Why did Obama have Roberts administer the oath?

[asksam]

After all, there's no requirement that the Chief Justice administer the oath. It could have been done by anyone whom Obama wanted. Why would he allow a Rethug like Roberts to even be present, let alone administer the oath?

If it were me, I'd have picked former President Clinton, or else John Paul Stevens (who administered Biden's oath).

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. There's also

no Constitutional requirement that there be an oath administered.

It's a matter of tradition.

Read about Lincoln's second inaugural, and the man who administered the oath then. Good story.

[originalpckelly]

4. The oath is in the US Constitution.

[asksam]

9. I know that....

... but the administration of it by the Chief Justice isn't.

I wasn't recommending that Obama skip the oath... only that he skip Roberts.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

20. He's not into making waves......

That's what his behavior so far indicates.

He's much more of a smooth operator, keeping it low-key and going along, but doing it his way.

Roberts was an embarrassment, that's for sure, but at least he made his way into the history books as a total doofus.

[asksam]

22. I understand your point...

... even I hope you're wrong. I was hoping that I voted for someone who would make sweeping changes and not be low-key.

Well, time will tell.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

23. Hey, listen.......

He was sworn in seven hours ago.

How about giving him some time to, you know, do his job before you start condemning him?

Seven hours.

[northernlights]

25. it's easier to make sweeping changes

if you stay low key, as opposed to getting your opponents all riled up and them a huge target. Obama has been making symbolic gestures of reaching across the aisle. That makes the rethugs less afraid, less combative. And, depending on who they are, either reassured or nervous but unsure where or how to strike out.

It remains to see what substantive moves Obama makes. Those are the ones that will matter in the long run.

He even said, not too long ago, "Don't listen to what I say. Watch what I do." So I, for one, am waiting and watching.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

17. You're right

Why did I write that? I meant only to write that there was no requirement to have anyone administer the oath.

Nice catch. Thank you.

:toast:

[asksam]

5. But tradition is not always kept, especially...

... when to do so is to give legitimacy to what is clearly wrong. I think that it would have been far better to break tradition than to grant legitimacy to this holdover from the criminal administration.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. He kicked Roberts in the NUTS by inviting him to do it

That's why Robert's blinked. He was standing face to face with his nemesis, and he had to serve him. It made me laugh out loud when he peed in his Depends during the invocation.

[Donnachaidh]

13. that's soo true

I'll bet he had to have a diddy change before the sit down banquet. :rofl:

[Cha]

31. It was too cool..Roberts was

the best one he could have chosen. My local news station said Roberts told Obama "it was my fault".

[madinmaryland]

32. It might have been even funnier, if Obama had Fat Tony do it!

[El Supremo]

3. Nixon and Earl Warren were enemies too.

[damonm]

6. Tradition

Plain & Simple.
And not using Roberts would have been against EVERYTHING Obama has ever said about bipartisanship.

[asksam]

12. Yeah, but not using Roberts would have been...

...living up to EVERYTHING Obama has ever said about change.

[Winterblues]

18. Do you wonder why the sky is still blue?

What in the world do you think he means by "change"? Every single thing there is? It is my understanding that he wants a change from the way things have been going this last decade, basically under Republican rule..Not every single thing there ever was..

[asksam]

21. True...

... but I would think that the first thing he would do is distance himself from people who were connected to the criminal administration that just left -- not actively involve them in the very first act of his presidency. Having the president not be involved with Rethugs would be a refreshing change.

[damonm]

30. That would be NO change...

As Bush kept Democrats out of the loop whenever possible.
Doing the same in return would be exactly the kind of tit-for-tat that has created the poisoned waters. "Change" means avoiding the tit-for-tat.

[stillcool]

7. Isn't he the Chief Justice?

[asksam]

10. So?

There's no requirement that the CJ administer it... especially when he's a tool of the Rethugs.

[stillcool]

29. So? I guess Roberts did it to piss you off.

....The oath or affirmation is typically administered by the Chief Justice, but sometimes by another federal or state judge

[Donnachaidh]

8. I'll bet he wanted to do the traditional thing

But here's a ditty from WikiAnswers -- Can anyone other than the Chief Justice swear in the president.

"Yes. The Constitution states the exact wording to be used in the oath but does not specify that it must be done by the Chief Justice. Anyone authorized by law to administer an oath within the jurisdiction in which the oath is taken may administer the oath to the President. When Lyndon Johnson was sworn in after the Kennedy assasination the oath was administered by a justice of the peace aboard Air Force One."

So have any of the presidents SINCE LBJ been sworn in by someone other than the CJ?

[damonm]

16. No.

The CJ does so at an inauguration, by tradition. However, the CJ usually doesn't travel around with the VP, so any judge will do in an emergency. LBJ needed to do it fast since JFK's murder was such a huge shock. When Harding died (last POTUS to die in office before JFK, Calvin Coolidge's FIL - being a Justice of the Peace - performed the oath within minutes of the news reaching them.

//damonm
Presidential History Geek

[madrchsod]

11. roberts blinked...

he knows obama is going to appoint centrist judges to the supreme court

[Cronus Protagonist]

14. He'd better appoint lefties with his mandate

Anything less than left of center will make his electorate a tad pissed.

[Justitia]

15. I wish it had been Ginsburg, since she's the brainiest of the bunch! -eom

[Myrina]

19. I thought it was funny ... cause the expression on Prez O's face ...

... was like "Son, call my secretary and I'll tutor you on some Constitutional Law sometime ..." when Roberts fucked up the oath.

[dysfunctional press]

24. he figured that it would bother roberts the most to administer it to a black man.

i'm guessin'

btw- when does stevens announce his retirement?

[pnwmom]

26. Disrespecting the CJ who'll be hearing all your cases seems kind of short-sighted to me.

It's not a big deal who administers the oath, but IF a man like Roberts HAD felt slighted, that could have hurt Obama -- and even the country -- in the end.

[BlooInBloo]

27. (facepalm)

C'mon people. Seriously.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

28. Because He's Not An Utter Jackass.

[AlCzervik]

33. Tradition.

[islandmkl]

34. uhhh....

oh, i thought this was about something IMFUCKINGPORTANT...