But he also cautioned about the current economic crisis, ongoing wars, rising health care costs, and global warming threat. What worries me a little is this:
...The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.This sounds to me like more Big Government rhetoric, disguised as a plea to believe in a Big Government that "works." In comparison, here's what Ronald Reagan said in his inaugural speech delivered in 1981, as Larry Kudlow reminds us:
In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.Obama's promise of government responsibility and accountability definitely deserves applause, especially if he wants to spend our way out of a recession (good luck). When he raised his right hand in front of Chief Justice Roberts and all the world, to take the oath of defending the Constitution, did he realize that the Constitution says nothing about the government's duty to provide jobs at a "decent wage," or affordable health care, or stable income after retirement?
The inauguration was historical and inspiring, and personally, I think that way of all past inauguration ceremonies. The source of this profound awe, however, lies with the U.S. Constitution, and it ought to be the guide to all presidents.
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