MSNBC called out Roberts

[StrongBad]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28745226/

-snip-

Roberts, who used no notes, stumbled at one point, appearing to forget the opening words. Obama, a former constitutional law professor, made sure to insert the crucial phrase “that I will faithfully execute the office of president to the United States.”

-snip-

The more I think of it, the more I think that Roberts was trying to get Obama to flub. What an ass.

[dhill926]

1. um.....impeach the bastard!

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Hell yes. Works for me.

[MadBadger]

2. I dont think he was trying to get Obama to flub...Hes jush a Shrub Appointee...not suprising.

[Midlodemocrat]

5. I agree. He screwed up. He's human.

The overreaction on DU is hilarious, though. Seriously.

[zbdent]

6. or, more likely,

to make it that Barack Obama legally did not swear in correctly ... and thus was an illegal President ...

[Motown_Johnny]

29. I think Obama was President at 12:00 no matter what, no oath in the constitution

[RobertSeattle]

4. He can get it right in 2012... for Obama's 2nd Inauguration

[Midlodemocrat]

8. Excellent.

:thumbsup:

:rofl:

Four years is enough time for him to memorize it, don't you think?

[NYC Liberal]

24. Obama should get someone else for 2012.

Any judge or magistrate can swear him in. Let's get someone who is competent.

[GardeningGal]

7. ABC also said Roberts messed up the words. n/t

[VWolf]

16. Fox said it was Obama's fault

Nah, just kidding.


But it wouldn't surprise me.

[rvablue]

18. Brian Williams on NBC blamed it on Roberts, too.

[Bolo Boffin]

27. Well, he continued a section of the oath at the beginning where others have broken the recitation

Usually the administrator says, "I, {name of oath taker}," and then stops for the oath taker. Robert plowed on. Obama was expecting the break and jumped in and then stopped. That's when Roberts got flustered and mangled the rest of the oath.

To be fair, they were in front of millions of people live and billions of people around the world, and a mistake like that probably just pounds through your brain.

[derby378]

9. Take that, Drudge

Obama is still YOUR President. Take it. Take it.

[Julius Civitatus]

23. Fuck Drudge, that Republican operative

His president is Obama now. Ha ha!

[Dennis Donovan]

10. Intentionally or not, he fucked up the ONE THING he has to do in public...

[Doremus]

11. Shrubby's appointee needed cue cards. Ass.

[maxrandb]

28. "Heckuva Job Johnnie" n/t

[Harry Monroe]

12. I know Roberts is appointed for life, unless he resigns, but...

...Is it Constitutionally acceptable to demote him from Chief Justice?? Does Obama have the power to demote him and appoint another Justice??

[leftynyc]

20. I don't think so

Technically, he'd have to be impeached as he's already been confirmed (by the Senate) as chief. Once he's on the court, the President has no power to remove or screw around with it.

[Harry Monroe]

21. Sorry..I thought it was the President's perogative to appoint whatever Justice he chooses

To be Chief Justice. I didn't realize that the title of "Chief Justice" had to be conferred by the Senate. Am I wrong??

[leftynyc]

25. Roberts is chief until he retires, resigns or is impeached

What is really weird is - if after Renquist resigned, the chimp wanted to nominate one of the already existing justices to chief, that justice would have had to resign and get re-confirmed by the Senate. It's like chief is a totally different job.

[davidpdx]

13. CNN is doing the same right now

Toobin said, "I just about fell out of my chair" when asked about it.

[sohndrsmith]

14. I was more focused on Obama saying, "This is for you," to his daughters

as he walked up to take the oath...

That was the best part.

[renate]

31. awww.... how did I miss that?

:loveya:

[ginnyinWI]

33. actually, he was talking about a platform for them to stand on.

They put one for Sasha so she could see. I saw it on Cspan's coverage.

[ljm2002]

15. Roberts' flub was embarrassing...

...I took time off from work to watch this, and that stood out like a sore thumb. Also the whole swearing in seemed abbreviated -- no clause about defending the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic -- I thought that was a standard part of the swearing in?

In any case -- I've not read anything else on DU about this, until opening this thread just now -- and to me it was a big deal. It made me mad. This is a one time event, and the silly little man couldn't get it right. And it did occur to me, geez I wonder if he was trying to make the oath not right on purpose? Probably not, but still ... given all of the machinations of the hard right over the last 30 years, it is no wonder that is the first thought that springs to mind for a lot of us.

What an ass.

[Supersedeas]

22. the same feeling rushed over me -- what little respect I had for Roberts is long gone

[mtnsnake]

17. K&R!

Thank you for posting this.

[vaberella]

19. I get that feeling. How do you fuck that up?

Damn these people.

[Bolo Boffin]

26. You know crazy right wing nutcases are going to claim his oath was invalid because of this.

They will be utterly wrong, but that's what they will say.

[Eurobabe]

30. Yeah, WTF was that?? Moron appointed for life on SCOTUS

BY a moron for life.

I swear I think Roberts did that on purpose, slimy prick. :mad:

[Phx_Dem]

32. So did CNN. The only one blaming Obama is Drudge and his

credibility is in the toilet.