Seize the moment, Obama tells US
Barack Obama urges the American people to "seize the moment", in a speech inaugurating his second term as US president in Washington DC.
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Four more years for Obama lookalike 21 January 2013 Last updated at 20:48 GMT
Inauguration: Barack Obama tells US to 'seize the moment'
President Obama: "My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it"Barack Obama has told the American people to "seize the moment", in a speech in Washington DC inaugurating his second term as US president.After taking the oath of office, he said America's possibilities were limitless as it emerged from a decade of war and a long economic crisis.
Mr Obama, 51, who is the 44th US president, was sworn in for his second term by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Hundreds of thousands of people crammed the ceremony on the National Mall.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, along with dozens of senators, congressional leaders and other dignitaries, attended the event at the US Capitol.
'Steeled resolve' In his inaugural address, the Democratic president laid out his vision for the next four years and repeatedly declared: "Our journey is not complete."
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He went out of his way to mention issues which enrage those who voted against him”"This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience," he said. "A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America's possibilities are limitless."He added: "My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it - so long as we seize it together."
In a roughly 18-minute, 2,100-word speech, Mr Obama called for "collective action" to preserve American freedom, which he linked to social and economic equality.
"We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it," he said.
In an era of congressional fiscal fights, Mr Obama defended costly programmes such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. "These things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us," he said.
And after four years of hyper-partisan struggle, during which he has repeatedly tussled with Republicans, he challenged Washington to change the tone of its politics.
"We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate," he said.
Continue reading the main storyInauguration Day schedule
1155: Obama publicly sworn in as president by Chief Justice John Roberts
1200: Obama delivers inaugural address
1239: Obama signs nomination papers for his Cabinet
1300: Inaugural lunch in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol
1436: Inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue, ending at White House
All timesEST, five hours behind GMT
Without making specific policy recommendations, Mr Obama said the US must overhaul the tax code, reform its education system, revamp the voting system and address climate change."Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought and more powerful storms," he said.
Mr Obama also referred to his just-launched campaign to curb gun violence.
"Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm," he said, naming the town in Connecticut where 20 children were massacred in a shooting at a primary school last month.
As he was sworn in, Mr Obama placed his left hand on bibles owned by legendary American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr and President Abraham Lincoln.
Vice-President Joe Biden also publicly took the oath.
Mr Obama was also sworn in at a small White House ceremony on Sunday, as the US Constitution dictates presidential terms begin on 20 January.President Barack Obama recites his oath of office at his inauguration ceremony
After Monday's speech, Mr Obama attended the traditional inaugural lunch with US lawmakers in the Capitol building's Statuary Hall.
The president's motorcade then set off on the parade route down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House. The president and first lady emerged from the limousine to walk part of the route hand in hand.
The zone surrounding the National Mall in the US capital was in virtual lockdown, with movement of people and vehicles tightly restricted.
White tents, trailers and generators lined the parade route, while nearby buildings were adorned with red, white and blue bunting.
Officials estimate about 700,000 people were to attend the inauguration, down significantly from 2009, when about 1.8 million people witnessed Mr Obama be sworn in as America's first black president.
In the evening, the Obamas will don formal evening attire for several lavish inaugural balls in Washington.
About 260,000 people attended George W Bush's second inauguration ceremony in 2005.
COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news
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