Obama Steps Into History

'My hope for him is my hope for the country,' she says

(NEWSER) - Today’s inauguration of Barack Obama marks an important milestone in an African-American struggle that lasted more than 200 years—and Ella Mae Johnson isn’t going to miss it, NPR reports. After all, she’s been around for nearly half of that struggle. The 105-year-old Cleveland resident will brave hours of cold to see the first black man to assume the presidency. More»

Continuing a tradition begun by Reagan, Bush pens encouragement to his successor

(AP) - Continuing a White House ritual begun by Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush left a note in the Oval Office for President-elect Barack Obama, wishing him well as he takes the reins of the executive branch. The White House declined to provide specific details of the message, saying only that Bush wrote it yesterday and left it in the top drawer of his desk. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama rolled into Washington tonight on the last stop of his historic whistlestop train journey, the Washington Post reports. Obama retraced the path of Abraham Lincoln and called for a "new declaration of independence" for the nation. To see photos of the trip—which Joe Biden joined in Wilmington, Del.—click on Slideshow. To read more about it, click on the links. More»

Journey to Washington poses 137 miles of potential threats

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's train ride to the presidency is giving the Secret Service 137 miles of stress, reports CNN. The president-elect's route from Philadelphia to Washington is lined with countless buildings where attackers could hide and security experts fear terrorists could sabotage some of the dozens of bridges and tunnels along the way. More»

Train journey from Philadelphia to capital via Baltimore echoes Lincoln's historic ride

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama will follow in Abraham Lincoln's tracks by taking a train to Washington for his inauguration, the New York Daily News reports. The president-elect plans to set off from Philadelphia on January 17, stopping in Wilmington—where Joe Biden will hop aboard—and Baltimore before entering the capital by rail the same night. More»