Abe Lincoln lives on

Barack Obama has identified most strongly with Abraham Lincoln more than any other historical political figure. As he takes the oath of office, Obama will be using the same burgundy velvet, gilt-edged Bible that Lincoln used at his 1861 swearing-in.

The Lincoln Bible is part of the Library of Congress collection and Obama will be the first U.S. president to use that Bible. The Bible isn't the only thing that Obama is borrowing from his historical mentor: Obama kicked off his campaign at the Old State Capital in Springfield, Ill., where Lincoln was a lawmaker. Over the weekend, Obama literally followed in Lincoln's footsteps — his train trip from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. repeated the last leg of Lincoln's trip to D.C. in 1861.

Bloomberg details other Lincoln-esque flourishes:

After his speech, Obama will join members of Congress in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall for lunch, served on china that duplicates the dishware first lady Mary Todd Lincoln picked for the White House.

Past presidents have sought inspiration and precedent from the 16th president of the United States as well. According to historians, Theodore Roosevelt felt a "mystical bond" to Lincoln. More recently, George W. Bush likened his critics to Lincoln's:

“There’s some pretty harsh discord when it came to the 16th president, just like there’s been harsh discord for the 43rd president.”

In 2005, then-Ill. Senator Obama made the dedication speech at the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum:

"...What separates Lincoln from the other great men has to do with something else. It's an issue of character that speaks to us, of moral resolve....when it came time to confront the greatest moral challenge this nation has ever faced, Lincoln did not flinch. He did not equivocate or duck or pass the challenge on to future generations.... In the midst of slavery's dark storm and the complexities of governing a house divided, he kept his moral compass pointed firm and true."

It's fitting, perhaps, that the nation's first African American president swears his oath on the Bible of the man who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, just three weeks before his 200th birthday.

- Lili Ladaga