Barack Obama

Roberts and Obama Reunite for Inaugural Do-Over

Eric Kleefeld | January 21, 2009, 10:24PM

The Obama White House announced Wednesday evening that the president re-performed the oath of office after yesterday's hiccup -- not because they felt he had to, but just to be on the safe side:

The following is a statement from White House Counsel Greg Craig.

"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."

The pool report says that Roberts asked Obama if he was ready, to which the new chief executive replied: "I am, and we're going to do it very slowly."

Unfortunately, it would likely have been a violation of the separation of powers for Obama to have ordered Roberts to write, "I will not bungle the presidential oath," 100 times.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | January 21, 2009, 8:59AM

Today: Obama's First Full Day In Office
President Obama has a full day ahead of him on both the foreign and domestic policy fronts. He'll be meeting today with Sec. of Defense Robert Gates and multiple high-ranking military officials to discuss his dual goals of withdrawing from Iraq and increasing the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan, and will have another meeting with his economic team to discuss his stimulus package.

Hillary's Confirmation At State Expected Today
The Senate is expected to vote today to confirm Hillary Clinton's nomination to be Secretary of State. The nomination was held up yesterday by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who objected to a unanimous approval and instead secured an open debate and a recorded vote for today.

More Litigation In Minnesota Today
The three-judge panel appointed to hear Norm Coleman's lawsuit against the Minnesota election result is meeting at 3:30 p.m. ET to hear arguments in Al Franken's motion to dismiss the case. A full dismissal seems unlikely, but it is quite possible that the court could dismiss some of Coleman's individual claims, and then proceed to trial on the pared-down suit.

Geithner Confirmation Starts Today
Timothy Geithner's confirmation hearing to be Secretary of the Treasury begins today. The Senate Finance Committee appears to be pulled in two directions -- Geithner's reputation for competence and the need to install an economic team quickly, versus the embarrassment of Geithner's own personal tax problems -- but he is still expected to be confirmed with some Republican support.

Obama Seeks Pause In Gitmo Trials
President Obama has already ordered prosecutors at Guantanamo Bay to request a 120-day freeze in the military trials, as the new administration reviews and likely changes the policies involved. Said one of the defense attorneys: "We welcome our new commander-in-chief and this first step towards restoring the rule of law."

Paterson: I Still Haven't Decided On Senate Pick
In an interview with CBS News yesterday evening, Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) said he still hasn't decided who he will appoint to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, but that it will happen in the next few days. Paterson said he was picking from among "10 or 11" candidates, all of whom he found to be impressive as individuals.

Obama On The Oath: "We've Got A Lot Of Stuff On Our Minds"
In an interview with ABC News, President Obama sought peace and reconciliation on the issue of the awkward rendering of the oath of office yesterday by Chief Justice Roberts and himself. "Well, listen, I think we were up there, we've got a lot of stuff on our minds and he actually, I think, helped me out on a couple of stanzas there," said Obama. "Overall, I think it went relatively smoothly and I'm very grateful to him."

Barack Obama

Barack Obama, Hawk

Matthew Cooper | January 20, 2009, 1:14PM

A stunning moment, a great speech. I don't think any single line will enter the lexicon like Kennedy's "ask not" or FDR's "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Obama's "age of responsibility" seemed flat, forgettable. But the moments that punctuated it like the call for the end of "childish things" gave it a momentum that made it greater than the sum of its parts.

There was a liberal, JFK hawkishness about the speech that I found compelling. There was the martial memory of Valley Forge, but also "we will defeat you" and we "will not apologize for our way of life." There was the expected outstretched hand to the Muslim world--made all the more powerful by the once verboten word Hussein echoing across the Mall. But the stern words about terrorism were more extensive and explicit and impressive than I would have expected. I loved his challenge "to those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West"--the West, there's a phrase you don't hear a lot anymore. It was a shot at the like of Hugo Chavez. He used the word "war" and promised our enemies "defeat." The explicit defense of the market and capitalism was unexpected and refreshing. Kind of wish he'd mentioned Fallujah along with Normandy and Khe Sahn. (If you think Iraq and Vietnam were the wrong wars, then Fallujah belongs in that line as much as Khe Sahn, since he was discussing service not policy.)

The linkages with the past, the "for us", rhetorical device gave it the historical lift. Has the word "swill" ever been used in an inaugural?

That said, I thought the dis of Bush-era interrogation measures and civil liberties shortcuts was also stronger and more explicit than I would have thought. It was a pretty bald shot at his predecessor.

And the Joe Lowery's finish, humorous and poignant, was a incredible finish, far better than having, say, Obama invoking King by name. If there's any better living witness to the King years, it's hard to think of one. Mercifully, the phrase "yes, we can"--powerful but now hammered to death--was left in the campaign file.

By the way, on the oath flub, someone who works with Roberts told me that he had practiced the oath extensively. It seemed to me that Roberts flubbed and not Obama, but I'll leave that to the replays.

Barack Obama

President Obama's Inaugural Address

Eric Kleefeld | January 20, 2009, 12:07PM

The following is the full prepared text of President Barack Obama's inaugural address.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

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Inauguration

Twittering 44

Matthew Cooper | January 20, 2009, 10:52AM

Will join the deluge of those using Twitter to discuss the inaugural. You can follow me today and everyday at @TPMMatt.

See below.

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Twitter

Tweeting the Inaugural

Matthew Cooper | January 19, 2009, 5:42PM

I'll be Twittering from some inaugural festivities tonight. You can follow my tweets below the fold.

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