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Obama’s Remarks: "My main purpose is to say thank you."

January 21, 2013 By WHC Insider

It seems like the “Change” campaign is coming back in 2013. President Barack Obama gave a preview of today’s Inaugural speech during a reception at the Building Museum. After introductions from Vice President Joe Biden and the newly Tweeting FLOTUS Michelle Obama, the president took the stage.

“Now, first of all, I love Michelle Obama. And to address the most significant event of this weekend, I love her bangs,” he said. The sentiment that followed was one of thanks but a preview of his Inaugural speech breaking ground with gay rights, environment and capped off with Beyoncé’s voice overpowering the Capitol sound system.

“I’m delivering another speech tomorrow so tonight I’m going to be pretty brief, because there are a limited amount of good lines and you don’t want to use them all up tonight. My main purpose tonight is just to say thank you.

As I look out on the room, we’ve got people from every walk of life, every corner and nook and cranny of this country, every state, every city, every suburb — people who have invested so much heart, soul, time, money, energy. One of the things that made this campaign unique was the degree of investment and ownership people had in this common project of ours, because you understood this was not just about a candidate; it was not just about Joe Biden or Barack Obama. This was about us, who we are as a nation, what values we cherish, how hard we’re willing to fight to make sure that those values live not just for today but for future generations.

Among today’s other surprising lines?

“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”

And of course, this:

” Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time.”

So far, this Inaugural has been way more interesting than the last one. And–knock on wood–there’s still cell reception in downtown D.C.! It’s an Inaugura-miracle!

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Barack Obama, DC, Inauguration, Speeches

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Exploring “behind the scenes” of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

We track the White House Correspondents’ weekend and all the activities around it, from journalists and media companies to the White House and politicos.

Tammy Haddad is Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of WHC Insider and CEO of Haddad Media.

White House Correspondents Insider is not affiliated with or approved by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which is a registered trademark of the WHCA.

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