Senior Obama adviser Robert Gibbs on Monday said that the president was “anxious to get started” on his second term and would use his Inaugural address to summon a spirit of bipartisanship.
“I think he feels comfortable with what he’s got, at ease with what he wants to say,” said Gibbs on “CBS This Morning” of the president’s speech. "He understands the moment that he and the country are dealing with and is anxious to get started.”
Gibbs wouldn’t share any specifics, but said that President Obama’s address would strike a “hopeful” tone.
“It talks about the values and the vision and the ideals that bring us to this very moment as Americans,” he said. “You’ll hear the president talk a lot about what we have to do in this country to get the big progress on the big challenges that we face.
“One party can’t solve these issues; not even just those in government can tackle the big challenges. All Americans need to be involved if we want to move past what’s paralyzed this town for so long and make some progress,” Gibbs added.
President Obama was officially sworn in to begin his second term on Sunday, but will hold his ceremonial public swearing-in Monday.
Obama’s second Inaugural speech will help set the tone for what will be a busy start to his new term. Obama and Congress must negotiate over a series of budget deadlines to prevent the Treasury from defaulting and a series of automatic spending cuts from taking effect.
The president is also ready to push new gun-control restrictions in the aftermath of last month’s shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., and has said he will make immigration reform a key priority. The White House will face sharp opposition on both issues.
While Obama will likely outline his hopes for a second term in the Inaugural speech, the president is expected to save discussion of policy specifics until his State of the Union address on Feb. 12.
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