January 14, 2009
Posted: January 14th, 2009 09:59 AM ET
From CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart
On the eve of his historic inauguration, President-elect Obama has written a letter to his daughters about why he ran for the White House.
(CNN) – With the nation fighting two wars, the economy in recession, and signs that congressional Democrats will be asserting their institutional independence from the very beginning of his administration, President-elect Barack Obama has still found time to attend to every detail of his transition to power. In a letter that will appear in Parade magazine this Sunday, Obama explains to his two daughters why he decided to run for president and, in the process, forever change their lives along with his. “When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me – about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want,” Obama says in the letter published on the magazine’s Web site Wednesday. But with the birth of Malia and Sasha, “suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore.” “I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours,” he writes. “In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.”
Obama tells 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha that he wants all American children to attend good schools, have the chance to go to college, and “get good jobs” when they grow up. The incoming president said he also wants his daughters to see the kind of technological innovation that will make “our planet cleaner and safer.” “I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us form seeing the best in each other,” he writes. And Obama also calls on his daughters to give back. “America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better,” Obama writes, citing a lesson learned from his own mother. “I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had.” Click here to read the entire letter. Filed under: Barack Obama Obama transition |
The latest political news from CNN's Best Political Team, with campaign coverage, 24-7. Sign up for our twice daily Ticker emails. Got a news tip or feedback? For complete political coverage, bookmark CNNPolitics.com. CNN=Politics Screensaver
New in the Ticker
@HornickCNN: White House to government: Continue to open up: http://bit.ly/6SC11i
Updated: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:07:15 -0800 hambypCNN: Michael Steele has a book coming out in Jan. Asked about it on CNN, Steele demurs: "Ya, that's what I'm hearing somewhere down the line."
Updated: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:52:08 -0800 hambypCNN: @DanDoranBlum nice. hopefully you get two big wins over Pitt in one week.
Updated: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:42:32 -0800 hambypCNN: @AP_Ken_Thomas excellent duane spencer reference. let's try to work in lee scruggs, too, before the season ends.
Updated: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:14:50 -0800 @wolfblitzercnn: Shocking - what's happening in Baghdad. Five terror attacks. More than 100 killed and 400 injured amid fears the violence will increase.
Updated: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:08:29 -0800 Categories
Archive
Popular Posts
|
Loading weather data ...