Barack Obama's inaugural address "will describe the moment we're in and the spirit required to emerge from this crisis even stronger and more united than before," says Jen Psaki, an Obama spokesman.
Aides offered few details, but they did indicate that on Saturday, Obama previewed some of the points he'll be making. So -- expect allusions to other crisis periods in American history, and to the actions of presidents -- and the durability of the American people -- that led the country out of its dark period. Obama has digested the inaugural speeches of John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
Here is some background on the timing of the speech process.
Before Thanksgiving, chief speechwriter Jon Favreau and chief strategist David Axelrod met with President-elect Obama to discuss basic themes and get a sense as to what the President-elect wanted to convey.
Looping in his speechwriting team, Favreau got to work over Thanksgiving, and during the first week of December, he turned in a first draft. Before Obama left for a family vacation in Hawaii, Favreau and Axelrod conference with Obama to discuss the draft and some possible edits.
Favreau got little rest during the Christmas holiday; he wrote a second draft of the speech. Two weeks ago, Obama redlined the second draft and added in a bunch of suggestions.
On Monday, January 12, Favreau, Axelrod and Obama met to discuss final edits.
Of course, edits are never final; chances are, Obama will tinker with the text between now and the inauguration.
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