Anyone who watched Barack Obama’s swearing-in on Tuesday noticed that Chief Justice John Roberts fumbled the oath. Which led the White House, out of an “abundance of caution,” to summon Roberts to the White House Wednesday night for a second try.
Much was made over the fact that Obama didn’t use a Bible (or any book, it appears) on round two, unlike his use of Lincoln’s Bible on round one. As WaPo reports, it’s not the first time a do-over has taken place, and it’s also not the first time a Bible wasn’t used. The highlights:
– Theodore Roosevelt didn’t use one in 1901
– Calvin Coolidge didn’t use one in 1923
– Lyndon Johnson used a Catholic missal on that dark day in 1963 when an aide found it next to JFK’s bed onboard Air Force One.
(Originally published at Religion News Blog.)
