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I have been meaning to blog for quite some time about Obama's first actions as President of the United States. Unfortunately, he is doing stuff so fast that it will be hard to blog about everything in one sitting. In the near future, I will cover my opinions about the closing of Guantanamo Bay, the rescission of the Mexico City Policy, and the Simulus Package. For now, the inauguration speech

Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address
When I first watched Obama's speech, I liked it a lot. It seemed to talk favorably about the Constitution:

"...America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents."

About government spending:

"And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."

About the value of the people:

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things...

About faith in God and the people...not the government:

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

About the Armed Forces:

...we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains...We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

But...after my sister-in-law disagreed with my initial conclusions, I read the speech again and must admit that I discovered many lines that made me less excited about the speech...concerning welfare:

The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

Demonizing America and other wealthy nations (despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary):

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect.

The "government to the rescue" mentality:

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its costs. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All things considered, I still generally liked Obama's inauguration speech and hope that, throughout the next four years, he abides by the principles on which he elaborated (although I have already lost some of this hope in the past 6 days...which may give you insight into future posts).