On Tuesday's NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent Kristen Welker touted President Obama gearing up for his second term: "An invigorated President Obama joined in a prayer service this morning....On Monday, resolve, defending entitlements and calling for action on climate change and gay rights, a broad liberal agenda."

Welker then heralded Obama appeasing the Democratic base in his inaugural address: "The President, once criticized by his own party's left for caving into Republicans, seemed emboldened by his reelection and ready for a fight." A sound bite followed of Time's Michael Duffy happily declaring: "Yesterday's speech at the Capitol was not about bipartisanship. It was about the agenda that Barack Obama, a Democrat, the direction he wants to take the country. Republicans can come along if they'd like."

The report by Welker echoed fellow White House correspondent Peter Alexander on Tuesday's Today: "Mr. Obama's inaugural address offered clues into his agenda, with an impassioned call for 'collective action'....be very clear, this was an emboldened President Obama....Emboldened by a political victory, and laying out what was a clear liberal agenda."

Here is a portion of Welker's January 22 Nightly News report:

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7:03PM ET

KRISTEN WELKER: An invigorated President Obama joined in a prayer service this morning. And this afternoon, along with the First Lady and Bo, surprised supporters, a moment captured by the White House and streamed on the web. On Monday, resolve, defending entitlements and calling for action on climate change and gay rights, a broad liberal agenda.

BARACK OBAMA: But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.

WELKER: The President, once criticized by his own party's left for caving into Republicans, seemed emboldened by his reelection and ready for a fight.

MICHAEL DUFFY [TIME MAGAZINE]: Yesterday's speech at the Capitol was not about bipartisanship. It was about the agenda that Barack Obama, a Democrat, the direction he wants to take the country. Republicans can come along if they'd like.

WELKER: On the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated the President before he accused Mr. Obama of being hyper-partisan.

MITCH MCCONNELL: The era of liberalism is back. An unabashedly far left of center inauguration speech certainly brings back memories of the Democratic Party of ages past.

(...)