Echoing "A New Birth of Freedom"

The theme for Barack Obama's inauguration festivities in January will be "A New Birth of Freedom," a quote from one of the 19th century's most revered texts, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

The use of the Lincoln quote will tie the inauguration on January 20th to the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth on February 12th, which will also be marked with commemorations in Washington, DC, as well as across the nation.

An informative article in the Washington Post notes that Obama quoted the Gettysburg Address in his address in Grant Park on election night. Furthermore:

Both men were legislators from Illinois. Both were elected at crucial moments in the nation's history. And the election of one paved the way for the election of the other, more than a century later.

An Associated Press article discusses the inauguration theme and also illuminates parallels between President Lincoln and President-elect Obama. Besides providing some serious historical information, the article also notes that a "flurry of editorial cartoons" this week featured both men.