Free Republic

Democrat Josh Shapiro, 49, was sworn in early Tuesday afternoon at the state Capitol in Harrisburg as Pa.’s 48th governor. Joining him was Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who was sworn in Tuesday morning. Here is Shapiro’s inaugural speech, as prepared for delivery: I am humbled to stand before you today as Pennsylvania’s 48th governor. Along the winding road that led to this moment, I’ve been grounded in my faith and family. And so I begin by saying to my high school sweetheart and Pennsylvania’s first lady – I love you, babe. Lori and I are blessed with four amazing children...

In just a few short days, Joe Biden will address the nation at his inauguration, themed “America United.” This unity message, the Presidential Inaugural Committee declared, “reflects the beginning of a new national journey that restores the soul of America, brings the country together, and creates a path to a brighter future.”The announcement of this bipartisan theme seemed apropos following a week of turbulence and destruction perpetrated by Trump supporters at our nation’s Capitol, the seat of American self-government— upheaval that serious figures on both the left and the right have categorically and correctly condemned. After Biden’s speech on Jan....

"Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans and people of the world, thank you.We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships, but we will get the job done. Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power and we are grateful to...

If you live in a solid-red conservative community, you may not fully appreciate how much courage it took for Donald Trump to run the kind of campaign he ran. As controversial as Trump may have appeared on television, the scorn he received from the media and the Washington establishment was likely nothing compared to what he encountered in New York’s elite social circles. Try being a moderate conservative in Manhattan. Now try being the kind of conservative that Trump has become. You won’t find it easy. But that kind of courage served him well, and it will continue to do...

No more tingles. Chris Matthews is clearly missing the tingle. There is no longer a thrill running up his leg. Like a jilted lover, he desperately desires to be wooed once more and, apparently, he was hoping that President Donald Trump would do that in his inaugural address. It seems Trump was too harsh and abrupt in his speechmaking. Tingles was left unsatisfied, and came away disappointed.

President Donald J. Trump's inaugural address on January 20, 2017 was brief, succinct, and to the point, and at 1433 words, the shortest in 40 years. The shortest, 135 words, was George Washington's second inaugural address on March 4, 1793. The honor for the longest inaugural address belongs to William Henry Harrison. His speech on March 4, 1841 was 8460 words in length. It took him about 1 hour and 45 minutes to deliver. He did it on a cold wet day and wore neither a hat nor overcoat. As a result, he caught pneumonia and died 31 days later,...

Washington, DC -- School children learn the line in civics and government classes -- "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Yet, incoming president Barack Obama, who likes to remind people he is a former Constitutional law professor, disregarded life as the first of the inalienable human rights.

<p>Many commentators have noted that President Bush’s Second Inaugural Address presented “lofty” themes, rather than “plans for specific action in his second term.” Some saw this as a virtue, that too little attention is paid to the long span of America’s civic life. Others saw this as over-reaching, and some objected especially to the many religious references in Bush’s speech.</p>

I happen to believe that President Bush's inaugural speech was both a very big deal and not that big of a deal at all, a classic paradox. To be sure, President Bush laid out an idealistic foreign policy vision endorsing the transforming power of democracy and liberty. To be sure, he spoke expansively -- pun intended -- of freedom: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world. But these words represent no departure from...

If you want to fully understand the foundation of Bush's inaugural speech, you must read the book that inspired it-- Natan Sharansky's "The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror".

WHEN George Bush spoke, words came out on expected lines to those of us who are familiar with his style. He has outlined the spread of freedom and democracy across the world as his, and America's, top priority. So much so, this turned out to be the main burden of his inaugural speech. Dear readers, this is exactly what I had anticipated and stated in this column the other day: that, Bush has an international agenda, and that he wants to create history during his second term, just as Ronald Reagan got the USSR dismantled and facilitated an end to...

AMSTERDAM, Jan. 20 -- As foreign governments pondered their reactions to President Bush's inaugural speech Thursday, newspapers around the world reported it with particular emphasis on the religious tone and Bush's 27 references to "freedom" in the United States and abroad. Bush painted a vision of "an America that propagates freedom, democracy and prosperity around the world," an article on the Web site of the French newspaper Liberation said. "The problem is that with this speech, one has the impression of having heard it a thousand times, and no longer believing it." It added: "Not all the world strongly wants...

Text of Gov. Rick Perry's inaugural remarks 01/21/2003 Editor's note: Governor Perry frequently deviates from prepared text. I am honored to be introduced by a devoted public servant of 34 years, and the new Speaker of the Texas House, Tom Craddick. Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst, I join all Texans in congratulating you as you take office. I look forward to working with these two strong leaders to do what's best for Texas. Chief Justice Phillips, members of the Legislature, my fellow Texans - we gather today to pledge our faith to an idea that endures, but never grows old: The...