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— Obama II: The president sets a new tone — Salt Lake Tribune EditorialPresident Obama set the theme for his second inaugural address by quoting from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."He did not quote the very next sentence of the foundation document of our nation. It says, "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."Perhaps he feared it would sound too "socialist." ...

— In Obama's second term, progress possible with pragmatism — Denver Post EditorialThe president can succeed in his second term if he takes a practical approach on several key issues. ...

— 'We are made for this moment' — Santa Fe New Mexican EditorialWith an address that reached back to the founding principles of the United States, President Barack Obama began his second term with making a resounding defense of the notion that Americans are greatest when acting collectively. ...

— Obama needs his perseverance now — Des Moines Register EditorialLofty goals not enough; he must use his bully pulpit

— In president's call to action, an echo of Dr. King — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial

— Obama's inaugural address reclaims founding principles for progressive cause — San Jose Mercury NewsFor too long, President Barack Obama has allowed his opponents to cloak their politics in the language of our founders, as if only their ideas were aligned with the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.In Monday's inaugural address, Obama made a stirring case that his own vision was rooted firmly in America's founding philosophies. It was an encouraging sign that, in his second term, the president will fight more effectively for the causes he and his supporters value. ...

— Obama soared; follow-through is what counts — Sacramento Bee EditorialPresident Barack Obama, unfettered by the knowledge that he will never run for election again, gave an ambitious, inclusive and eloquent second inaugural speech that linked women's rights, racial equality and gay rights in one remarkable sentence. ...

— Obama's effective call for unity — Kansas City Star Editorial... In his most direct criticism of the partisan divide he said, "We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate." Amen to those thoughts. ...

— Obama's focus should be cooperation — Orange County Register Editorial

— Obama inaugural widens the American circle — Oregonian EditorialMonday, for the first time in history, a presidential inaugural address mentioned the rights of gay Americans. ...

— Obama, a more ardent advocate — Los Angeles Times EditorialThe president's second inaugural address suggests a new purposefulness in realizing his vision of a robust role for the federal government.

— Obama puts edge on inaugural speech — San Francisco Chronicle Editorial... His priorities are right, the challenges are daunting - and the reality is that it will take bipartisan cooperation to achieve his objectives.

— An ideal — and an agenda — Eugene Register-Guard EditorialIt could almost have been a campaign speech. ...

— Inauguration notable for normalcy of having black president — Los Angeles Daily News Editorial ... finally, dynamically, and even inevitably - black American culture is American culture, one of the many that weave together to make the rich fabric of the American story. There is no longer any way of separating that thread from the mainstream through which it now flows. ...

— Obama's Western vision — Everett Herald Editorial

— Inauguration 2013: A glimpse at history — Arizona Republic EditorialPresident Barack Obama had finished his inaugural address on Monday and entered the tunnel to the Capitol building when he stopped his escorts and turned to look back on the expanse of the National Mall. The waves of humanity had not receded, and you could see the president focusing and freezing the moment in his mind. A half century ago, on the other side of that mall, Martin Luther King Jr. looked out the other direction on a sea of mostly Black faces and said, "The Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land." ...