Obama takes oath again after inauguration mistake

US President Barack Obama was administered the oath of office a second time today at the White House because a word was out of sequence when he was sworn in.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who first administered the oath to Obama yesterday on the steps of the US Capitol, also administered the oath to the president today in front of reporters.

The White House counsel said in a statement read by a spokesman the oath was administered a second time out of an "abundance of caution."

"We believe that the oath of office was administered effectively and that the president was sworn in appropriately yesterday," Robert Gibbs told reporters, quoting a statement from White House counsel Greg Craig.

"But the oath appears in the Constitution itself and, out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath a second time."

After finishing the statement, Gibbs ushered reporters into a room where Obama was waiting, smiling, along with the chief justice. The president visited with journalists and then stood next to Roberts and took the oath again.

- Reuters