Obama, country face tough tasks to handle issues facing all of us

By: Morning News | SCNOW
Published: January 20, 2009

Today, Barack Obama will take the oath of office as the 44th president of the United States of America.

Hundreds of thousands, if not 1 to 2 million or maybe more, will be in Washington for the occasion.

And then they, along with millions more watching on television in this country and around the world, will listen to his inaugural address.

All indications are that Obama will certainly continue his message that we face difficult times ahead and that things might even get a little worse before they get better.

That’s a pretty tough message to have to send.

Obama has already been working hard at trying to help craft a plan to get the country out of the recession.

So far, the steps seem to have slowed the problems down, but lots more needs to done.

There is $350 billion bailout cash in hand, and an $825 billion stimulus package is expected to get quick approval.

And getting the economy back on track is paramount before real consideration can be given to other tough issues such as health care and Social Security and the deficit.

What won’t wait are such issues as Iraq, Afghanistan and the problem in Gaza with Israel and Hamas.

And as an Associated Press story points out, the day will be filled with symbolism with the nearby Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

And the inaugural ceremonies are also intertwined with the celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday.

“Obama’s view will be more than just monuments because, to paraphrase (author William) Faulkner, history is not in the past. It’s still with us,’’ historian John Baick of Western New England College in Springfield, Mass., told The Associated Press. “It will certainly be with us on Inauguration Day when we hear the echoes of the Civil War. When we hear echoes of the New Deal. When we hear echoes of slavery and civil rights,’’ he continued.

But even with his party in power, there will be disagreements and debate.

That’s, of course, as it should be. Let’s just hope that in the end good compromises can be reached and quickly.

But today, all the attention will be on the new president.

We await his message.

No matter what your political persuasion is or how you voted, Obama is the president this country picked to lead us.

We need Obama to succeed. Too much is at stake for him to fail.