Subscribe
NewsOne Featured Video
CLOSE

UPDATE: The first verbal stumble in Obama history was the fault of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Update:

Out of “an abundance of caution,” U.S. President Barack Obama took the oath of office a second time on Wednesday at the White House because a word was out of sequence when he was sworn in on Tuesday.

“We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the president was sworn in appropriately yesterday,” Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told a hastily gathered group of journalists, quoting a statement from White House counsel Greg Craig.

“But the oath appears in the Constitution itself and, out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath a second time.”

During the ceremony on the steps of the Capitol on Tuesday Roberts accidentally switched the word order when he administered the oath, saying “I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully,” instead of, “I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States.”

Obama, who briefly interrupted the chief justice by starting the oath before Roberts finished reciting the first part, then repeated back the line as Roberts had said it.

On Wednesday, Obama joked with reporters that he wanted to do it again for fun.

“We decided, you know, that it was so much fun!” he said.

Then Roberts asked him if he was ready to take the oath.

“I am. We’re going to do it very slowly,” Obama said.

Obama raised his right hand, Roberts administered the oath in the right order, and Obama repeated it correctly.

“Congratulations again,” the chief justice said after they were finished.

“Thank you sir,” Obama replied as staff members applauded.

First, let’s watch the tape:

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/js/2.0/video/evp/module.js?loc=dom&vid=/video/politics/2009/01/20/obama.takes.oath.cnnEmbedded video from <a href=”http://www.cnn.com/video” mce_href=”http://www.cnn.com/video”>CNN Video</a>

Second, let’s review the official script:

Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Now, let’s try to explain:

Top Five Reasons Obama Bungled The Oath of Office:

1. He wanted to have a Bush moment

2. He was already President, so who cares about his speeches, now?

3. He was nervous in front of such a big crowd

4. He was rushing because the ceremony was already behind schedule

5. Chief Justice John Roberts sabotaged him by going off the Constitutional script

What do YOU think? Comment now!