Experts: Obama Should Swear Oath Again

[TruthBrigade]

Experts: Obama Should Swear Oath Again

The presidential oath of office should be re-administered to Barack Obama because of his flub during Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony, legal experts say.

Because of a mistake by Chief Justice John Roberts, Obama transposed one of the words in the oath. He should have said he will “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States,” but instead repeated Roberts’ cue and said he will “execute the Office of President of the United States faithfully.”

Josh White of the Washington Post noted: “The presidential oath of office is required of a new president before he can execute his power, and the Constitution is clear that its 35 words must be spoken exactly.”

Jonathan Turley, a professor of constitutional law at George Washington University, told the Post: “He should probably go ahead and take the oath again. If he doesn’t, there are going to be people who for the next four years are going to argue that he didn’t meet the constitutional standard.”

And Charles Cooper, head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel under President Ronald Reagan, said an incorrect recitation of the oath should be fixed and added that he would be surprised if the oath had not already been re-administered.

According to the Post, two previous presidents — Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur — repeated the oath in private because of similar issues.

Boston University’s Jack Beermann told Carolyn Lochhead at the San Francisco Chronicle that although it is unlikely to be challenged in court, just to play it safe, President Obama should do it again.

“It would take him 30 seconds, he can do it in private, it’s not a big deal, and he ought to do it just to be safe,” Berman said. “It’s an open question whether he’s president until he takes the proper oath.”

© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

[truthinaction]

LMAO! Like any of them over the last 60 or so years have done anything but erode the Constitution what difference does it make, but, as they are claiming that we still live in a Constitutional Democracy, and use the constitution as the reason to give all of these special rights to select groups and it is the constitution that forces political correctness down our throats, then yes he should have to re-do the oath. However, for something as important as the Presidency, it should be done in public for all who wish to see and that it be on public record should the people all of the sudden get a case of "backbone" and stand up against the evil that seeks to destroy Truth and Freedom.

[TruthBrigade]

Obama Sworn In Again, With Right Words
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. re-administers the oath of office to President Obama in the Map Room.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. re-administers the oath of office to President Obama in the Map Room. (By Pete Souza -- White House)


By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 22, 2009; Page A04
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103685.html?hpid=topnews

In golf, they call it a mulligan. A do-over.

There's no formal name for what President Obama and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. did last night.

After flubbing his one role on Inauguration Day -- administering the oath of office to Obama -- Roberts traveled to the White House to re-administer the oath.

Just to make sure.

"We decided it was so much fun . . .," Obama joked while sitting on a couch in the Map Room. Obama stood and walked over to make small talk with pool reporters as Roberts donned his black robe.

"Are you ready to take the oath?" Roberts asked.

"I am, and we're going to do it very slowly," Obama replied.

After a flawless recitation that included no Bible and took 25 seconds, Roberts smiled and said, "Congratulations, again."

Obama said, "Thank you, sir," and then added: "All right. The bad news for the [reporters] is there's 12 more balls."

A president is required by the Constitution to say, "I do solemnly swear 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."
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At the inauguration, Roberts instead said: "that I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully."

In a statement, White House counsel Greg Craig said the oath was re-administered "out of an abundance of caution."

"We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the President was sworn in appropriately yesterday. But the oath appears in the Constitution itself," Craig's statement said.

Two presidents -- Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur -- have retaken the oath because of unusual circumstances the first time around.

The Map Room ceremony was less grand than the original one in front of the throng on the Mall.

But it was certainly warmer.