"I will execute the office of president" - no, wait - "I will faithfully execute...": Obama Oath Bloopers

"First inauguration for Roberts as chief justice"
The Associated Press (January 20, 2009)

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts swore in President-elect Barack Obama as president of the United States on Tuesday with a slight stumble over the wording of the oath of office in the first of what could be many important interactions between two men who rose to their positions of power quickly and who have some background similarities, but whose politics differ...."

I was watching the inauguration on television, and I remember at least two flubs by Chief Justice Roberts, but never mind. They finally got the oath right (I think), and swore Barack Obama in as President of the United States. Hey, Roberts is human: lines get dropped.

I wonder if someone's thought of making a blooper reel of this sort of thing? It's got entertainment possibilities.

There's another take on the oath oopsies here:

"I Do Solemnly Swear…(Line, Please?)"
The Caucus blog / The New York Times (January 20, 2009)

"For a couple of smooth-talking constitutional experts, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and President-elect Barack Obama sure had a hard time getting through the constitutional oath of office.

"There was, first of all, a false start from Mr. Obama, who started to respond before the chief justice had completed the first phrase. Mr. Obama ended up saying the first four words – 'I, Barack Hussein Obama' – twice.

"Then there was an awkward pause after Chief Justice Roberts prompted Mr. Obama with these words: 'that I will execute the office of the president to the United States faithfully.' The chief justice seemed to say 'to' rather than 'of,' but that was not the main problem. The main problem was that the word “faithfully” had floated upstream in the constitutional text, which actually says this: 'That I will faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States.'..."

I'm just glad it wasn't me, in front of the cameras.

More posts about Barack Obama's inauguration day:

• "President Barack Obama: An American Made History Today"
  (January 20, 2009)