WASHINGTON – Barack Obama publicly took the oath of office for his second term Monday in a ceremony heavily laced with references to the country’s long struggle toward equality for its African American citizens.
From an invocation by the widow of a slain leader of the civil rights movement that opened the formal proceedings, to the two Bibles on which Obama took the oath, one of which belonged to Abraham Lincoln and the other to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the symbols of the nation’s 57th inaugural ceremony traced the historic arc that led toward the nation’s first black president.
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A flag-waving, cheering crowd of hundreds of thousands applauded as Vice President Joe Biden took his oath from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, then a few minutes later, when Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. administered the oath to the President.
Four years ago, Obama took office with the country in the midst of two wars and the worst economic crisis in more than half a century. His second inauguration arrives with one war over, the other winding down and the economy recovering, but with Washington dominated by a bitter political stalemate that reflects a deep partisan divide in the nation.
Obama is expected to use his inaugural speech -- typically one of the most-watched events of a presidency -- to address that divide, aides said.
PHOTOS: Past presidential inaugurations
"He is going to talk about the fact that our political system doesn’t require us to resolve all of our disputes or settle all of our differences," senior Obama political advisor David Plouffe said Sunday on CNN’s "State of the Union." "But it does impel us to act where there should be, and is, common ground."
The inaugural ceremonies, themselves, highlighted the idea of bipartisanship and continuity of American democracy. Two of Obama’s predecessors, Democrats Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, were among the dignitaries gathered at the Capitol’s West Front. So, too, were many of the congressional Republicans who have battled Obama through the past four years. The country’s two living former Republican presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, were not present; the elder Bush recently was recently released from a hospital in Houston after a bout with bronchitis.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said before the ceremony that he expected most Republicans to attend the inaugural ceremony, a historic moment regardless of party. He noted that he had prime seats for Obama's first inaugural and regretted not snapping any photos of the proceedings. "I'm going to try to this time," he said.
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Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a fiery conservative, said: "My thought for today is, this is a constitutional event and our forefathers would be proud we're following the directions they gave us."
"Tomorrow we'll start the political discussion."
Overall, of course, the crowd, as is typical with inaugural celebrations, was heavily dominated by the president’s supporters, who cheered loudly as Obama’s motorcade arrived at the Capitol from the White House. They cheered again as the Obamas’ daughters, Malia and Sasha, were introduced and then, a few minutes later, for First Lady Michelle Obama.
In keeping with the intense enthusiasm that Obama’s presidency has generated among African Americans, the audience was disproportionately black. Several spectators commented on the special significance of the swearing-in taking place on the nation’s Martin Luther King Jr. day observance.
"It's particularly special that today is the MLK holiday," said David Anderson, 43, who traveled from Tampa, Fla. "It's kind of predestined. You can't get better than that."
Ed Jennings, 44, who sported a knitted Obama cap, said he anticipated the president would urge unity in his inaugural address.
QUIZ: How much do you know about presidential inaugurations?
“It'll be a summary of where this country is. There was a fierce debate about where our country is going, and he won," he said.
Hazel Carter, 90, of Springfield, Ohio, attended the last inauguration and wasn't going to miss this one. "I prayed, God, just let me keep breathing until the inauguration," she said with a laugh.
Live update inauguration 2013: Focus on historic arc of 1st black president
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