I read about some hoopla about whether President Obama really is president since he and Chief Justice John Roberts mangled the oath.
Here’s what the Constitution says:
“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.’ “
Obama (following Roberts’ lead) moved the word “faithfully,” but Obama did say it. He said every word required by the Constitution but not in the order laid out by Article II.
However, it could be argued that since the movement of “faithfully” to the end of the sentence clause does not change the sentence meaning (it still modifies the verb “execute”), the Obama/Roberts flub presents no legal problems; he is the president. He said every word required of him.
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Did yesterday’s event finally put to rest questions about Obama’s patriotism and whether or not its sufficient?
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ANSWER: Zero
QUESTION: How many arrests were made by 5 p.m., according to officials who spoke to ABC News. Amazing. Simply amazing.
The crowd as jubilant as they were adhered to Obama’s message. Despite the cold, the long waits, the logjams on the Metro and at entrance gates, you barely heard a disparaging word uttered all day. Everything went miraculously in order.
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A million thank you’s to the staff of Starbucks at E Street and New Jersey Ave. You had too few workers to handle the crowds and an inadequate amount of space, but the staffers there kept their cool, served up a hot and delicious venti cup of skinny caramel latte and kept the line moving efficiently. By 2 p.m., I had consumed only one cup of coffee and had way too little to eat despite waking up at the unusual hour of 4 a.m., and when I saw the green lettering on the building side say “Starbucks,” you were like a beacon of light. To the staff of that particular Starbucks, you were my heroes of the day.
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A colleage of mine had what I thought was the most accurate comment uttered about this image:
“He looked like Mr. Potter at the end of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ” my colleague said.
I thought it was a poetic image representative of the Bush administration’s conclusion. The crowd saw video of Cheney wheeled to a car at the end of the Inaugural ceremony projected on jumbotrons throughout the National Mall, and many said he looked pathetic. Given that this administration leaves with two unfinished wars, the cloud of torture and wiretapping and a flailing economy to be inherited by a new president - and that Cheney helped orchestrate many of those problems - what a way to watch the Bush administration ushered out of Washington.
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More later this evening. I am turning 30 today, and I’d like to spend some time with friends to mark the occasion.
