High Noon In DC

Out with the old and let's hope the new broom sweeps clean.  Obama seems like a good man and there is an excellent chance he will be a good President.  Which would be timely.

GREAT MOMENTS IN BIPARTISANSHIP:  Oh, brother - Roberts and Obama can't get together on the Presidential oath.  I'll have to hit the TiVo but I think Roberts recited it incorrectly, with"faithfully" at the end of the relevant clause rather than the beginning (So who is President?  See "REROLL", below).  But let me check around - maybe Roberts went originalist and found an old draft of the oath and the Constitution.

THE SPEECH: I lack a transcript [here], but I am struck by Obama's assertion that Americans fought for and displayed their greatness at Concord, Gettysburg, Normandy, and Khe Sanh.  Hmm - now Vietnam is a good war?  I have a hard time keeping up with progressive thinking (I see John Kerry sitting in the audience - maybe we can ask him about the army of Ghengis Khan and the last man to die for a mistake).  And no mention of any battlefields in Iraq or Afghanistan, or of the heroes at the World Trade Center?  [OK, they get mentioned later.]

BUT I LIKED THIS:  To foreign foes - we will extend our hand if you will unclench your fist.

LET ME BE THE FIRST:  A perfectly OK speech, but people were expecting transcendence and lightning bolts and didn't get them.  However, there will be raves all around regardless.

REROLL THE TAPE:  Thank heaven this is only the United States Presidency and not an NFL Football game.  Following the booth review I can assure you that with Roberts leading the way both men flubbed the oath of office, which can only mean that Obama is not officially President.  The oath will be replayed from the one yard line and the clock will be reset to 12:01.  And no, Roberts did not ask Obama for his birth certificate. 

[Orin Kerr:

To my mind, the flubbed oath at today's inaugural teaches one important lesson: The answer to the question, "How many former editors of the Harvard Law Review does it take to administer the Presidential oath properly?" is "More than two."

Randy Barnett agrees that Roberts flubbed first and Obama followed him down.]

COVER UP AT THE AP:  This hardly covers it:

Separated by a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inaugural, Roberts asked Obama: "Are you prepared to take the oath senator?"

Obama indicated he was, and Roberts started reciting — and Obama repeating — the 35-word oath that is prescribed by the Constitution.

But at one point early on, Obama paused, as if grasping for the next words. Roberts helped him over the brief awkward moment, repeating a few words to get Obama back on track.

He was then the first to congratulate Obama on his new job.

Well, what Roberts had said was surely not what Obama was expecting.  From the other side, MSNBC goes into the tank for Obama on this one.

NO RECUSE: If a lawsuit contesting Obama's right to office on the basis that he failed to take the oath (Likely!) reaches the Supremes (Less likely...), won't Roberts have to recuse himself?  I foresee a bitter 4-4 split resulting in, hmm, Malia Obama as the de facto office holder.  But I am not a lawyer.

IRKSOME:  Check this passage:

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

All are free in this country - liberating Iraq was still a terrible idea, I presume.  And who said this?

Americans are a free people, who know that freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation. The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world, it is God's gift to humanity.

Well, a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, of which there are none in the Obama Administration.

Comments

[bad]

Good Lord, he flubbed the oath.

[bad]

He should have used a teleprompter.

[Sue]

He screwed up the oath. Ouch.

[Porchlight]

LOL bad...

[bad]

1 humble

[Porchlight]

If you bungle the oath, are you really President?

/tinfoil hat off

[bgates]

I hope the "H" is for "Henry Harrison". Talk until midnight, Barry.

[MayBee]

This is inspiring.

[Soylent Red]

The first, and probably least destructive, of the many screwups I predict I will be commenting on in the next four years.

[PD]

Wow, is this a downer of a speech.

Complete with the politics of fear that we were told during the campaign that the Republicans were engaging in.

[bad]

Lower our sights? Damn I'm inspired..

[Sue]

I am listening to Rush snark the speech. Not as good as JMH, but very Rushish.

[MayBee]

Summary so far:
America is in the crapper.
We are doomed.
We have set aside fear.

[Sue]

What is he saying? I don't get free gasoline and my mortgage paid?

[bad]

Happiness? I was happier ten minutes ago...

[bad]

Okay, 15...

[Lori]

not a bad speech so far.

[Lori]

except when he gets to the solution

[section9]

First: his oathtaking fails to promise to protect the Constitution against "all enemies foreign and domestic". Did you all catch that or was I imagining things.

Second: Strength Through Joy and Show Trials.

BOHICA folks.

Biggest mass rally since Nuremberg. Don't say you weren't warned.

[bad]

Michelle needs to work on looking pleasant at these events.

[PD]

Litany of the things that goverment is about: finding a job, health care, retirement -- nothing about defense of the nation.

[section9]

BTW, in more interesting news, Condi Rice is supposed to address the "lesbian rumors" in her memoirs.

Wonder if she'll get dragged before the Star Chamber.

Narciso, what say you?

[Rick Ballard]

Michelle needs to work on looking pleasant human at these events.

[centralcal]

Swell, a preachy speech and his brother in law yawns.

[Soylent Red]

This is all very Carter-esque.

[bad]

America is a friend of each nation. Did that finish with a period or was there a qualifier?

[bad]

humility

[centralcal]

Somebody needs to shoot his speech writer.

[section9]

Michelle IS happy. She's FLOTUS.

Ah, the "common defense". Not much there there. Chinese must be happy.

This guy will be rolled. He'll come back from Tehran with a souveneir Persian rug and his underwear.

Ooooh? Can you say, "Bushhitler?" I knew you could.

[PD]

"We will begin to leave Irag responsibly to its people."

Uh, I thought we'd already begun that under GWB.

Oh, wait. History begins today. No accomplishment before Obama counts. Only O matters.

[centralcal]

The crowd ain't looking too enthusiastic.

[Sue]

Liberal blogs are blaming Chief Justice Roberts for 'mixing up the words of the oath'.

[section9]

We are ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY !!!!

....but some are more equal than others....

This guy shows signs of having read too much Thomas Friedman.

[bad]

"The old hatreds will pass."

Bush, Cheney and Rove will be loved!!!!

[Lori]

quickly becoming a very weak, anemic speech

[centralcal]

I turned it off, simply can't take it any more. Gonna go listen to Rush instead.

[bad]

Is he channeling fallen soldiers?

[PD]

The crowd ain't looking too enthusiastic.

There's been no free handouts yet.

[Danube of Thought]

I think the speech will by and large be regarded as somewhat disappointing.

My wife and I thought it was Roberts who bungled the oath, but I'm sure the whole exchange will be dissected to death in the next 24 hours.

Prev/Next continues to stalk the corridors of JOM...

[Soylent Red]

Four-block world has a nice drinking game we whould all be playing right now.

Here.

[bad]

"Honesty and fair play"... as exhibited by Geithner...

[section9]

Yah, this crowd ain't exactly jumping up and down. Let's face it, perhaps I'm overdoing the whole Nuremberg Rally thing. The Adolf faced tougher rooms and could move a crowd a lot better. Shoot, I"m thinking that Hitler could outdo this guy in the Catskills!

"Take my wife, ja!"

[Sue]

Rush is playing the speech c-cal.

[Lori]

too long.

[Rick Ballard]

I wonder if he'll close with the call to prayer in perfect Arabic?

[centralcal]

How LONG is the speech gonna last?

[Danube of Thought]

Here is how the oath should be recited:

"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."

[section9]

Uh oh.....

The masses are heading towards the Porta-Johns.

The Messiah morphs into a cross between Captain Obvious and an Empty Suit before our very eyes.

[bad]

Rick, you're killing me...

[bio mom]

Some NY democrat has already introduced a bill to do away with the 22nd ammendment so Obama can continue in office indefinitely. This is true, I am not joking. This is dangerous.

[bad]

Lots of weather talk...Did Bill Ayers contribute?

[centralcal]

Yeah, I know Sue, but at least I can watch Rush's reactions instead of left, right, left, right of BHO and hear Rush snark.

[Lori]

man, was that boring.

[C.R.]

This speech is awful and phony in every respect. I can't stand being preached to in this manner. He’s only a few years older than I am. How must those older and with more (some) experience feel?

[section9]

Okay, Danube, I withdraw my critique. I am used to enemies foreign and domestic.

He's done now.

Can we horsewhip the speechwriter?

Headline: OBAMA MAILED IT IN!!!!!

[MayBee]

I thought the oath bungling was very cute and human. The nerves! I love seeing the nerves.

[Lori]

awkward

[Lori]

This sounds like Obama's poetry.

[bad]

The poetry sucks so far.

[section9]

UH OH,

The closing prayer. The Postmodernist Assault on the people begins.

Jesus Christ, someone come down and stop this woman, now!

[JM Hanes]

That was cute. Obama must have been a little flustered -- he shook Michelle's hand too.

[Porchlight]

It's official, Jesus has left Chicago.

[Soylent Red]

WTF is this haiku crappola?

[kim]

Oh, great, I can't figure out how to get past the first page of comments on this old Mac. Oh well, conversations were so Bush; increasingly random comments will be blamed on Obama. I hope to change.
=======================================

[section9]

AAAAAAHHHHH.....

I'm melting.....all the Republicans in the country are melting. The poetry is secret code designed to kill us all!!!

AAAAAHHHHHH.......

[bad]

Quoting the chicken?

[centralcal]

And people are standing in the freezing cold for this?

[kiwinews]

O. dear. God. What. a. terrible. piece. of. crap.
Praise. Song. for. resentment.

[section9]

Kim.

MIght I recommend a MacBook to honor the New Age?

Oh Jesus, please come down from Heaven and Make Her Stop!!!!!

[bad]

The presentation of the poem is weird.

[Sue]

Dear Lord, this poem is awful.

[JM Hanes]

Obama's Prepared Remarks

[MayBee]

Everyone disperses as the poet reads her homework assignment.

[section9]

I bet Michelle picked this in a fit of rage to get back at Conservatives.

[narciso]

Sorry, I snorfled (a Rachel Lucasism) when he said the line about "putting off harsh
decisions" that's like pure standup comedy, I mean, O, he's serious. Now why would you direct that question at me, Section, Probably there's nothing to it, but if it is, what does it matter. The only thing is that Secretary Rice's performance in the last four years has been disappointing to those of us bouyied by the coverage like that of Nordlinger. For the record, Tammie Bruce, is more resolute on most of these issues than either side of the gender divide
among the spokesman of our party.

God, that poem was lame and illogical, par for the course, I guess.

[section9]

Joe Lowery is going to turn 'round and kick Bush in the face again.

Anyone remember the Coretta Scott King memorial?

[PaulL]

Somebody needs to shoot his speech writer.

That would be called suicide. Obama took all the credit for this one his own self.

[Chris Matthews]

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But this tingling in no way interferes with my objectivity as a journalist.

[centralcal]

Well, history will be kind to W.

I bet, history will be less kind to this inauguration.

[Lori]

In 2006, at Coretta Scott King's funeral, Dr. Lowery received a standing ovation when he remarked before four U.S. Presidents in attendance:
We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there. But Coretta knew and we know that there are weapons of misdirection right down here. Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war billions more but no more for the poor!
Conservative observers claimed his comments were inappropriate in a setting meant to honor the life of Mrs. King, especially considering Mr. Bush was present at the ceremony.[3][4] None of Mrs. King's family has objected to Lowery's words.[5]

from wikipedia

[Porchlight]

PaulL, for real? He wrote it himself?

[JM Hanes]

That's what I call a yada yada poem.

Lord, the benediction seems longer than Obama's inaugural address!

It's a ;yada yada benediction!

[Stephanie]

So, can I come out from under the covers now?

[Lori]

Obama likes this prayer better than Warren's prayer.

[MayBee]

If you had to choose between getting to a port a potty to pee and listening to this, what would you chose?

[PDinDetroit]

History has been made, we have been had.

[Soylent Red]

This is the worst display of grandstanding prayer I have every seen. When the prayer is designed to show how clever you are, it ain't no prayer, man.

[PD]

Well, if I *need* to get to a port-a-potty, it doesn't much matter what the other choice is.

[Sue]

When white will embrace what is right. Uh, huh.

[Rick Ballard]

"How must those older and with more (some) experience feel?"

Much as I did upon watching the Arkansas trash take occupancy of the WH. The quality may be slightly lower this time but one would have to be a true trash connoisseur to be able to explain the difference in any detail.

Section9,

This buffoon can't hold a crowd as well as Clinton did, let alone Der Fuhrer. Everyone can see the attempt to develop a cult of personality but it really doesn't work that well with Claude Rains at the podium. The suit just looks kind of funny standing there with nothing in it.

[bad]

He is no officially PO. Seems appropriate...

[bad]

**now**

[PD]

People are holding up "Obama to speak in Morocco" signs. What's that about?

[MayBee]

Sullenberger in the house!

[JM Hanes]

Sue, I'll have to find a transcript for Feinstein's "welcoming" remarks. I think I just expunged them from my brain immediately.

I thought Obama delivered a fine speech, though I doubt that it will be long remembered.

[kiwinews]

Lowery held it together pretty well, but his old habits of hate leaked through at the end. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, even in the hour of triumph, on the steps of the capitol with the whole world hanging on his lips, he couldn't accept we have overcome and be gracious in victory. Someone who loves him should have cut him off before he veered off.

[Mike Huggins]

"Hello Mr. President Obama? I'm so ronery!"

[Mom]

Well, I'm glad I turned the TV on in time for that terrific quartet. All downhill from there, starting with his impatient and dismissive bungling of the oath.

[bgates]

What a terrible thing to say about Claude Rains, Rick.

[PaulL]

Porchlight,

I read that last night somewhere. Since the speech bombed, maybe Obama will now blame someone else for it.