by Damozel | According to incoming White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, apparently so. Via The Washington Post:
[Gibbs] said Obama had written the speech himself last weekend and was relieved to have the bulk of it completed... Obama will talk about restoring a sense of responsibility in the country, Gibbs said, conveying his belief that "we need more responsibility and accountability, certainly, in the way our government acts."
"We have to have it, certainly, within many of our financial institutions that sort of have gotten us to where we are in this economic crisis today," Gibbs said on "Fox News Sunday." "Obviously, the American people are going to have to give some."
Rahm Emanuel, the incoming chief of staff, said the "culture of responsibility" would be sought for American leaders as well as the population at large. "We need that culture of responsibility, not just to be asked of the American people, but its leaders must also lead by example," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press....
Like President John F. Kennedy, who summoned citizens to think about what they could contribute to the nation, Obama hopes to turn some of the focus back onto the electorate, as he did with his grass-roots-driven presidential campaign. In that sense, Obama will also revive a theme that belonged to outgoing President Bush, who in his 2000 campaign talked about ushering in a "responsibility era."
Aides who have seen parts of Obama's speech said they expect it to meet or surpass expectations of a president-elect known for his soaring oratory. (WaPo)
Marc Ambinder said:
Barack Obama's inaugural address "will describe the moment we're in and the spirit required to emerge from this crisis even stronger and more united than before," says Jen Psaki, an Obama spokesman....
Aides offered few details, but they did indicate that on Saturday, Obama previewed some of the points he'll be making. So -- expect allusions to other crisis periods in American history, and to the actions of presidents -- and the durability of the American people -- that led the country out of its dark period. Obama has digested the inaugural speeches of John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
Ambinder links to a website that is tracking Obama's campaign promises (895 of them). Another site has the tally at 498.
The St. Petersburg Times's PolitiFact has compiled a list of 498 promises. Two have been fulfilled even before the inauguration -- one -- that $3,000 tax cut -- is stalled. (Ambinder)
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