Taking Command with A Call to Change

The bell ringing and ceremonies can seem interminable, the parties and balls insufferably glitzy. Still, when the actual moment comes for the new President to raise his hand, take the oath and address his countrymen for the first time as their Chief Executive, all the old cliches come freshly true. It is a majestic combination of continuity and change. It does mark a peaceful transfer of awesome power, as remarkable for its ordinariness in the U.S. as for its rarity in the rest of the world. It does for a moment unite all Americans, however they voted, in hope that their new chief can lead wisely.

Bill Clinton was equal to the occasion. His speech was, for him, stunningly brief: 14 minutes. It contained fewer memorable lines than some previous Inaugurals, and its occasional attempts at poetry ("In the depth of winter . . . we force the spring") seemed mildly strained. But in concentrated form and effective, though plain, language, the President defined all the major themes of his Administration -- above all, change. Generational change: the 46-year-old Clinton paid a graceful tribute to the generation of his 68-year- old predecessor and summoned his fellow baby boomers less to take over than to assume "new responsibilities." Change in priorities: "We must invest more . . . and at the same time cut our massive debt." Change in government atmosphere: Washington, now "a place of intrigue and calculation," must be reformed, "so that power and privilege no longer shout down the voice of the people." Finally, some meaningful change in rhetoric. Said Clinton: "It is time to break the bad habit of expecting something for nothing" -- not common words from a Democrat. And change "will require sacrifice" -- a word he persistently refused to use during the campaign.

Then the Inaugural parade and the round of balls. On Thursday there were handshakes with some of the 3,000 fairly ordinary tourists trooping through the White House. And, on Friday, to work. (See related story on page 40.)