After winning the presidency on a message of hope, President-elect Barack Obama will deliver a sober inaugural address that lays out the problems facing the country, Obama aides said.
The Obamas met with the Bushes at the White House on Tuesday after a morning church service.
1 of 3 "The speech balances a very serious and sober tone with a dose of hope and inspiration that we can get through this," said one presidential transition aide, who outlined the address on the condition of anonymity.
Hundreds of thousands of people are on the National Mall -- dancing, singing and chanting -- in anticipation of Tuesday's swearing-in of Obama as the nation's 44th president.
"This is America happening," said Evadey Minott of Brooklyn, New York. "It was prophesized by [the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.] that we would have a day when everyone would come together. This is that day. I am excited. I am joyful. It brings tears to my eyes."
Minott was at Lafayette Square near the White House, where Obama and his wife, Michelle, had coffee with the President Bush and first lady Laura Bush before heading to Capitol Hill.
Obama arrived at the Capitol, and cheers erupted as his image appeared on large television screens lined up on the Mall.
The Obamas attended a prayer service earlier at St. John's Episcopal Church to kick off the day of events surrounding Obama's inauguration.
