Obama's Inaugural magic leaves them tongue-tied and sick

January 20, 6:23 PMDC Republican ExaminerBill Dupray

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                Obaman magic can be very powerful
(Photo credit Ghostboy)

The first day of the Obama Administration didn't go very smoothly.  One hopes this isn't some sort of bad omen. 

First, Chief Justice Roberts flubbed the Oath of Office. According to Article II, Section I of the Constitution, here is how it is supposed to go.

"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."

Here is how it went.

Chief Justice John Roberts stumbled slightly over the 35-word constitutionally prescribed oath of office as he swore in Barack Obama as the 44th president on Tuesday, sending 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."

Chris Wallace at Fox News, probably just to tweak the conspiracy nuts, quipped that because the oath wasn't said exactly as prescribed by the Constitution, perhaps Obama isn't "officially" the president.

Then things went downhill from there. Senator Kennedy, who is ill with a brain tumor, collapsed at the inaugural luncheon.

Ailing Sen. Ted Kennedy suffered an apparent seizure at President Obama's inaugural luncheon and was rushed to a hospital Tuesday, casting a pall over what had been a celebration of history. Fellow Sens. Chris Dodd and John Kerry rushed to the side of elder statesman when it became obvious he was in distress, officials who were in the room said.

But they said Kennedy, 76, who is battling brain cancer, recovered as he was being taken away. "It's happened in the past," said Dodd. "I talked to him as he got into the ambulance," the Connecticut senator said, adding that Kennedy told him, "I'll be OK, I'll see you later."

Then Senator Robert Byrd, a Democrat and former Kleagle and Exalted Cyclops in the KKK, was overwhelmed by the thought of a black man becoming president the whole scene, and though initial reports were that he too was taken ill, it seems that he just wasn't feeling well enough to finish his rubber chicken.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, 91, also left the luncheon early, but his office and others said his health was not the reason. Byrd "is currently in his own office...and is doing fine, though he remains vcery concerned about his close friend, Ted Kennedy," said Mark Ferrell, a spokesman for the West Virginia Democrat.

I hope Roberts, Byrd, and Kennedy all get better.

There could be an upside to all this though. Maybe when Obama meets Ahmadinejad without preconditions, he can just use his Magic Illness spell, make the little terrorist sick, and the Marines can go in and grab the nukes.

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