Bush sworn in as 43rd US President

George Bush swore the oath of office for a second term as president of the United States today, pledging to seek “freedom in all the world” as the surest path to peace in an era of terrorism across the globe.

Bush raised one hand and placed the other on a family Bible at the Capitol building in Washington as he vowed to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution in a 35-word pledge as old as the Republic.

“In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty,” the nation’s 43rd president said in his inaugural address.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 80 and ailing with cancer, administered the oath of office.

Bush’s relatives, members of Congress and others watched on specially constructed stands outside the Capitol.

Security was intense as a vast crowd spilled down Capitol Hill and toward the historic National Mall and the monuments beyond.