One hundred forty-six years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and 40 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., America's voters judged a man not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. They elected Barack Obama the nation's 44th president. Their act no doubt sparked hope around the world that America was preparing to regain its moral leadership.

As long and as hard-fought as the campaign was, governing will be much tougher. Obama will take office in very troubled times. The country is in a recession, the global economy is teetering, and the nation is mired in two long wars. America's resources are thin, its reservoir of goodwill in the world depleted, and faith in political leaders vastly diminished.

Fortunately, the 2008 election helped erase the stark divisions embodied in a red and blue map of America, boundaries that, like the Mason-Dixon Line, belie the words "these United States." Erasing such barriers will make it easier for the new president and the next Congress to act swiftly to repair the economy, cope with the threat of rapid climate change, reestablish good relations with America's friends and build relationships with nations the Bush administration scorned.

The failed presidency of George W. Bush leaves behind enormous problems. The debts it saddled the nation with are mindnumbing. Nonetheless, Obama's administration will have to spend to restart the economy and relieve the pain of people losing their homes. The big problems, finding a path to universal health care, putting entitlement programs on sound financial ground, securing peace and reducing the national debt, will take time. But there are things that Obama can do immediately to put the nation back on course.

The first costs nothing and can be done in a heartbeat. On his first day, Obama should declare that the United States will never again torture a prisoner. In the next breath, he should announce his intention to close the internment camp at Guantanamo Bay and convert the base to a peaceful use that will benefit the world. He should also denounce the Bush policy of extraordinary rendition, the dark practice of secretly turning prisoners over to captors in nations that condone inhumane treatment.

Obama should act quickly to open government and end the Bush-era abuses of civil liberties. He should make clear that spying on citizens without the scrutiny of the courts is illegal. His staff should assess each of Bush's executive orders and presidential signing statements and Obama should, with a few strokes of his pen, undo all that countermand the law.

The new president and his staff should replace any remaining political hacks and ideologues installed by his predecessor to weaken laws and obstruct progress. They must end the censorship of government scientists and other experts. It's been a long time since they've been able to speak what they believe is unfettered truth to the people who pay their salaries.

As Washington debates how to fix the ailing economy, Obama should focus on those stimulus measures that will lower unemployment and have a lasting impact on the nation's ability to compete economically. Among them should be investments in roads, bridges, mass-transit and other elements of America's crumbling infrastructure and of course in education.

The next administration should aid the nation's cities, counties and states, which in the downturn are having trouble fulfilling their responsibilities to residents in need. Federal aid should be used to extend unemployment benefits and put money in the pockets of people who will spend it to stay warm and keep a roof over their head.

To combat global warming, Obama should announce his intent to seek steady increases in fuel efficiency standards and order the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act. Conservation offers the quickest payback.

The administration should consider putting people to work insulating and retrofitting homes and public buildings. Similarly, it should find a way to ensure that the nation's electrical grid develops the capacity to carry alternative energy from where its produced to the urban areas that need it. That will help free the nation of a dependence on foreign oil that weakens this nation and strengthens its enemies.

Even voters who did not choose Barack Obama can appreciate not only the dramatic nature of his victory but also the monumental challenges that await him. Still, on this historic morning, there is reason for hope. Yesterday's turnout was proof of the electorate's desperate desire for change. Obama's thoughtful, steady presence throughout this long campaign and the enthusiasm he has encouraged at home and abroad give us reason to believe that the change will be a unified nation ready to solve its problems and secure peace and prosperity.