US press hails President Obama, warns of challenges
Agence France-Presse | 01/21/2009 5:35 PM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
WASHINGTON - The front pages of US newspapers trumpeted "President Obama" late Tuesday after a historic day which saw the swearing-in of the country's first black president.
"President Obama Pledges a Remade America," wrote the New York Times, hailing the "moment of historical significance."
Like most major US media, the Times included a special commemorative pullout section as a souvenir of January 20, 2009, the day when history was made.
The first page carried a picture of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, walking along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, just after he took the oath of office.
The Los Angeles Times chose instead a photograph of the new first couple side by side with Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, on the Capitol steps bidding farewell to former president George W. Bush as he headed home to Texas.
"Power Walk" was the headline of the tabloid New York Post, accompanied by a photo of the stroll along the famous avenue to its most coveted residence, as the golden outfit worn by the first lady shimmered in the evening sun.
The Chicago Tribune from Obama's hometown highlighted the "new era of responsibility, suggesting that what has come before him was irresponsibility."
It reprised the theme of Obama's 18-minute long speech in which he said: "We have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."
The Washington Post for its part highlighted the challenges facing the new president as he gets to work in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
"The challenges we face are real," the Washington daily wrote.
As for the Wall Street Journal, it remarked that "President Obama Urges Unity Amid 'Raging Storms' of War and Recession."
Just a few inches away on its website was a table showing the plunge in Wall Street, with Dow Jones losing 4.0 percent on Tuesday and the Nasdaq close to 6.0 percent.
The San Francisco Chronicle meanwhile said the "inaugural address blends inspiration, humility. It was just the right tone for these perilous times."
It also featured a picture of the street signs of Bush Street, one of the San Francisco's main roads, plastered with stickers saying "Obama."
