President Obama began what will be a two-day celebration of the commencement of his second term Sunday, with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, a visit to a historic African-American church and plans for a private swearing-in at the White House at noon.
Obama’s second term begins officially Sunday, although the public ceremony and inaugural address at the Capitol will wait until Monday.
Vice President Josepth Biden got a jump on the president by taking his oath at an early-morning ceremony at his residence at the Naval Observatory. Justice Sonia Sotomayor delivered the oath, becoming the fourth woman and the first Hispanic to administer the oath to the president or vice president.
Biden took the oath before a crowd of 120 people, surrounded by his family on a makeshift stage in an alcove.
After the oath was completed, Biden kissed Sotomayor and then hugged and kissed Jill Biden, who held a massive Biden family Bible.
“Madame Justice, these are some of my friends, and family,” Biden said, grasping Sotomayor’s hand.
The 8:21 a.m. event apparently was prompted by Sotomayor’s need to be at a Barnes and Noble in New York for an afternoon address and signing event for her new memoir, My Beloved World.
Biden didn’t get into specifics, but told the crowd: “I want to explain to you what a wonderful honor it was, and how much out of her way the justice had to go. She is due in New York. She has to leave right now . . . so she can catch a train -- I hope I haven’t caused her to miss.”
Obama and Biden then made the trip to Arlington, where they jointly placed a wreath in front of Arlington’s Tomb of the Unknowns. After the ceremony, the president and his family attended services at Metropolitan AfricanMethodist Episcopal Church, the historic church known as the “national cathedral of African Methodism.”
The Obamas have worshipped there before in advance of Martin Luther King Day, and the church has hosted inaugural prayer services for President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.
Obama will be sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. in a ceremony just before noon in the Blue Room of the White House. Sunday’s swearing in will fulfill the constitutional requirement that presidential terms begin on Jan. 20. When that date has fallen on a Sunday in the past, presidents have taken the oath privately and then repeated the process for the public the next day, as Obama will Monday before a massive crowd at the Capitol.
This will be the third time Obama and Roberts have gone through the ceremony. The two famously stumbled through the oath four years ago, which required a do-over in the Map Room of the White House days later to make sure the constitutional obligations had been met.
Obama inauguration celebration to begin with official oath
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Obama inauguration celebration to begin with official oath
