He Was Sworn In Again

President Obama was sworn in again by Chief Justice Roberts - this time in the Map Room of the White House, as well as error-free - after the mutual flubbing during the inauguration yesterday.

Excellent decision, in my view. White House Counsel Greg Craig says they redid the oath out of an "abundance of caution," which is exactly right. Obama won the election, was certified by the electoral college, and noon on January 20th has passed. But the Constitution is very exact in the wording of the presidential oath, and Obama did not speak those exact words yesterday. So they did it again, and conspiracy theorists and nutjobs will have one less thing on which to harp.

The Line To Remember

If anything from Obama's inaugural speech is preserved by history, I would be willing to bet that it was this remarkable line directed toward Muslim extremists:

Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

I'd never heard it phrased quite so eloquently before, and it sums it up perfectly. Just perfectly.

Swear Him In Again!

In case you just so happened to be watching the inauguration of President Obama this afternoon, you heard the dual oath-flubbing by the President and Chief Justice John Roberts.

Considering the President did not actually end up uttering the precise words needed for the swearing-in (as prescribed by the Constitution), there are bound to be some kooks who will claim that he is not actually president (a nutty proposition, of course, but a potentially annoying one - like those "he was born in Kenya/Indonesia/Mars rumors). My prescription to the problem? Swear him in again. It's actually happened before:

People will argue about what the failure to utter the words in the precise order required by the Constitution means. But it will be an academic argument. It is not clear who would have standing to raise the argument that Mr. Obama had not become president as a consequence, and it is hard to believe that any court – or other body – would want to adjudicate the question.

There is, in any event, no rule against a do-over. When questions were raised about whether Calvin Coolidge should have been sworn in by his father, a notary public, he took the oath again, this time from a Supreme Court justice.

For the record, this is the only part of the Obama presidency that I'd be comfortable modeling after Calvin Coolidge.

We Made It!

Today feels like high school graduation day, only it's graduation from a high school in hell. After eight dark and terrible years, tonight is the last night of the George W. Bush administration. What never should have even happened to begin with somehow, someway turned into the absolute worst presidency in the history of this country - along the way, we've gotten bogged down by two wars, a crumbling economy, a collapse of the Constitution and diminishing (to almost non-existent) respect in the world.

BUT (and there's always a but) tomorrow marks the end, the long-awaited end, of our (inter)national nightmare. President Obama will take office at noon, and we'll finally be treated to the three most beautiful words in the English language: "former President Bush."

The campaign, election and impending inauguration of Barack Obama has been an incredibly exciting experience, and there is a lot of work to be done now. But for one final time, on this final night of the Bush presidency, let us GIVE THANKS that we have survived the Dubya Debacle, and perhaps even learned a thing or two along the way.

Thanks for the memories, George. And now, let us begin anew.

Scenes From "The West Wing"

I found this to be particularly appropriate for today. From "Tomorrow," the final episode of The West Wing:

A Speech for the Ages

Even Obama's daughters are expecting a great inauguration speech. Count me in with them.

It's become customary, obviously, for the President-elect to give great speeches. If I'm not mistaken, even before the election the campaign was selling a DVD of Barack Obama's most renowned pieces of oratory. So I am expecting something very grand on January 20.

I'd bet that it will be a combination of Kennedy's call to service ("Ask not what your country can do for you...") and the humility and dignity exemplified by Lincoln ("With malice toward none, with charity for all;" "we are not enemies, but friends"). Obama will soberly remind us of the challenges of our time, and call on each of us to do our part to meet those challenges, but will reassure once again that we will persevere (I'm sure there will be at least some kind of "yes we can" moment, even if he doesn't say it outright). And, in typical Obama fashion, he'll remind us that we are "one people, all pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes" ... or something like that.

Bush's Farewell

Bush said goodbye to the nation tonight, after eight turbulent (to say the least) years as president. In watching the address, I was struck by how it seems like George W. Bush and I have lived, and continue to live, in totally opposite worlds. For years now, I've always felt like, "I can't believe he's the President," because in my world, he wouldn't be the President.

What we've heard from the White House these past eight years seems to stand in stunningly sharp contrast to what has actually been happening here in America and abroad. Bush says we're safer, and while it's true there hasn't been a terrorist attack here since 9/11, should that really be the barometer for safety? To me, it seems like there is more international turmoil than ever before. That's the world I live in - where everything seems to be falling apart, not the "time to pat myself on the back" land in which George W. Bush seems to reside.

If there's one thing I've learned from President Bush, it's the importance of having a leader who will talk straight with people, who can deliver bad news, who can admit mistakes. In my world, any normal person would be capable of these things. Bush came into office claiming that he, too, was a normal guy, someone you could have a beer with. As he leaves office eight years later, there's nothing normal about anything in which we find ourselves in. For all of our sakes, I hope Obama can level with us and talk to us like adults, maybe even show some regret or acknowledgment that things don't go always go as smoothly as planned. For me, that would be a true mission accomplished.

Thoughts on the Globes

I know I haven't been writing very much lately, but here are some reactions to last night's Golden Globe Awards:

1. Kate Winslet has to be the front-runner for... something, right? She'll probably be nominated for both Revolutionary Road (Best Actress) and The Reader (Best Supporting Actress), though it's highly unlikely she'll WIN for both (no one has ever done that). But which one is she more likely to win come Oscar time? My bet would be on Revolutionary Road, but who knows?
2. Somehow, someway, Heath Ledger has to now be the favorite to win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars. I think the only thing that could derail him at this point would be some kind of backlash if it's seen like he's only the front-runner because he died. This is, of course, ludicrous, because he's amazing - and that's not strong enough of a word - in the film, but there are definitely people who will think that.
3. I've gotta feel like Mickey Rourke is the favorite for Best Actor at the Oscars. Oscar loves a comeback, Frank Langella just doesn't seem to have the support and Sean Penn already won not too long ago.
4. I get the feeling that Benjamin Button (0-for-5) has lost some momentum.
5. I get the feeling that Slumdog Millionaire (4-for-4) has gained some momentum.
6. Having Blake Lively present Best Television Series (Drama) was really weird. I actually like Blake Lively (and Gossip Girl) a lot, but the 10:45 PM awards slot should be given to someone considerably more seasoned. Tom Cruise presenting Best Picture (Drama) was an excellent move; he was probably the biggest star in the room. Tom Hanks would have fit well in that vein. But Blake Lively on at 10:45? Doesn't gel.
7. I love Kate Winslet.
8. I looooooove Kate Winslet.
9. Since The Dark Knight and Wall-E weren't nominated, I'm glad Slumdog won Best Picture. I would have been happy with Benjamin Button too.
10. How much did NBC pay Tom Brokaw to make him shlep out there?
    

Proof That God Exists

The Truth About Norm Coleman

"Let's be frank: Norm Coleman doesn't have much of a future in electoral politics. Defeated Presidential candidates sometimes have nine lives, but defeated Senatorial candidates rarely do, and in his career running for statewide office, Coleman has lost to a professional wrestler, beaten a dead guy, and then tied a comedian." -Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight.