Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I am inserting my Washington Report for
Wednesday, January 29, 1997 into the Congressional Record.
The inauguration of a President is one of the great rituals
of American democracy. It shows our country's peaceful
transition of power every four years, and it is a time for
our nation to unite after the divisions of the previous term. A President's inaugural address is important because it sets the tone of his administration. Several themes stood out to me as President Clinton took the oath of office in the last presidential inauguration of the 20th century.
One theme was optimism about the future. The President said
that the nation stands "on the edge of a bright new prospect
in human affairs". He has hopeful visions of a "new century
in a new millennium", and said we should "shape the hope of
this day into the noblest chapter in our history". It is
clear that he sees his presidency as an opportunity to guide
America through the challenges of the next few years into a
"land of new promise" in the next century.
Moving into the "land of new promise" was highlighted
several times, almost as his central, unifying theme for his
second term. I have been impressed by how much the
President's attention is in the year 2000 and the new
century. President Clinton is very much focussed on the
history books. He sees the country as being at a turning
point, and he remembers that the great turn-of-the-century
Presidents--Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt--governed
a country undergoing profound changes and created
opportunities that altered the course of history.
He wants to do the same. He wants to lead the country
through the transition into the next century, all the time
keeping the American dream of opportunity alive. He called
for a new spirit for a new century, with Americans working
together to build "a nation ever moving forward, toward
realizing the full potential of all its citizens." He
clearly believes America has a lot of assets for its
leadership role for the rest of the world. He referred to
America as the "indispensable nation", with the strongest
economy on earth and building stronger families and thriving
communities.
The President's clear sense of optimism dominated the
address, and it was important to hear. But I think the
President missed an opportunity to educate the American
people about the tough choices that must be made preparing
for the future.
Another major theme in his address was reconciliation. The
President urged Americans to bury racial and political
divisions and urged a new spirit of community. The
inauguration's coming on Martin Luther King Jr. Day added
strength to the President's appeal for racial healing. He
spoke of the divide of race as being "America's constant
curse".
He also appealed for an end to the partisan squabbling in
Congress, and that sentiment was very well received by
Americans who are weary of the constant bickering. The
President quoted the late Cardinal Bernadin saying, "It is
wrong to waste the precious gift of time on acrimony and
division." In perhaps the most memorable line in the
address, he reminded us that "America demands and deserves
big things from us, and nothing big ever came from being
small".
The President believes that if the country can come
together and put the divisions aside, it can work together
toward unparalleled prosperity and freedom for ourselves and
for the rest of the world. The President's theme of
reconciliation is the right one, but I do wish he had done
more to challenge Americans to care more and do more for
those less fortunate. We have a time of remarkable prosperity
in the country, but there are very wide disparities. I think
it is appropriate for the President to urge that more of us
think about the common good and contribute to it.