WASHINGTON - Chief Justice John Roberts administered the presidential oath of office to Barack Obama for a second time Wednesday just to be on the safe side.
The unusual step came after Roberts flubbed the 35-word constitutionally prescribed oath a bit on Tuesday, causing Obama to repeat the wording differently than as prescribed in the Constitution.
The chief justice and the president handled the matter privately in the Map Room on Wednesday night. White House counsel Greg Craig said Obama retook the oath for the sake 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. And out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice Roberts administered the oath a second time," he said.
"We decided it was so much fun ..." Obama reportedly joked in the Map Room before 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. The oath took 25 seconds.
After a flawless recitation, Roberts smiled and said, "Congratulations, again."
Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution is clear about how the oath should be recited and 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."
Roberts' flub on Tuesday 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."
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.
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