Justin Webb's America

No Bible for second oath

• Justin Webb
• 22 Jan 09, 03:05 PM GMT

Sorry to go on about religiosity - and I read with interest those who disagreed with me, and each other, on this - but surely the fact that President Obama swore his second oath without using a Bible tells us something hugely important? Something that will cheer those (including plenty of religious folk) who think the church-state balance has become skewed in recent years.

Obama and Roberts knew perfectly well that you don't need a Bible to become president - there have been oaths taken without one in the past - but in the Bush White House you can bet they would have found one for the second swearing in. Even if they had had to send out to CVS (Boots!).

In the Obama White House it was no big deal. Religious beliefs for him are essentially private.

If the second oath was legally the one that counts then one can say he was sworn into office without using a holy book.

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Staying on to help out

• Justin Webb
• 22 Jan 09, 03:03 AM GMT

Glad I alerted you to Oathgate - and it is clear now why Obama was so unamused by Biden's joke about Roberts' memory: they must have been having The West Wing style conversatons about the need to re-do the oath during the afternoon and the president did not appreciate the matter being joked about before it was settled.
After spending time at the White House myself I left the building and bumped into a friend who was a senior Bush administration lawyer - now (rather sheepishly) back at work for the new president. Apparently he's been asked to stay for a week to help out - in a very senior position in a very important department of state. This transition really is unique in modern times...

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