WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s lofty ideals from his inaugural address ran smack into reality Tuesday on the first working day of his second term.

Twenty-four hours after Obama pledged to tackle climate change and called for gays and lesbians to be treated equally under the law, the White House struggled to back up his sweeping rhetoric with specifics, raising questions about how much political muscle he’ll put behind both issues.

Republicans were already signaling their unhappiness with Obama’s agenda.