USA: GEORGE W BUSH INAUGURATION

(20 Jan 2001) English/Nat
XFA
Pledging to govern compassionately and to \"work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity\", President George W Bush addressed the U-S nation after his inauguration on Saturday.
Bush's inaugural speech outlined his priorities for his term of office - promoting what had been major campaign themes - educational reform, Social Security and Medicare, a stronger defence and a tax cut \"to recover the momentum of our economy.\"
The 15 minute speech was interrupted 14 times by spontaneous bursts of applause from the assembled crowd who braved the winter rain to take part in the historic moment.
The new President fought back tears, as he became only the second son in American history to follow his father to the White House.
Bush, the first president in more than a century to take office without also winning the popular vote, opened by observing that a peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in the United States.
As with most inaugural addresses, Bush's speech was thematic and short on specific proposals.
The United States is engaged in the world \"by history and by choice,\" Bush said, promising to continue to keep the nation involved in international affairs and world commerce and not to permit a retreat within its borders.
And he issued a stern warning to would-be adversaries to \"defend our allies and our interests\" and \"meet aggression and bad faith with resolve and strength.\"
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist administered the oath of office, first to Vice President Dick Cheney, then to Bush, whose hairbreadth election was cemented by a Supreme Court decision five weeks after the ballots were cast.
Bush's wife, Laura, and 19-year-old twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, stood with him as he took the oath, hand on the same historic Bible his father used in 1989.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"That I take this obligation freely and without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office I am about to enter, so help me God.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Dick Cheney, Vice-President
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"I, George Walker Bush, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States so help me God.\"
SUPER CAPTION: George Bush, U-S President
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"Sometimes our differences run so deep it seems we share a continent but not a country. We do not accept this and we will not allow it. Our unity, our union is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation and this is my solemn pledge. I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity. We will confront weapons of mass destruction so that a new century is spared new horrors. The enemies of liberty in our country should make no mistake. America remains engaged in the world - by history and by choice - shaping a balance of power that favours freedom. We will defend our allies and our interests. We will show purpose without arrogance. We will meet aggression and bad faith with resolve and strength. And to all nations, we will speak to the values that gave our nation birth.\"
SUPER CAPTION: George Bush, U-S President
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"God bless you all and God bless America.\"
SUPER CAPTION: George Bush, U-S President

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