A new day

Larry and I watched the inauguration with several hundred people on a HUGE screen at the Palace Theater on James Street near downtown Syracuse. The energy of the crowd was wonderful - cheering the Obamas whenever they appeared and shouting "goodbye" to Bush. I loved Obama's speech. Aretha rocked, of course, but she sang the song in a funky way that made the lyrics hard to understand, and that's a shame because it's a beautiful song. The poet, Elizabeth Alexander, was good (she got better after a boring start), but she was nothing like as memorable as Maya Angelou. Loved the benediction by Lowery and even tolerated Rick Warren, who included the Sh'ma (in English), which made all the Jews I was sitting with happy (and he included some words from Muslim prayer, though I don't know which). Only off-key note was the actual swearing in - Obama must have been so frustrated that this special moment was marred by Roberts' fumbling.

From NBC's Pete Williams:
The recitation of the presidential oath came in fits and starts. The Constitution prescribes the text: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will to best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." But Chief Justice John Roberts, using no notes, flubbed his lines, and Obama knew it.

First, Obama jumped in before the "do solemnly swear" phrase, which seemed to throw the chief justice off his stride. Roberts rendered the next phrase as "that I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully."

"That I will execute," Obama repeated, then paused like a school teacher prompting his student with a slight nod. Roberts took another shot at it: "The off ... faithfully the pres ... the office of President of the United States." The oath then got more or less back on track after that. Close enough for government work.

NBC's Abby Livingston adds the transcript:

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...
ROBERTS: ... faithfully the office of president of the United States...
OBAMA: ... the office of president of the United States faithfully...
ROBERTS: ... and will to the 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.

ADDENDUM 1/21/09

Just to be safe, Roberts lead President Obama in the correct oath on Wednesday night.