Minnesota political leaders salute the new president
Minnesota political leaders did not let the inauguration of America’s first African-American president, President Barack Obama, go by without notice.
“Today marks an extraordinary moment in the history of our country,” said Republican Norm Coleman.
Democrat Al Franken was in Washington to witness the swearing in and expressed congratulations to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden and their families.
“Today, President Obama made clear what we all know: the challenges we face are significant, and change won’t happen overnight. But today, we are one nation united and ready to get to work, with a President ready to lead us,” said Franken.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke of Obama’s inauguration as reaching a plateau.
“Every presidential inauguration is a day of hope, inspiring good spirits and big plans for the future. Even by these high standards, Barack Obama’s inauguration sets new records,” said the Democrat.
“As with any inauguration, the real test is to sustain the hope, especially when confronted by tough problems. President Obama does not shy away from the serious challenges facing us. Today he reminded us of the unique spirit and courage that have always been America’s greatest strengths. And so he rightly calls on each one of us to as Americans to take responsibility and help move our nation forward with unity and common purpose,” she said.
Eighth Congressional District Congressman James Oberstar, DFL-Chisholm, issued the following statement concerning Obama’s inaugural address.
“With a few broad strokes, President Obama laid out the challenges we face as a nation, from dealing with the recession to tackling the threat of terrorism. I was particularly encouraged to hear him express an eagerness to rebuild our nation’s aging transportation infrastructure. His speech identified these challenges as opportunities and imparted a spirit of optimism to the American people. This is a President who will get things done and bring real change to our nation,” said Oberstar, who is expected to appear at the Capitol in St. Paul this week.
