- News>
- World
Bush promises fresh start
George W Bush has promised to give America a fresh start and to serve with honour as Republicans kicked into a three-day party to celebrate his upcoming inauguration as the 43rd US President.
George W Bush has promised to give America a fresh start and to serve with honour as Republicans kicked into a three-day party to celebrate his upcoming inauguration as the 43rd US President.
"I am honoured to serve and I am ready to start," said
Bush at a musical extravaganza at Washington's venerable
Lincoln memorial -- a rally whipped to a frenetic finale by
pop star Ricky Martin.
"A new administration is an opportunity for change and a new direction," Bush told around 15,000 invited guests and members of the public who braved the chill of the winter afternoon.
"That is the promise I have made, a promise I will keep to give America a fresh start," said Bush, who takes office on Saturday after winning last year's legal battle for the presidency over Florida's disputed election results.
"I will treat the office with care, never take it for granted, and always remember to whom it really belongs," said Bush in the familiar veiled language in which he refers to the scandals of the Clinton administration.
"The presidency does not belong to any one person, but to all of us. It belongs to the American people," Bush said from the monument to Abraham Lincoln, a President credited with saving the 19th century United States from splitting apart.
Bush, who styles himself as a uniter of races and political persuasions, gave his short address from near the spot at the memorial where civil rights leader Martin Luther king delivered his 'I have a dream' speech. The rally was brought to a crescendo with a huge firework display.
Bureau Report
"A new administration is an opportunity for change and a new direction," Bush told around 15,000 invited guests and members of the public who braved the chill of the winter afternoon.
"That is the promise I have made, a promise I will keep to give America a fresh start," said Bush, who takes office on Saturday after winning last year's legal battle for the presidency over Florida's disputed election results.
"I will treat the office with care, never take it for granted, and always remember to whom it really belongs," said Bush in the familiar veiled language in which he refers to the scandals of the Clinton administration.
"The presidency does not belong to any one person, but to all of us. It belongs to the American people," Bush said from the monument to Abraham Lincoln, a President credited with saving the 19th century United States from splitting apart.
Bush, who styles himself as a uniter of races and political persuasions, gave his short address from near the spot at the memorial where civil rights leader Martin Luther king delivered his 'I have a dream' speech. The rally was brought to a crescendo with a huge firework display.
Bureau Report