From the Bangor (Maine) Daily News — Originally published Wednesday, Jan. 21

The man who inspired millions with his message of hope on the presidential campaign trail offer[ed] a sobering, but necessary, dose of reality Tuesday. In his speech after being sworn in as the country’s 44th president, Barack Obama spoke of a “new era of responsibility” and the need to make difficult decisions. …

Although President Bush frequently talked of an “ownership society” in which Americans were to take responsibility for their actions and their well-being … there was little follow-up from the White House to turn this notion into reality. It also focused on taking care of yourself, rather than helping a neighbor or someone in a distant land.

Of course, it will take much more than lofty rhetoric to spur Americans to rectify “our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age,” as President Obama put it. It will take consistent and forceful direction from the White House and Congress, direction the new president has pledged to provide. …