Spoke me some fairy talk back there... Cotton pickin mule men ain't got shoe shine boys whispering street talk in them there coffee boulevards, fancy words and tooth picks, no sir, ain't oblige in sherrif's good books...
Oaths of Office For Federal Officials
Congress
At the start of each new Congress, the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate are sworn into office. This oath-taking dates to 1789, the first Congress; however, the current oath was fashioned in the 1860s, by Civil War-era members of Congress.
The Constitution specifies no details for the oath of office for Congress:
- Constitution, Article 6 - Debts, Supremacy, Oaths The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
The first Congress developed this requirement into a simple, 14-word oath:
- "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States."
The Civil War led President Lincoln to develop an expanded oath for all federal civilian employees (April 1861). That July, when Congress reconvened, "members echoed the president's action by enacting legislation requiring employees to take the expanded oath in support of the Union. This oath is the earliest direct predecessor of the modern oath."
The current oath was enacted in 1884:
- I 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.
The public swearing-in ceremony consists of Representatives raising their right hands and repeating the oath of office. This ceremony is led by the Speaker of the House, and no religious texts are used. Some members of Congress later hold separate private ceremonies for photo ops.
When a man's toil ain't met his boots on a fire and stove story, out in them fancy brick rows, their gentlemans breaches, braces and straps, that there whiskey ain't much fine help...
Obama approval hits two-year high
More than half of Americans now say President Barack Obama deserves to be re-elected, according to a poll
Barack Obama's approval rating has hit its highest point in two years - 60% - and more than half of Americans now say he deserves to be re-elected, according to a poll.
The Associated Press-GfK poll, taken after US forces killed al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, gave worrisome signs for Republicans, showing the president's standing improved not just on foreign policy, but also on the economy.
Independent Americans - a key voting bloc in the November 2012 presidential election - caused the overall increase in support by sliding back to Mr Obama after fleeing for much of the past two years.
Comfortable majorities of the public now call Mr Obama a strong leader who will keep America safe. Nearly three-fourths - 73% - also now say they are confident that he can effectively handle terrorist threats. And he improved his standing on Afghanistan, Iraq and the US' relationships with other countries.
Despite a sluggish recovery from the Great Recession, 52% of Americans now approve of Mr Obama's stewardship of the economy, giving him his best rating on that issue since the early days of his presidency; 52% also now like how he is handling the nation's stubbornly high 9% unemployment.
The economy remains Americans' top issue. Impressions of the nation's fiscal outlook have improved following last Friday's positive jobs report, which showed American companies are on a hiring spree.
More people now say that the economy got better in the past month and that it is likely to continue doing so in the coming year.
Also, more Americans - 45%, up from 35% in March - say the country is headed in the right direction; still about half - 52% - say it is on the wrong track, meaning Mr Obama still has work to do to convince a restive public to stay with the status quo.
Overall, Mr Obama's approval rating is up from 53% in March and a 47% low point following last autumn's mid-term congressional elections in which Republicans won control of the House and gained seats in the Senate. It was 64% in May 2009, just months after he was sworn into office.
Also, 53% now say he deserves to be re-elected; 43% say he should be fired, making it the first time in an AP-GfK poll that more people say he should get a second term than not.
Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out Of Hand
That water in the can of beans makes them sparkling grapes in moonshine country...
