because you are renting again after being a homeowner?

If you answered yes to either question, enter to become part of the 2009 Color of Money Challenge. The theme for the challenge this year is "down but not out." Specifically, I'm looking for individuals or couples who have recently lost a job or their home to foreclosure. The focus will be to give the challengers the tools and the motivation to financially get back on their feet.

To participate in the Color of Money Challenge, you have to be willing to share all your financial information -- income, debt and savings. Some of the information may be used for publication. So write and tell me your story. How did you end up losing your home? What mistakes did you make that you want to correct starting this year? Could you have fared better financially after your job loss if you'd had a budget or emergency savings? Because it's important that I meet with the challengers face to face, I'm only accepting entries from people living in the Washington metro area. So if you meet the criteria for the contest and you want help send an e-mail to colorofmoney@washpost.com by Sunday, Feb. 8. Please put "2009 Color of Money Challenge" in the subject line and include your name, address, and daytime and evening telephone numbers.

If It's A True Credit Go For It

As Congress begins debating what type of stimulus plan to put forth there could be a change to the recently passed $7,500 tax credit that turned out to really be a 15-year loan to the IRS.

In his recent Nation's Housing column, A Home-Buyer Tax Credit Worthy of the Name (Jan. 24), Kenneth R. Harney writes that if the $7,500 loan actually becomes a true tax credit, it's worthy of a second look.

I agree.

As Harney pointed out: the $7,500 was more like an interest-free installment loan from the government than a straightforward dollar-for-dollar reduction on buyers' tax bills. To qualify, you needed to have closed on a house between April 8, 2008, and this coming July 1.

I'm not a fan of the credit/loan as it stands now. Check out why in these past columns:

* Unwrapped, Housing Tax 'Credit' Is Really a Loan (July 31)

* Think of Tax Credit as 15-Year Loan, And Rethink Whether You Need It (Aug. 14)

* Before You Take That New Housing Credit... (Aug. 17)

Parallels Between Sports and the Economy

Sports columnist Thomas Boswell writes that some of the financial landmarks seen during the last few months were seen in baseball years ago.

"Sport is sometimes an area that tips us off to what's coming," Boswell wrote. "Before the bosses of finance, already rich beyond imagination, took on too much risk and debt, baseball had broken fresh ground on greed, lax rules, indifference to risk and an anything-goes-if-it-makes- a-buck ethos," says Boswell.

Leverage was Wall Street's downfall. For baseball, it was steroids. Take a look at Big and Rich (Jan. 22) for more.

Investor Wants to Cash Out

One reader asks Kiplinger's Kimberly Lankford whether he or she should cash out of a variable annuity that's lost about $10,000 in cash value.

Lankford advises that cashing out may not be the best course of action. If the annuity has withdrawal guarantees or income, you could lose those benefits. She lists other reason why cashing out is a bad idea. Check out Things to Consider Before Cashing Out A Variable Annuity (Jan. 25).

Their Two Cents

Two readers had some good additional insight to one person's questions during my last online chat.

Here's the original question:

Q: "Michelle, my husband will not look at a budget. Doesn't want to know the math. He trusts me when I say we can or cannot afford something, and is very frugal by nature, so the issue isn't his spending. I'm just getting more and more frustrated being in charge of everything financial. I don't want to carry this burden alone. I enjoy budgeting and financial planning and am decent at it, but it's OUR money and I'm just not comfortable with the situation as is. Should I just accept this is who he is (he really does get very very anxious when money matters come up - high blood pressure and nauseated, even) and that this is how my marriage works, or should I keep pushing? I tried a monthly "beer and budget" date, but he keeps wiggling out of it."

I told the wife to keep with it by trying to get her husband to participate in a financial literacy program or course.

Lisa Greaves of Silver Spring, Md., wrote after the chat that perhaps this wife could take tiny, controlled steps: "So maybe if she just asks him to review one thing, like their life happens fund. Something small and easy. Maybe groceries or utilities. Ask him to come up with some calming techniques, a plan for dealing with the fear so he is making the effort, too. Hold his hand. Go slow. Praise him for taking a tiny step."

Valeria Edwards in Olathe, Kan., says, "I agree with you that the debtadvice.org site is a good one for financial education, along with community colleges. In addition, every state has a land grant university with an extension service, an adjunct of the university out in each community, whose mission is to bring knowledge and education from the University to the people... Many of the state Extension Services offer excellent financial education programs."

You are welcome to e-mail comments and questions to singletarym@washpost.com. Please include your name and hometown; your comments may be used in a future column or newsletter unless otherwise requested.

Charity Brown contributed to this e-letter.

-Michelle Singletary
 
Today, 12 p.m. ET
Color of Money Book Club
Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary will host a discussion with Mitchell Zuckoff, author of "Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend."
 
Sunday's Color of Money
An Open Challenge To Dust Yourself Off
The hope didn't last long, at least for some. Barack Obama wasn't president a day before we were brought smack back to the harsh realities of our economic times. Find out how Michelle Singletary can help you.
 
Toll on 401(k) Savings Adds Years More of Toil
Millions of Americans lost more than a quarter of their 401(k) retirement savings in 2008 because of the stock market's collapse, a setback that could force them to work longer or severely curtail their spending as they grow older.
 
From Sunday Business
A Premium Sucker Punch
Soaring insurance costs are a blow, even when employers cover more of the tab.
 
Economy Watch Economy Watch
Washington Post coverage of the global financial crisis.
»
Follow The Ticker, our breaking news blog.



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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.

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today's papers
The Devil's in the Details
By Roger McShane
Posted Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, at 6:02 AM ET

The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times lead with, while the New York Times reefers, Barack Obama offering details of his economic stimulus plan. Obama said Saturday that the Democrats' package would protect unemployed workers from losing health care; help students pay for college; lower taxes and energy costs; and modernize roads, schools and utilities. Republicans counter that it contains too much wasteful spending and too little in the way of tax cuts. But none of the reports contain any serious economic analysis of the plan.

All of the papers allow the politicians to dominate the debate over the stimulus, with the NYT and WP (which is not a fan of the package) featuring House minority leader John Boehner's predictable criticism. "We cannot borrow and spend our way back to prosperity," he said (for the first time in eight years). Obama, meanwhile, employed the politics of fear, warning that without his plan "a bad situation could become dramatically worse."

To continue reading, click here.

Roger McShane writes for the Economist online.

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.

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Personal Finance  Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009


The Economy's Guest Role
singletary

Among all the high profile guests and important issues that were front and center during Inauguration Day festivities, it was the economy, which had one of the starring roles.

Following are some of the many references President Barack Obama made about the economy in his sometimes somber inaugural address:

* "That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. 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."

* "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, that the next generation must lower its sights."

* "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

* "The state of our 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 harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."

* "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."

Click here to read more from the transcript.

Swift Action

At least when it comes to his staff, Obama is already reigning in the budget. He signed an executive order to freeze the pay of senior White House staff who make more than $100,000.

"Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," Obama said.

As for the economy as a whole, Obama, however, is getting pushback from the swift action he wants to take to end the recession. For example, a Congressional Budget Office's analysis says infrastructure projects are ineffective at stimulating a lagging economy. Read more in "Stimulus Projects May Be Slow, CBO Says"(Jan. 21).

Fiscal Fashion

I hesitate to even go here but here I am.

I like Michelle Obama's fiscal fashion sense. She's not as frugal as I am, but certainly the First Lady seems to be watching what she spends on the family's clothes.

She's a fan of J. Crew, which if you're the First Lady is a relatively moderate clothing line. She wore a J. Crew outfit for her appearance on The Tonight Show and spent $148 for the off-the-rack dress she wore on ABC's "The View."

Although Michelle Obama (you know I love her first name) selected two designer outfits for Inauguration Day and night, by high fashion standards the dresses were "affordable."

Do you recall when Nancy Reagan was criticized for purchasing a $65,000 inaugural gown?

The best story of fiscal fashion sense is courtesy of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. She wore the same gown to both her husband's presidential inauguration party and his Georgia gubernatorial inaugural ball. She took some flack for that. But I just love that kind of penny pinching. It's sensible.

Read more about our new First Lady's fashion sense, or as I like to call it "cents," in "All Hail the Leader of the Fashionable World" (Jan. 21).

Just In Time For Tax Season

Even the would-be tax man had some problems with his taxes.

Timothy F. Geithner, Obama's nominee for Treasury Secretary, which oversees the IRS, had to be extremely contrite in admitting he made $43,000 worth of tax mistakes.

As Dana Milbank writes in A Comedy of Tax Errors: "You would not be mistaken to think there was a bit of showbiz going on with Geithner's hearing yesterday. Senators plan to confirm him, but they don't want to encourage tax cheats. The solution: 3 1/2 hours of ritual flagellation."

Things failed to get better after Geithner revealed he had used Turbo Tax to help prepare his returns. I'm guessing the company won't be using Geithner as a customer reference.

Speaking of filing taxes, read my column from Sunday: Electronic filing is free this year.

Reader Questions: FICO Scores, Refinancing

Here are some leftover questions from my first online discussion of the year:

Q: A year ago I had never heard of a FICO Score and now it seems that we live and die by this 3-digit number. My score is in the 700s. A couple of weeks ago after paying off another credit card I noticed the company charged me an interest rate starting from the last day of the billing cycle to the day I paid the card off. I called to complain and in anger told them I was shredding the card and never using it again. Now I'm afraid they've canceled the card, which of course will ding my FICO. I have no intention of applying for any credit this year and I will be paying off my remaining $6,000 of debt this year (knock wood). Should I even worry about it?

A: First, you actually have three credit scores from the three major credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. Each company generates a credit score on you that represents what's in your credit files at each bureau.

Now as to your question, yes, you are worrying too much. The company probably didn't cancel the card without your officially letting them know with a telphone call or in writing. Just canceling the one card may bring your credit score down just a bit, especially if it's a card you've had for a while. One major factor in determining a credit score is the length of time you've had a credit account. But sounds like you're mad enough about how you were treated to take the hit if you indeed decide go through with your threat and cancel the card. Paying your bills on time and paying off that $6,000 could offset what dip you might get by canceling the one card.

Q: I need some advice about refinancing, since it seems like I've heard a lot conflicting things. We've been in our house about three years, put 10 percent down, have good credit, pay a little extra on our mortgage each month and have some equity built up. But it seems like now would be a good time to refinance, since we do have an ARM, although it doesn't reset for 7 more years. (Yes, we got a 10-year ARM). But I'm not sure we'll be in our house for more than 3-4 more years? Is it worth it? How do I figure that out?

A: You are thinking the right way. You have to weigh the cost of a refinancing with how long you plan to be in the house. If you plan to sell soon -- assuming you can in the current real estate market -- no use refinancing unless you break even on your savings well before you sell.

Try this refinance calculator at bankrate.com, which should help you determine whether it makes economic sense to refinance.

Q: I am a married, preggo mom of one, and our 401(k)s are currently just sitting in their respective accounts. We're afraid to put more money into them and have the values continue to dwindle. I also want to open 529s for our children. Lastly, I'd like to payoff my $6,000 Visa balance. However there is only but so much money to go around. Which direction should we look to go first? 401(k), 529 or Visa payoff? Currently, I'm paying $5 more than the $120 minimum every month. My interest rate is still 2.9 percent so I want to stay in good standing with them.

A: With a new baby on the way, I would concentrate for now on paying off the $6,000 in credit card debt. Even at just 2.9 percent that's still debt you should quickly get rid of. Second, I would not be afraid to continue contributing to your 401(k) plan, especially if your company is still matching any part of your contribution. Although the market is down, this is a good time to buy good stocks that are depressed. After you pay off the credit card debt and begin to save for your retirement again, then I would move to open up college savings plan for the one-year-old. After the baby's born, then you can open a 529 plan for him or her.

You are welcome to e-mail comments and questions to singletarym@washpost.com. Please include your name and hometown; your comments may be used in a future column or newsletter unless otherwise requested.

Charity Brown contributed to this e-letter.

-Michelle Singletary
 
Today's Color of Money
Tax Cuts Are Short-Term Fix for Long-Term Problem
The day before Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president, I was on a panel in which other participants spoke of Obama as if he were a superhero.
 
Sunday's Column
This Year, Electronic Filing Is Free for All
You know the saying that there's no free lunch? Well, the Internal Revenue Service is trying to prove you can get something free when filing your taxes.
 
Thursday, Jan. 29, 12 p.m. ET
Color of Money Book Club
Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary will host a discussion with Mitchell Zuckoff, author of "Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend."
 
From Sunday Business
Livid Investors Launch A Volley of Lawsuits
Some angry investors -- both average Americans and giant pension funds -- are not taking their massive losses quietly. Holding portfolios that have imploded from a barrage of financial time bombs, they are turning to the courts for compensation.
 
Your Money Help Desk
How Will Pension Benefits Be Affected if Your Company Goes Bankrupt?
Gerald Fairbanks and Jean Rhian have pensions. That's the good news.
 
Jane Bryant Quinn
Exchange-Traded Funds Beat Active Managers
The exchange-traded-fund industry has the enemy in its sights: the active manager who runs a traditional equity mutual fund. When they first appeared in the marketplace, ETFs talked up such virtues as lower costs, tax advantages and ease of trading. Now, after the Dow Jones industrial average's w...
 
Economy Watch Economy Watch
Washington Post coverage of the global financial crisis.
»
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Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.

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today's papers
Obama Makes Changes on Day One
By Arthur Delaney
Posted Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, at 5:33 AM ET

All the papers give top billing today to stories on President Barack Obama's busy first full day in office. The New York Times leads with Obama's plans to sign an order today calling for the shutdown of the CIA's network of secret prisons abroad and the closing of the detention camp in Guantanamo Bay within one year. The Washington Post leads with the expected order and tough new ethics rules on lobbying and document disclosure ordered by Obama yesterday. The Los Angeles Times focuses on Obama pushing military leaders for a plan to withdraw from Iraq. The Wall Street Journal highlights a pay freeze for top staffers. In its rundown of yesterday's presidential doings, USAToday declares that "the change began" shortly after Obama entered the oval office.

Looking to solidify the current Mideast ceasefire, Obama placed calls to the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. The president also met with military and national security advisers to discuss the situation in Iraq and plans for troop withdrawal in 16 months, according to the WP. On the home front, the Post reports that yesterday's ethics order will prohibit former appointees of this administration from lobbying the federal government while Obama is still in office. The LAT provides a nice summary of three executive orders signed by Obama yesterday to increase the transparency of the executive branch.

To continue reading, click here.

Arthur Delaney is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.

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today's papers
Obama: Let's Remake America
By Daniel Politi
Posted Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009, at 6:35 AM ET

Barack Hussein Obama took office as the 44th president of the United States yesterday and immediately vowed to "begin again the work of remaking America." It was a day of celebration in Washington and across the country as the son of a black immigrant and a white woman from Kansas moved into a White House that was partly built by slaves. USA Today says that around 1.8 million people packed Washington's National Mall to witness the nation's first nonwhite president take the oath of office. While everyone around him seemingly couldn't stop talking about the historical nature of the day, the New York Times points out that Obama made "only passing reference to his own barrier-breaking role in his 18-minute Inaugural Address," by pointing out that "a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."

For a man who catapulted into political royalty in large part thanks to his powerful speeches, Obama's inaugural address was "notable for its sober tone as much as its soaring rhetoric," observes the Washington Post. Indeed, throughout the address, Obama "leavened idealism with realism," as the Wall Street Journal puts it, and outlined the challenges that the country faces in what he called "this winter of our hardship." The Los Angeles Times notes that while there was lots of talk of the troubles ahead, "the heart of Obama's first address to the nation as its president was a rejection of the policies and values of his immediate predecessors."

To continue reading, click here.

Daniel Politi writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@slate.com.

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