Address to Congress

"We will rebuild, we will recover and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before."

"Now is the time to act boldly and wisely - to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity."

"We are a nation that has seen promise amid peril, and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again."

"If we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, "something worthy to be remembered."

Obama was elected on hope and is forced by the responsibility of his office to dampen expectations so as not to disappoint. This speech represented an elegant balance between providing both hope and realism. In order for things to recover we must believe it is possible. This was a step in the right direction.