President Hillary Clinton Inaugural Speech

Ever wondered what would Hillary's inaugural Speech would look like? Reliable source from a parallel universe fast forwarded this to us and asked that you do not go supernova while reading it.

President Hillary R. Clinton Inaugural Address
January 20, 2009

President Bush, some members of the Supreme Court, distinguished guests and my fellow real American villagers. Today we celebrate the peaceful transfer of authority which is so rare in history, yet common in our country. The greatest authority on Earth passed with a simple oath. I just want to mention that I always get to speak first.

As I begin, I want to thank Senator Obama. Would you like another pillow? We will remain the closest of friends, right? No? You should be ashamed of yourself!

And I thank President Bush for offering himself and his staff members to stay around and help in the first few days. Did you listen to anything I said? I'm ready from day one! Yes I am! You and Bill can go back to Texas and Arkansas. Please do. I want to toast your departure with a glass of beer. Cheers!

I am also honored and humbled to stand here, where so many of America's leaders have come before me, and so many will follow, I hope.

We have a place, all of us, in a long story--a story we continue, but whose end we will not see. A place in history. Some of us a larger place than others. I can only hope. It is the story of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the old, a story of a slave-holding society that became a servant of freedom, the story of a power that went into the world to protect but not possess, to defend but not to conquer. To conquer but not to stay. To stay but not for long. For long but not too long. History will tell.

It is the American story--a story of flawed and fallible people, united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals and mostly by people who know better. Believe me, I know better and I know fallible and flawed people.

The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding American promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was ever born. That we are all in a village, and it takes.

Americans are called to enact this promise in our lives and in our laws. And though our nation has sometimes halted, and sometimes delayed, we must follow no other course. And if necessary, we can always enact more laws. Trust me, I know how it works.

While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise, even the justice, of our own country. They lost hope, they become bitter. The ambitions of some Americans are limited by failing schools and hidden prejudice and the circumstances of their birth. And sometimes our differences run so deep, it seems we share a continent, but not a country. For those who cling to religion, I say do not despair. To those who like guns, do not lose hope, but most important, aim elsewhere. To everyone else - please do not despair - I am here to tell all that now that I am President I believe in hope.

We do not accept this injustices, and we will not allow it. Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity. We still have to work hard on providing the basic right of health to our citizens. So many amongst us who do not have health care. I will fight to change that because I believe in the future, but mostly I believe in the fight. Any fight.

How am I going to do all that? Though the sky will not open I still have a hope. Though angels will not come down singing I still believe. I will fight Congress and together we will embark on a new path. The angels will not sing, but members of Congress will. I am confident in principles that unite and lead us onward. Principles and fights bring people together.

Together, we will reclaim America's schools, before ignorance and apathy claim more young lives and before they become elected officials. We will immobilize all adults in this country so that no child will be left behind. We will emphasize mathematics so that our young generation, when they grow up, will be able to calculate and appreciate the deficit legacy we will leave behind.

We will reform Social Security and Medicare, and schools and the economy and the military and the emergency services and foreign policy and the infrastructure and be ready to face struggles we are powerless to prevent. These are not impossible goals. All it takes is hard work and a fight. Though we have done little in the past, we will continue to promise in the grand traditions of ours. After all, having elected a woman President is enough of a change.

America, at its best, is compassionate. In the quiet of American conscience, we know that deep, persistent poverty is unworthy of our nation's promise. We will keep talking about these important moral issues. How can we be quiet?

Government has great responsibilities for public safety and public health, for civil rights and common schools. Yet compassion is the work of a nation, not just a government. Let's not disturb the government with such great responsibilities. After all, it does take a village.

Many in our country do not know the pain of poverty, but we can listen to those who do and we can feel their pain and shed a tear.

I will live and lead by these principles: to advance my convictions with passion, to pursue the public interest with process, to speak for greater justice and compassion, to call for responsibility and try to live well, as well.

God bless you all, and God bless America.