Barack Obama puts in some DIY ahead of U.S. inauguration
- 00:01:50
- ITN
Barack Obama puts in some DIY ahead of U.S. inauguration
Barack Obama has honoured Martin Luther King on the eve of his historic inauguration. He urged Americans to remember the fallen civil rights leader by committing to public service. Mr Obama also took time off from preparing the address he will deliver when he is sworn in as President on Tuesday to visit wounded troops at a military hospital. His inauguration, which comes a day after a federal holiday honouring Dr King, has added to the deep symbolism of an African-American receiving the keys to the White House, which was partly built by black slaves. It will come more than four decades after the height of the civil rights movement led by King, who preached racial harmony and was assassinated in 1968 by a white supremacist. Mr Obama said: "Today, we celebrate the life of a preacher who, more than 45 years ago, stood on our national mall in the shadow of Lincoln and shared his dream for our nation." He added: "Tomorrow, we will come together as one people on the same mall where Dr King's dream echoes still. As we do, we recognize that here in America, our destinies are inextricably linked. We resolve that as we walk, we must walk together." In crafting one of the most eagerly-awaited inaugural addresses ever, Obama will try to reassure recession-weary Americans they can rebound from hard times, and he will signal to the world his desire to fix a battered US image overseas. He has vowed to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to jolt the economy out of the doldrums, and has said he wants to bring US combat forces out of Iraq within 16 months. After rolling up his sleeves to help paint a wall at a shelter for homeless and runaway teenagers, Mr Obama added: "Given the crisis that we're in and the hardships that so many people are going through, we can't allow any idle hands. Everybody's got to be involved." A million people are likely to fill the National Mall in Washington DC on Tuesday, and thousands more will line up along the parade route to the White House.
ITN | January 19, 2009
