Obama Retakes Oath Of Office In The White House

WASHINGTON — After the flub heard around the world, President Barack Obama has taken the oath of office. Again. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the oath to Obama on Wednesday night at the White House _ a rare do-over. The surprise moment came in response to Tuesday's much-noticed stumble, when Roberts got the words of the oath a little off, which prompted Obama to do so, too.

Don't worry, the White House says: Obama has still been president since noon on Inauguration Day.

Nevertheless, Obama and Roberts went through the drill again out of what White House counsel Greg Craig called "an abundance of caution."

This time, the scene was the White House Map Room in front of a small group of reporters, not the Capitol platform before the whole watching world.

"We decided that because it was so much fun ...," Obama joked to reporters who followed press secretary Robert Gibbs into the room. No TV camera crews or news photographers were allowed in. A few of Obama's closest aides were there, along with a White House photographer.

Roberts put on his black robe.

"Are you ready to take the oath?" he said.

"Yes, I am," Obama said. "And we're going to do it very slowly."

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Roberts then led Obama through the oath without any missteps.

The president said he did not have his Bible with him, but that the oath was binding anyway.

The original, bungled version on Tuesday caught observers by surprise and then got replayed on cable news shows.

It happened when Obama interrupted Roberts midway through the opening line, in which the president repeats his name and solemnly swears.

Next in the oath is the phrase " ... that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States." But Roberts rearranged the order of the words, not saying "faithfully" until after "president of the United States."

That appeared to throw Obama off. He stopped abruptly at the word "execute."

Recognizing something was off, Roberts then repeated the phrase, putting "faithfully" in the right place but without repeating "execute."

But Obama then repeated Roberts' original, incorrect version: "... the office of president of the United States faithfully."

Craig, the White House lawyer, said in a statement Wednesday evening: "We believe the oath of office was administered effectively and that the president was sworn in appropriately yesterday. Yet the oath appears in the Constitution itself. And out of the abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath a second time."

The Constitution is clear about the exact wording of the oath and as a result, some constitutional experts have said that a do-over probably wasn't necessary but also couldn't hurt. Two other previous presidents have repeated the oath because of similar issues, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur.

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Associated Press writer Phil Elliott contributed to this report.

Comments

[RTIII]

What p|sses me off about this is all the idiots who say it was Obama's error, like the AP reporter who wrote this - claiming that O inturrupted Roberts who then got it wrong. No. Roberts screwed up and Obama knew it and stopped to let Roberts try and get it right. Roberts then blew it even worse and Obama finished it with at least all the right words and only one misplaced - misplaced in such a way that it did not change the meaning of the sentence at all.

This is/was a blatant attempt to smear O. We should NOT put up with it..

[JohnShank]

PLEASE think of the children!

[RTIII]

What pisses me off about this is all the idiots who say it was Obama's error, like the AP reporter who wrote this - claiming that O inturrupted Roberts who then got it wrong. No. Roberts screwed up and Obama knew it and stopped to let Roberts try and get it right. Roberts then blew it even worse and Obama finished it with at least all the right words and only one misplaced - misplaced in such a way that it did not change the meaning of the sentence at all.

This is/was a blatant attempt to smear O. We should NOT put up with it.
.

[GayGrandpa]

He said it twice then we should just give him eight years and skip the 2012 elections!

I see enough dogs with lipstick...I don't need to have her in my face again, winking at me and saying , boy howdie and yep, and you betcha!

[Vivuldi]

What's disturbing to me is that a number of religious zealots (insert Christian fundamentalists and far right pundits, especially the radio talk show hosts) have been billowing about the second oath being taken "without" the Bible and pointing out to Obama's religion unity segment of his inauguration speech in which he stated, "[W]e are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers," (notice the word "nonbelievers" -- must I refuge to the holiness tonight to wash my ears from the words of Satan) as an ominous portent of his "Godless" administration. How dare he interpolate nonbelievers with us, the saved and anointed ones, in the same sentence? How dare he I say?

[hildutus]

"Believing is easier than thinking. Hence so many more believers than thinkers." -- Bruce Calvert

[BN2112]

I concur with SilverLib. Perhaps we should be swearing officials in on a copy of the US Constitution instead of a book of mythology. Anyone who is simple enough to think Obama wasn't President because Roberts botched the oath, should check out Article I of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. Like Olbermann said last night in response to Chris Wallace regarding his idio tic comments about The President's legitimacy, he would have become president at Twelve Noon Jan. 20 even if he had been taking a bath at the time.

[TruthNreconciliation]

In hindsight, wouldn't it have been great if the President had completely stopped the oath at the Capitol and insisted that Roberts repeat it (slowly) until he got it right. That's what we do with kids isn't it?

I love how the President had the last word on this. You can't paint him into a corner, wingnuts. His 7 year old daughter is smarter than any of you!

[markytex]

who is the paris-ident now? i'm adrift without my litre (of vodka). so silly. i think i am in a movie. something between soylent green and the omen. okay not.

[AhnAmuru]

I could just see Justice Clarence Thomas & his right wing confederates (Scalia & others) rubbing their hands with gleeful anticipation - hoping to "give certiorari" to some nuthead and possibly applying their originalist malafides to undo the hard work of the Obama 08 campaign and the sacrifice of the forefathers.

If Justice Thomas' Obama "citizenship dispute" credentials are anything to go by - then it was smart for President Obama & Co to pre-empt him, them.

[cotati08]

Can we do a "do over" on Robert's selection to the court?
Clarence Thomas too???
Please??

[SilverLib]

Anyone who believes that a bible is necessary for an effective oath has actually never taken an oath or signed an affidavit. If a bible was needed for every sworn statement, then all soldiers, lawyers, doctors, etc. are just pretending and are not duty bound. Nobody swears on a bible before a notary public when the buy or sell a home, but they are swearing that their signature and transfer of property was intended and valid.

[GoogleMaster]

Obama was smart enough to know that if he didn't retake the oath that the radical right (Hannity and friends) would be all over him like lipstick on a bulldog. Coulter probably had already started her new book,

"Hussein Obama. President Or Not? Not According To His Oath!"

With the hardcore right (Limbaugh and Friends) watching Obama like Repubs watch O'Reilly, Obama's going to have to deflect any potential smear campaign fire lit by members of the sore loser crowd (Faux and Friends).

[poster1122]

I don't buy that argument. People who don't want to accept Obama's legitimacy will always find grounds to question it. This do-over changes nothing. That's why I hope placating those folks is a poor reason to do the do-over.

[NoMercy]

clearly this is all nonsense, but it might have been costly nonsense for someone who wanted to mount a challenge (which many lawyers would have been willing to take on).

There are so many ways to tackle it and fight it, I wonder what the wing nuts were thinking.

[NotWaldo]

Bush did it right the first time and look what happened ...

[TheBrizz]

But hey, he seemed like a great guy to have a beer with...

[RTIII]

A dry drunk is no one to have fun drinking a beer with.
.

[TRYKER]

Hah, Obama is so much smarter than this ragged bunch. It was obvious that Roberts was up to no good.
When have you EVER heard the phrase "president TO the United States?" In place of president OF the US? Never. That wasn't a slip.
Roberts was being obstructive...even at the inauguration, he couldn't just do the right thing, he tried to create a loophole...just in case. Of course the right wing jumped on it as a stumbling block for Obama...and Obama was too smart for them...and he always will be.
He knows there is more than one way to skin a cat, get the oath done-over and take the wind out of their sails...yet again.
Long live Barack!
The adults have landed.

[NoMercy]

No, there was no film or live TV. And the constitution prescribes both an audio and a visual witness, or it can be challenged in court, you know.

[TreadingWater]

Which amendment? I'd like to see the video of George Washington taking the oath, I bet he talked funny through those wooden teeth.

[begabug]

considering the supreme's track record since and including heralding the coming of george, perhaps they should be redubbed the Deluxe Court.