The sun is shining, the grass is green, the orange and palm trees sway...oh, wait...that's the original introductory verse to the chorus of Irving Berlin's 1942 song, "White Christmas". It must be a Freudian slip. The unpredictable, confusing and scary times we are living in now, make everyday, seem like waking up to a nightmare. Our current President, Herr Comb-Over is about as stable as water pored on a searing hot griddle. It's a small wonder, I would subconsciously think about happier days to come, so early on in the year.
For me, Christmas is a season preferable to any other season of the year. It is a time of joy filled with good food, good surprises, good fellowship with neighbors, friends and family. Christmas is a time of expected peace and good will in the world.
Christmas is half a year away and feels like half a world away. I feel so far away from a safe and secure world, in a political, emotional and geographic sense.The American people have lived and enjoyed the protection of our democracy, promised under the Constitution, since its drafting and final ratification vote by the state of Vermont in 1791. Perhaps this "Constitutional Crisis", is evidence that we have too casually, taken our beloved democracy for granted, for too long. To quote the tired cliche..."You don't miss the water, till the well runs dry!" If America is not careful to aggressively protect our Constitution, our water make be drying up sooner than we think.
We can rest assured that next week will bring another mysterious chapter, in the dark Russian tale included in Trump's continuing international saga. White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon parallels Trump's Rasputin, with his considerable political influence. Pres. Trump didn't swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic...when he took his, "Oath of Office" at his Inauguration. Have the "powers that be", considered this? The "Presidential Oath of Office", is specifically worded different from all other elected/appointed positions of governmental offices, specified by U.S. Code § 3331 - Oath of office.
Question, "Does it legally make any difference?"
The Presidential Oath of Office:
The Presidential Oath of Office is specifically worded and laid out in the Constitution.
Article II, Section 1 (Clause 8)
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:—"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 President MUST say that specific oath, and because it is the only specific oath where the wording is in the Constitution itself, it cannot be changed, added to or removed from in any way, without passing a Constitutional Amendment to do so.
Whereas the VP Oath and all other Oaths taken are laid out in law, and whoever wrote them there decided to use different wordings than the Constitution used for the President’s Oath.
EDIT to add: The exception of the “not changing” being that due to tradition, the President states his name after “I” in the oath.
Also add… they add “so help me God”, again due to long standing tradition.
EDIT to add 2: The Oath is considered so serious by some people, rightfully so, that when Justice Roberts flubbed it when reciting it for President Obama the first time (causing him to flub it), and he flubbed it the second, he retook it later both times to ensure there was no issue with the Constitutionality of him being able to do the job due to not saying the Oath properly.
EDIT to add 3: (Can’t believe I didn’t think to add this at the start)
5 U.S. Code § 3331 - Oath of office
An individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services, shall take the following oath: “I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.” This section does not affect other oaths required by law. Food for thought.
"Boner Appertite!"
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