I'm guessing God got it the first time.

And did the Chief Justice use the oath the Constitution sets out, the second time? Or did he add those four words at the end again?

Drudge might as well try to raise a flap over what kind of Bible was used the first time anyhow, the Catholic, or the Protestant -- they're not the same text.

So what will the Justice Chief of the Court Supreme say about this?

I think this is great--the more the wingnuts spend time worrying about this crap, they less space they have in their tiny, hate-filled brains for thinking about, you know, policy.

Steve, it's not what's factually correct that matters to the Dingnuts, it's what they can glean from the little morsels they're fed.

They're already chattering about the whole thing, including the original mess-up, being an elaborate ruse to let the Moslem president get away with not swearing on a bible.

Hey, they need their propaganda.

You're surprised that childish idiots are acting like childish idiots?

They need something to bitch about. Like I said, it's like giving the dog a chew toy - better to have them all on about this irrelevant minutia than something consequential.

While they complain about the non-presence of a skyfairy book, Obama is closing Gitmo, starting the pullout in Iraq and shutting down Cheney's kangaroo military courts. May Drudgco waste vast amounts of time bleating about this while the grownups deal with the banking crisis, energy policy and global warming.

"And third, who cares?"

Hey now, you're talking about people who rely on hate, fear, ignorance, stupidity, racism, and jingoism for their livelihood.

What do you want, Hannity, Rush, and Drudge to have to go out an get a real job?

Hope Obama learns something from this -- you cannot please people who are fundamentally dishonest.

That's all they've got now...it's so pathetic. Talking of pathetic I channel surfed over to Fox Noise last night (if you limit exposure it won't do too much long term harm to your health) and there was Hannity interviewing Rush. Isn't that the absolute definition of talking in a vacuum???

Many centuries ago, when a man swore an oath, he placed one hand in a location euphemistically called "under his thigh." Hence the "test" in "testimony."

Women weren't permitted to swear oaths back then ... not that they could :)

My God, we really are in for at least four years of conservatives crying about every little thing, aren't we?

For a bunch of big tough guys, they sure do whine a lot.

And third, who cares?

Exactly. You, and all of us, should stop paying attention to Drudge, because as of Tuesday he became irrelevant.

I know, lets all go shoe shopping with Con-ditz and clothes shopping with Phail'in, AND send the bill to the People, and then forget the whole thing. Or I know, maybe, just maybe, we should put our collective heads together, R's, D's and I's, and figure out a way to fix this economic meltdown? Nah!! Repigs and the manly War party rule, Dems drool. (Can we get a grown-up to police the knuckle-draggers, please?)

Obama has a pocket Bible in his left pants pocket, just in case.

Did he have a flag pin?

Aha! What DID he swear in on???? A Koran?!?! What's he covering up? Why hasn't a special prosecutor been assigned to get to the bottom of BibleGate? The Liberal Media just won't report on this!!

And just to be clear:

Don't you people understand? This is the first major scandal of the Obama administration!

It's Oathgate!

Just to be even more clear (since the code got eated):
/snark

Note to self: use preview

Did he use a Quran?

It's not that even they care. It's not that they think it matters or that people in general care or even should care. It's not that they honestly think it's worth getting worked up over.

It's that they have nothing else. Nothing. The Republican party has become so intellectually bankrupt and so morally decayed that they have been essentially locked out of the conversation. On Tuesday, President Obama called upon all serious Americans to put away childish things and engage in the hard work of rescuing this nation. That by definition leaves out these whackos, who have been exiled to the fringe where they belong.

Ignore them or put them in a zoo -- I don't care. Let's just get to work.

So what will the Justice Chief of the Court Supreme say about this?

In a rare bit of semi-clarity, he might say, "My correct title is 'Justice Chief of the States United.'"

Many centuries ago, when a man swore an oath, he placed one hand in a location euphemistically called "under his thigh." Hence the "test" in "testimony."

This was an old Roman custom, and apparently what they said for an oath translates as "Bet your testicles that I am telling the truth, your honor." Scommettevate i vostri testicoli che sto dicendo la verita, il vostro honor".

Guess there will be a new reenactment every single day of the administration, as minor details get out of sequence or omitted.

BTW - the swearing by cupping testes etymological branch is sorely contested. Huh-huh.

I agree with most comments upthread: it deserves to be ignored.

That said, like all mudslinging, you face the problem of ignoring it and letting it spread unchecked vs. answering it and amplifying it.

As a compromise, I suggest a standard topic heading, in which you could lump together all the things that don't deserve their own posts AND are laughable in their own rights.

You could call it something like "silly wingnut blatherings." Have a standard intro line like "more evidence that these people are too stupid for words," and then just provide one-line descriptors and links. Provide links to counterposts if you feel like it. But don't dignify it further.

Pretty soon, it'll be like potholes -- annoying, inevitable, and universally despised.

Jefferson used the Koran at least once.

This was an old Roman custom, and apparently what they said for an oath translates as "Bet your testicles that I am telling the truth, your honor." Scommettevate i vostri testicoli che sto dicendo la verita, il vostro honor".

They spoke Italian in ancient Rome? I guess Dante was just taking dictation.

First of all, you are not going to become a Republican unless you are a moron. That is a pre-requisite. The thing about morons is they perseverate over the speck of sawdust in there one elses eyes while blind to the sawmill lurking in their own. Hypocrisy: it's what for Republican breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I hope that everyone on the planet gets a good look at how irrevocably petty and childish these conservative fanatics are. They obviously don't know when to quit or how to lose with even a shred of dignity.

LBJ has his hand on something that could be a Bible.

First, the Constitution is silent on the issue. It directs presidents to take an oath, but it says nothing about where or on what presidents should place their hand. To that end, this latest flap is not just nonsense, it's inconsequential nonsense.

End. Of. Story.

CNN Ticker's upped the ante with a whiny post by Ed Henry, about the fact that TV outfits weren't invited to the do-over. Basically, "without video, how can we prove he took the oath again." Uh, pool reporter among witnesses and, oh yeah, the audio posted on your own website. Tool. Between this and the inauguration cost misreporting, it's almost like they've decided to go the way of Fox for the duration of the Obama presidency.

The official oath, taken by all elected officials and government employees, never involves a bible. The "bible swear" oath is purely for show. The president is unusual in that he's one of the few people who's publicly filmed "oath of office" on a bible is simultaneous with the "official one."

Obviously, it doesn't matter if the President uses a Bible or not, because any attempt to force him to would be blatantly unconstitutional. That whole "no religious test" thing- plus the "establishment of religion" bit.

Did Jefferson really use a Koran once? I thought he refused to use any religious text, given his absolute feelings on separation of church and state. I can't see why he'd use a Koran anyway. If that wasn't a joke, I'd say check your source again.

(There's also some question about whether Lyndon Johnson used a Bible in 1963.)

Really? I thought it was more or less agreed that he used the Bible that was already on Air Force One and and that disappeared after the ceremony. But no one cares about petty crap like that except trivia lovers like me.

Too bad Obama didn't retake the oath with his hand on a copy of his birth certificate. That popping sound you hear is winger heads exploding.

Matt Drudge has a grudge. A grudge against all "them lib'ruls" who kept him from achieving his Hollywood dream to be a major movie star. He discovered back during OJ that there really as "a sucker born every minute" and has been playing to the Budweiser Booboisie ever since. Now, he gets to work on his grudge against the "lib'rul conspiracy" against him and all other "talented" newcomers who refuse to toe the party line, and he gets to be a star to the masses.

I guess there is a kind of "talent" involved in being such a scummy little opportunist.

A conspiracy nut's webpage on Johnson's swearing in:

"Vice President Johnson took the oath of office on a Roman missal!!

After the assassination of President Kennedy, and before even his body had grown cold in death, Johnson was sworn in as President aboard Air Force One.

Instead of a Bible, Johnson took the oath of office on a Roman Catholic missal—a book containing all the prayers and responses necessary for celebrating the mass throughout the year."

Where have the wingnuts been on observing the Constitution when it came to the 2000 recount, the usurpation of powers by the executive branch, or the violation of habeas corpus during the past seven years? As soon as they actually start concerning themselves with following the entire Constitution and not just the last paragraph of Article II Section 1 I might actually give a damn.

why are you writing about this? can you just ignore this type of bullshit and if you're going to be reporting on light entertainment give us an oscar post or something useful.

Do you swear...?

No, but I know all of the woids.

Drop the venacular and put your hand on the Bible!

That ain't no venacular...it's a derby (nyuk nyuk nyuk)

(Thanks to Disorder in the Court...3-stooge flick)

Everything Obama did yesterday B4 redoing the oath he should be made to do all over again. Didn't count. Wasn't official.

I'm getting petty-fatigued.

Something tells me the whining and griping will continue to be childish, immature and absolutely ridiculous.

Obama was born in Hawaii, how could he be a US Citizen?

Up next will be complaints about his playing basketball when he should be governing!

How about: "That they are totally devoid of ideas?"

What do you want, Hannity, Rush, and Drudge to have to go out an get a real job?
2Manchu@ 11:17 AM

To paraphrase Auric Goldfinger: "No, Mr. 2Manchu, I want them to die."

In the future, they should all use the Hogwart Book of Spells that Joe Biden used.

Any real Christian knows that Jesus said not to swear on anything. "Let your yes be yes and your no be no" Something like that. Too lazy to look it up myself.

Actually, No president has ever taken the oath as it is actually written. Not only is no bible required, but the "so help me God" part was an ad lib by George Washington when he first took the oath, a tradition that every subsequent president has followed. Below is the actual text:

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."

The point is that conservatives such as Drudge and those at Fox News are dicks.

Bush put his hand on the Bible for his oath and look how he served this nation.

Bush and Cheney wore flag pins and look how they served this nation.

Bush wore a flight suit and look how he served this nation.

Far too many on the "moral" right seek outward ceremonial signs and visible exhibitions as proof of their lofty religiosity, and it impresses only those of equal character, those who witness such displays and say, "look at the depth of their faith" without daring to look deeper, either at their leader or at themselves.

Calling out Obama for lack of visible displays of religiosity is actually a compliment to him and a unveiling of the Pharisees of our time, the Right.

Some GOP politicians get sworn in by placing their hand on a boy scout manual. Oh, wait. That is just a boy scout and it is not during swearing in. My bad!

Heck, we should avoid all the Bible controversy and go back to the old style of cupping-one's-cojones for swearing oaths. Women could lay a hand over their ovaries.

Peter @ 1:10
Calzone? What does cupping an Italian turnover made from pizza dough and stuffed with cheese have to do with oath-taking?

Uttering oaths when sticking one's fingers in hot marinara sauce is logical.

OT: Wiki says: Calzone: (Italian "stocking" or "trouser" or "drooping sack" or "hanging fold"[1]), sometimes referred to as an Italian sac. Maybe I get it now. :)

Any real Christian knows that Jesus said not to swear on anything. "Let your yes be yes and your no be no" Something like that. Too lazy to look it up myself.

Um, I believe that was Bob Marley.....;-)

I guarantee the meme within a week in wingnuttia will be that he took the do-over on a Koran. I'd bet my house on it.

I guarantee the meme within a week in wingnuttia will be that he took the do-over on a Koran.

Well, we can hope for another party-weakening schism on the right, as part of wingerland goes for the Koran rumor, another part swears it was the Communist Manifesto, still another group thinks it was both (because Islam and Marxism are so darned complementary) and a final camp insists it was the memoirs of H. Rap Brown.

There whole point is that Obama is not an American citizen, and they don't intend to let go of this until he produces his original birth certificate - if then. I'd agree with you that this is petty bullshit, except I suspect that among the 22% who supported Captain Dubya to the bitter end, a majority of them actually believe this tripe. Laugh at them if you want, but 22% of the adults in America is more than the population of most other countries on this planet, and most of that 22% also have guns. If anybody tries to rise up and overthrow the government, it will be these bastards, so it's good to keep an eye on all their bullshit ramblings.

Matthew 5: 33-37:

33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

John Quincy Adams swore with his hand on a book of constitutional law, and Franklin Pierce did the same.

Pierce also chose to "affirm" rather than swear in keeping with Jesus' injunction, above.

LBJ apparently used a Book of Common Prayer found among Kennedy's effects. This is according to one of the historians on one of the channels during the Inauguration coverage on Tuesday. I am leaning towards saying that it was Bechloss.

But let's start a rumor that is was a Koran. That will give the Drudge folks something to talk about while our new president restores our civil liberties.

Perhaps the repubs should take up the issue with the supreme court.

LBJ apparently used a Book of Common Prayer found among Kennedy's effects.

The Book of Common Prayer is Anglican/Episcopalian. Highly doubt Kennedy had one lying around. But the Roman missal story is ringing bells now.

If anybody tries to rise up and overthrow the government... dr sardonicus at 2:06 PM

If? They already did. That's what the past 8 years have been all about, overthrowing the US government, sneakily, from within.

These fine upstanding conservative engines of God's will haven't the courage to attempt to blatantly overthrow democracy. How would such a coup make them look to the citizens of a country that tossed off the reins of monarchical rule, citizens who still have the right to bear arms just in case their vote to oust such reptilian scoundrels didn't work?

Thankfully, our vote worked. But just in case their sort tries again, I am keeping my gun oiled.

Funny part is, as others have pointed out, the president doesn't even have to swear. If he is a Quaker, Jehovah's Witness or another denomination that doesn't believe in swearing, he can simply affirm the oath.

Heck, an atheist could probably go for "affirm" rather than "swear" if s/he preferred. It's right there in the Constitution because -- shock! -- the Founders already had religious diversity that needed to be finessed so as not to alienate large groups of people. (At that point, primarily Quakers, who were quite powerful politically, IIRC.)

As long as he didn't have his fingers crossed, it's all good. Someone asked about a flag pin. I believe he has a flag piercing.

Gosh, it's so nice not to have to care what silly Republicans are whinging about.

A do-over. Has Obama fallen into Groundhog Day 2--the Inauguration?

FYI--I was just watching JFK's swearing in and he had his left hand at his side through the entire oath.

But, but, but, don't you vile evil lib'ruls get it? All of his actions before he took the second oath are illegal! His appointments, the documents he signed, are violations of the law. He should be removed from office for this! We should have new elections and get back to the conservative values that have made the country what is today!

Can't resist! --

First, the text of the oath of office as per the Constitution is:

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.

Second, it would be entirely possible to visualize a Bible, or any goddamn thing you choose, irrespective of what your hand may or may not be upon.

Does that clarify it all now?

Could it be ... Satan ?