New Year wishes from Obama

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President Obama wished the nation a happy new year with “brighter days ... ahead of us.”

Obama said in a posting on the White House’s website that 2009 was a difficult year for many Americans but the country rose up and met those challenges. He said that determination has kept the American dream alive for generations.

The White House released the message while Obama and his family were vacationing in Hawaii, where he was born.

-- Associated Press