Barack Obama took power as the first black U.S. president on Tuesday and quickly turned the page on the Bush years, urging Americans to rally to end the worst economic crisis in generations and repair the U.S. image abroad.

The recession has saddled the country with a $1 trillion deficit and 11 million people unemployed and has become the top concern of the U.S. public. Economic woes helped Obama beat Republican John McCain in the November presidential election.

"I don't care what color he is," said Garrell Winstead, a 67-year-old real estate investor from Cincinnati, Ohio who was in Tuesday's crowd. "If the economy doesn't improve and if he doesn't create enough jobs, patience will evaporate."

Obama gave no specifics about his proposed stimulus package. But he said the plan that would pay for new roads, bridges, electrical grids and other projects would set the foundation for future growth.

Will Obama be abe to cover up the wrong deeds of Bush and take US to new glory?