Obama's Speech

President-elect Barack Obama, in his inaugural address Tuesday, will lay out the problems facing the country, but will tell the American people "he believes that these challenges will be met," transition officials said.
President Bush and Barack Obama arrive in the Capitol before the swearing-in ceremony.

President Bush and Barack Obama arrive in the Capitol before the swearing-in ceremony.

"The speech balances a very serious and sober tone with a dose of hope and inspiration that we can get through this," said one transition aide, who outlined the address on the condition of anonymity.

The president-elect will talk about the domestic challenges facing the country, move onto foreign policy, specifically speaking to America's image abroad and what it can become.

Obama will also highlight what transition officials describe as "a new era of responsibility" that he thinks needs to take hold in the country. He will also make reference to the issue of civil rights, as the nation remembers the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Obama will not offer specific policy goals during the speech, but a transition aide said there are plans for him to address a joint session of Congress after he takes office. Video Watch what is expected from Obama's speech »

The newly minted president will deliver his address soon after he is sworn in at noon on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. It is expected to run between 18 and 20 minutes, the officials said.

Obama began working on the speech before the Thanksgiving holiday and sought input from senior adviser David Axelrod, and such luminaries as Ted Sorenson and Dick Goodwin, both speech writers for President Kennedy, historian/authors Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, as well as members of his own speech writing team. (cnn.com)