Today, Barack Obama begins his first full day of work.

After an exceptional inaugural speech, President Obama comes into office during one of the most troubled times in the nation’s history.

There will be tough but necessary calls.

Obama’s speech highlighted two elements of his vision of America: a nation in which all Americans have fair equality of opportunity, and a country that is regarded as a responsible power abroad.

These aims cannot be sacrificed.

Economy

Obviously the economy is in rough shape. But it’s not enough simply to state that recovery is necessary; we must also determine what form the recovery must take.

The Obama administration cannot sever from its economic policy its moral claim that the nation’s economic structure ought to provide a fair shot for all citizens.

In his speech, Obama remarked, “The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity.”

The stimulus plan proposed by Congressional Democrats takes many appropriate steps. The $825 billion package includes $275 billion in tax cuts, including up to $500 for individuals and up to $1,000 for couples earning less than $200,000 a year.

More promising is the plan’s proposed spending, which includes $90 billion in infrastructure investment and $54 billion to promote the production of alternative energy. These projects will create numerous well-paying jobs for Americans and serve the needs of the country.

If anything, the plan that survives Congress should include further investment.

Education

Creating jobs, however, is not enough. Obama referenced the nation’s educational flaws during his speech. These should remain a priority during his presidency.

Filling jobs, in both the public and private sector, requires an educated workforce. And in many districts, schools do not provide for students the education they need.

The spending plan includes $79 billion in aid to public schools and colleges.

Yet Obama must provide accountability measures more refined than the standardized tests of No Child Left Behind. This will not be popular with teacher unions. However, throwing money at the problem will not fix it; a restructure is necessary.

Programs such as Teach for America, which place talented college graduates in high-need classrooms, also should receive substantial funding.

If Obama is going to take seriously the notion of a land of opportunity, the accessibility of quality education is paramount.

Health care

As part of his public projects, Obama proposes to provide federal dollars to computerize all medical records.

This will spur a necessary but massive change in the medical field. But again, it is only a start. Though it may reduce long-term medical costs, it may not make insurance accessible to all Americans.

Obama must work with Congress to approve his proposed array of medical options for Americans, including a public option that forces private insurers to become competitive against its costs. Subsidies for those unable to afford care also are necessary.

Again: A land of opportunity cannot have its citizens’ finances demolished by sudden and unfortunate medical ailments.

Foreign policy

Obama’s plan to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay – long a black mark on our country’s image worldwide – is an important first step.

In his speech, Obama vowed to end a period of bullheaded unilateral policy and to work more extensively with our international partners.

But most significant was Obama’s claim to corrupt leaders “that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Obama should quickly restore conversation with Iran and other ‘enemy’ nations.

Ignoring acts with which we disagree does little to prevent their occurrence.

What now?

In Obama’s speech, he stressed that the test of a government is not its size but whether it works. And whether government works must be judged against his conception of the nation: a land where prosperity is reasonably attainable by all.

Government involvement, in many cases, does not work. Obama’s plans for public disclosure will provide an important way to keep tabs on the efficacy of his projects.

Obama made many promises on Tuesday. There’s no guarantee all of them will come true.

We hope that Obama succeeds – and if not, that he learns from his failures.

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