As a growing celebratory spirit began to consume the nation's capital, advisers to President-elect Barack Obama today gave a taste of his inaugural address, saying it will emphasize the themes of responsibility and restoring public confidence in the United States.Obama ventured across the city two days before his swearing-in, making a series of appearances that culminated in an afternoon concert at the Lincoln Memorial. Earlier in the day, he and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden visited Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Obama and his family later attended a service at the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church.
As Obama rode from place to place in his new armored Cadillac -- with the license plate "44" -- his aides made television appearances to preview his tightly held speech and to remind the public of his immediate goals upon taking over the presidency on Tuesday. Robert Gibbs, the incoming White House press secretary, said Obama had written the speech himself last weekend, and was relieved to have the bulk of it complete.
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," Emanuel said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Obama takes office facing giant challenges, including a severe economic downturn and two foreign wars, and his speech is expected to take those hardships into account. 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 hearken to a theme that belonged to outgoing President George W. Bush, who in his 2000 campaign talked about ushering in a "responsibility era."
Aides who have seen parts of the Obama speech said they expect it to meet or surpass expectations from a president-elect known for his soaring oratory.
But Obama and his aides are also working to downplay expectations for how much he can accomplish in his first days in office. Gibbs said the economy "is likely to get worse before it gets better," with a recession perhaps extending past Obama's first year as president.