Since the presidential oath was not available to be read it is not surprising that there was a glitch. Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution states the oath as follows: "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."
Chief Justice Roberts threw Obama off on his first official duty: a simple oath easily memorized. "Faithfully" belongs before "execute," and not at the end of the oath. That is why Obama was puzzled, smiled, and he could not improvise.
I wonder if this is a bad omen.
The oath was not smooth at all.
Initially, Obama interrupted Roberts midway through the opening line, in which the president repeats his name and solemnly swears.
Next in the oath, which is enshrined in the Constitution, is the phrase "... that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States." But Roberts rearranged the order of the words, not saying "faithfully" until after "president of the United States."
That appeared to throw Obama off. He stopped abruptly at the word "execute."
Recognizing something was off, Roberts then repeated the phrase, putting "faithfully" in the right place but without repeating "execute."
Obama then repeated Roberts' original, incorrect version: "... the office of president of the United States faithfully."
In any case, I guess its official. You can just make it up as you go along. There is no need to follow the Constitution anyway.
Transcript:
ROBERTS: Are you prepared to take the oath, Senator?
OBAMA: I am.
ROBERTS: I, Barack Hussein Obama...
OBAMA: I, Barack--
ROBERTS: ...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... [pause]
ROBERTS: ...faithfully the office of president of the United States...
OBAMA: ...the office of president of the United States faithfully...
ROBERTS: ...and will, to best of my ability...
OBAMA: ...and will to [the] best of my ability...
ROBERTS: ...preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
OBAMA: ...preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
ROBERTS: So help you God?
OBAMA: So help me God.
ROBERTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.