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Am I late on this???
If I'm not, who were the new witnesses?
If I'm not, who were the new witnesses?
[h1]Obama retakes oath of office after flub[/h1] [h2]President stumbled when Chief Justice John Roberts blundered on oath[/h2]
BREAKING NEWS
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 3 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama retook the oath of office at the White House on Wednesday after a blunder during Tuesday's inauguration.
Chief Justice John Roberts stumbled slightly over the 35-word constitutionally prescribed oath of office as he swore in Obama as the 44th president.
Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution states:
"Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:
"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."
But Roberts' flub sent the new chief executive into a verbal detour of his own.
"Are you prepared to take the oath, Senator," Roberts asked Obama, who was holding the Bible that Abraham Lincoln used the day he became president in 1861.
The swearing in began simply enough as Roberts started reciting the oath Obama was to repeat, a few words at a time.
"I Barack Hussein Obama," began Roberts.
"I Barack," said Obama, and before he could continue, Roberts said, "do solemnly swear."
Obama: "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..."
Roberts: "faithfully execute the office of president of the United States..."
Obama: "The office of president of the United States faithfully..."
At that point, Roberts got back on course, leading as Obama followed with "and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
"So help you God?" asked Roberts.
"So help me God."
Interactions for years to come
By tradition, the presidential oath is administered by the chief justice, and in Roberts' case, it was his first inauguration.
Later, as he and Obama chatted briefly before lunch in the Capitol, Roberts appeared to take responsibility for the error.
