Visalia Times-Delta from Visalia, California • Page A4

4A MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013 VISALIA TIMES-DELTA Obama sworn in to second term Small ceremony held at White House in presence of family Optimistic Obama faces tough to-do list Vice President Joe Biden, with his wife Jill Biden holding the family Bible, takes the official oath of office from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Sunday, carolyn kasterap toric Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. In his sermon, the Rev. Ronald Braxton gave a nod to Obama's reelection effort. His sermon ended with a rousing call-and-response in which the congregants repeated "forward," a theme the president and his team used on the campaign trail. With his swearing-in, Obama officially begins his second term, but the president will deliver his big speech on Monday during the inaugural festivities.

White House senior adviser David Plouffe told Fox News that Obama's inaugural address will be more thematic and offer a call for national unity, while he will use the State of Union to spotlight the details of his second-term political agenda. But Plouffe said the president's speech will emphasize one point "very strongly." "People here in Washington need to seek common ground," Plouffe said. change and more. With Republicans in Congress approaching the new year with very different goals, "it's a formula for deadlock and difficulty for the president," says James Thur-ber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University. "I don't think this president has even a month of political capital." The president also will have to devote significant energy simply to safeguarding the achievements of his first term, by keeping the economic recovery alive, making sure his health care law is properly put in place, and ensuring new financial regulations have teeth.

International worries, including the civil war in Syria, Iran's nuclear intentions and instability in Mali could complicate the president's Term Two game plan as well. "Things are stacked up," Obama senior adviser David Plouffe acknowledged Sunday on ABC's "This Week." By Nancy Benac Associated Press WASHINGTON It's a good thing President Barack Obama considers himself a congenital optimist. There are no easy "gets" as he scrolls through his second-term to-do list and looks ahead to the uncertainties of the next four years. Many of the items already on his agenda aren't there of his own choosing. First up is certain battle with Congress in the next few months over deadlines on automatic budget cuts, expiring government spending authority and raising the debt limit.

House Republicans last week agreed to bump up the debt limit slightly, but that just puts off that part of the fight for a few months. Obama's goal is to get through that trifecta and still have the political capital left for the things he'd rather focus on: reducing gun violence, overhauling immigration policy, revamping tax laws, addressing climate Common ground The Obama campaign hosted a "legacy conference" with supporters and campaign volunteers in Washington on Sunday to discuss the future about the campaign operation they've built. The president's campaign built an impressive online and data operation. On the agenda are conversations about organizing, the budget crisis and gun violence among other issues. On Sunday morning, Obama and his family attended services at the his By Aamer Madhani and David Jackson USA Today WASHINGTON President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were formally sworn into office on Sunday, marking the official beginning of their second terms.

The two held private swearing-in ceremonies at the White House and U.S. Naval Observatory, but will hold a ceremonial swearing-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Monday. The Constitution requires that the president take the oath of the office on Jan. 20 before noon.

The ceremony was held before a few family and friends and handful of reporters in the Blue Room. Obama took the oath of office with his hand on the family Bible, which was held by the first lady, Michelle Obama. The family Bible belonged to the first lady's family and dates to 1958. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, reading it from a note card. (Roberts stumbled as he read the oath from memory in 2009 and the oath was administered to Obama, later in private, a second time.) After delivering his oath, the president kissed his wife and had a light exchange with his younger daughter, Sasha.

"Good job, Dad," Sasha Obama said as she embraced the president. "I did it," Obama responded. "You didn't mess up," Sasha offered. Biden goes first About 120 friends and guests showed up for the private swearing-in cere- mony at the vice president's residence on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Before the swearing-in, Biden, a Catholic, celebrated Mass. Biden was surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren for the swearing in. Biden thanked his family, colleagues and friends for sharing the day with him. He then met up with President Obama to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. "I am honored," Biden told his guests said after he recited the oath of office.

Biden picked Justice Sonia Sotomayor for the honor. She became the first Hispanic and fourth female judge to administer an oath of office. Biden used his family Bible for the ceremony, a 5-inch-thick tome featuring a Celtic cross on the cover. It has been in the Biden family since 1893. He used it each time he was sworn in as a senator and when he was sworn in as vice president in 2009.

His son Beau used it when he was sworn in as Delaware's attorney general. r1 1 1 JYIAfO tax reve- as spending cuts and changes to entitle-David ment pro- Plouffe ap grams. "We've dealt with the tax rate issue. Now it's about loopholes," Plouffe said on ABC. "And I think the country would be well-served by tax and entitlement reform, because it'll help our economy." On gun control, he mixed statements of optimism with an acknowledgement of political realities.

Republicans control the House, and even some Democrats in the Senate have been extremely cautious in addressing the going to be very, very hard," Plouffe said on CBS's "Face the Nation." When it comes to overhauling the nation's immigration laws, Plouffe said he believes there's broader support from Republicans nationally than Republicans in Congress. Still, "the stars are aligned" for a bill to include beefing up border security as well as giving those already in the U.S. illegally a path to 11 Obama adviser optimistic on immigration reform By Kevin Freking Associated Press WASHINGTON A top White House adviser said Sunday the stars seem aligned for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year, but he sounded less confident about prospects for toughening the nation's gun laws. White House Senior Adviser David Plouffe made the rounds on Sunday talk shows, outlining the president's agenda for the months ahead. He said past presidents have been able to make significant progress during their second terms, noting that President Ronald Reagan pushed through more tax cuts and that President Bill Clinton helped transform budget deficits into budget surpluses.

He said Obama's focus will be on improving the economy, saying the president believes the best way to do that is to invest in education and manufacturing while also seeking what he called "balanced deficit reduction." Republicans agreed to let tax cuts expire this year for those workers whose incomes exceed $400,000 a year, but Plouffe said that future negotiations on reducing the deficit will have to in- I I Final Price As Low As. Oh jBfli Set! 'Set! Set! Pillow Top I8S Pillow Top illowJop j88 ALL MEN'S SUITS BSale Starts Monday, January 21 Sale Prices 1 99.99 $3 99.99 (Regular Prices I39 500 I795ro) Free Alterations Lifetime Fit Guarantee One Free Dry Cleaning Free Link's Garment Bag (JJNK'Sj Kk' hi C( Clothes for Men Women 'y 1 15 E. Main St. Downtown Visalia 559.732.4858 72 tflUVlSl 1 QUALITY TUXEDO SUITS RENTALS vs-0000216275 www.linksvisalia.com.