“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” – Article II, Section I, Clause 8, of the U.S. Constitution
This is what was said, due to Roberts’ flub and adlib:
Roberts: “Are you prepared to take the Oath Senator?”
Obama: “I am.”
Roberts: “I Barack Hussein Obama (interrupted) do solemnly swear”
Obama: “(Interrupting Roberts) I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear”
Roberts: “that I will execute the office of president to the united states faithfully”
Obama: “that I will execute (pause for Roberts to correct)”
Roberts: (realizing mistake) “the off… faithfully…the presi… the office of president of the united states” (Interrupted)
Obama: (Interrupting Roberts) “The office of the President of the United States, Faithfully.”
Roberts: “And will to the best of my ability”
Obama: “And will to the best of my ability”
Roberts: “Preserve, Protect, and Defend the Constitution of the United States”
Obama: “Preserve, Protect, and Defend the Constitution of the United States”
Roberts: “So help you God?”
Obama: “So help me God.”
This is an interesting event, although I’m not an historian, I do not remember a time when there were such adlibs, and deviations from the Constitutional acceptance of the Oath of Office. I do not know of a time when the Oath giver added “So Help Me God” since that is supposed to be said solely by the Oath taker if they so decide to say it. Constitutionally, the Oath was not given properly, and Obama tried with all his ability to right the wrong that Roberts created. First and foremost is the fact that Obama corrected Roberts in saying “President [of] the United States” and not “to” the United States. If I remember correctly, there is usually a recitation after stating the Oath takers name, so that the affirmation and the name are separated and the Oath made paramount.
I guess Obama had to be news beyond the simple fact that the US has just elected its first African-American President into office, taken on the burden of two wars, incredible debt and declining economy… not to mention the fact that his Inauguration was a trading day that decline the DOW by 334 points dropping well below the 8000 mark.
Before I switched to Blogger, I predicted that the DOW would not stop until it hit 6500-6800. Incomes would decline to match that level instead of infrastructure returning to the US soil. In essence, the repatriation of the manufacturing class, as well as equilibrium between domestic service workers and foreign labor would be reached based on the benefit of english speaking workers and cost per hour. With the Obama effort to create massive work forces of both paid and volunteer workers, an ethics resurgence, and reform for both Federal Government and private corporation on the horizon, we see the makings of a New Deal.
This Oath of Office flub on Roberts’ part which is apparently stirring on conservative winds, means that the conservative base will probably question the authority of the Obama administration. We’ll see what happens as time progresses. Being a centrist who values Obama’s claim that programs that work will be continued and programs that fail to provide will be cut, there is already a valued authority in the tone of the new Administration. Obama should go through each program and audit the value, economically, and ethically. Since the economics of a program account for more than just fiscal value, it is a great term to use.
Ultimately, this Oath of Office flub may be overstated, but right now, FOX, MSNBC, Conservative and Liberal blogs alike, are all a twitter.
UPDATE (1/22/2009): To eliminate any issues, Obama took the Oath a second time. Good Job.
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