Roberts screwed up. Twice.

[gristy]

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.

http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/2009/01/20/roberts-obama-jumble-presidential-oath-of-office/

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.

wikipedia is updated: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_President_of_the_United_States

When swearing in Barack Obama in 2009, after being interrupted by Obama, Chief Justice John G. Roberts initially omitted the word "faithfully" from the oath, then added it at the end of "President to the United States", itself an alteration of "President of the United States". Obama waited for Roberts to say the proper wording, then finally repeated the rest of the pledge. <4>

[Eurobabe]

1. What do you expect? A moron appointed by another moron?

Obama's a smart cookie though, I saw him think through all that bullshit.

[BuelahWitch]

9. Roberts *does* kind of look like someone with nothing between the ears

Poor President Obama, to have that moron screw it up.

[Democrats_win]

2. Aren't lawyers supposed to get the details right? This is the Supreme Court Justice?

[EraOfResponsibility]

3. "President TO the United States"? what the FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU ROBERTS?

you idiotic fuckwad

[Minimus]

4. His cadence sucked too - he kind of paused so Obama starting repeating him and

and then Roberts started talking again.

Roberts blew it.

[grantcart]

5. Well the upside is that he has four years to be embarassed.

[Kaylee]

8. Four years?....his mistake will live on and on and on in history.

He messed up the swearing in of the first African American president. At such a nerve-wracking, historical moment, he should have read the damn thing from cue cards.

[Peregrine Took]

6. He was probably nervous as all hell but if so, he should have read the darn

thing.

[sohndrsmith]

7. I'm confused. If the oath at the top of your post is the accurate one,

then - at least from the transcript you included below it - it appears they both messed it up. Or more accurately, Obama may have corrected himself, but he didn't say it right either (excusing, of course the interruption/correction). No? Or am I missing something?

* * *

Blockquoted text (omitting "or affirm", as it implies an alternate choice to "swear" - in parentheses):
I do solemnly swear 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.

Obama (sans Roberts):
I, (Barack Hussein Obama) do solemnly swear that I will execute the office of President of the United States, faithfully and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. (So help me God.)

* * *

Looks like Roberts goofed once and Obama goofed twice. Not that it matters, I don't think this is outrage-worthy if Obama said it perfectly, but I think it might be even less so, if in fact he did not. So I'm confused. : )
At least according to the text you posted - or maybe I'm not reading it properly but that's what I see...

_?_

[gristy]

10. The transcript shows me that Obama repeated exactly what Roberts said

There were several timing hiccups, with Obama interrupting Roberts at the beginning, and then Roberts interrupting Obama with a revision of what Obama had already started to say. At no point did Obama alter what Roberts had given him.

[Riverman]

11. Roberts totally Sucked: He rushed the start and was impatient

with getting the words out. He botched one of the great moments in US history. Harvard educated my ass! Corporatist dog!