Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.
President Barack Obama
If the president didnt know that wasnt exactly the case when he delivered his inaugural address Tuesday, he surely knows by now.
Alert Herald readers called this week to remind us that weve had 43 presidents, counting Obama. No doubt a similar message reached the president.
Its one thing to hold the most powerful elected office on Earth, quite another to avoid everyone whod delight in pointing out any errors or omissions.
Barack Obama is our 44th president only because Grover Cleveland gets counted twice.
Plenty of presidents have been re-elected, but Cleveland was the only president to leave the White House and return later for a second term.
Those unique circumstances make Cleveland the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. No. 23, Benjamin Harrison, served four years inbetween.
Cleveland was also the only president married in the White House, and were pretty sure hes the only president to have a candy bar named for his firstborn the Baby Ruth.
So, Obama is the 44th president, but only the 43rd American to take the oath of office.
Those Americans who caught Obamas error deserve an A in presidential knowledge, but not in rhetoric.
Imagine if Obama included in his inaugural address an explaination how hes the 44th president but only the 43rd to take the oath.
It would have made his remarks more accurate, but about as uplifting and inspirational as, well, this blog.
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JD Evans, Richland
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Nearly every proposal in the president's jobs act has been supported by Republicans before. The only reason U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings will oppose it is politics, and his voters deserve to know if he is putting politics before new jobs for Americans. Let's make sure Rep. Hastings votes for us and jobs in the Tri-Cities.
President Obama has put forth a serious jobs plan and Republicans should not stand in the way. With 25 million Americans lacking adequate work, our country and our state needs jobs now.
Nearly all of the proposals in the American Jobs Act have been approved by Republicans in the past, so there's no reason for them not to pass the president's bill, except to play politics with American jobs.
Obama in 2012
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Barack Obama was not my first choice for president in 2008, but he is the only choice in 2012. He has served America well and deserves to be re-elected.
When Obama took office, the situation was desperate. The housing market had collapsed, banks were failing, General Motors and Chrysler were near bankruptcy, we were mired in two major wars, and millions of Americans were without health insurance.
Today, the housing market is improving, banks are sound and our troops are out of Iraq. Additionally, because of loans to General Motors and Chrysler, millions of jobs were saved; and General Motors, not Toyota, is once again No. 1 in the world. In terms of health care, millions of Americans are now able to purchase affordable insurance, and there are safeguards in place to protect senior citizens as well as those with pre-existing conditions.
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