Obama's oath - the Roman solution

So Obama fluffed the oath. The supreme orator is as fallible as the rest of us. In a system priding itself on following the Roman structure - Capitol, Senators and all - there can be only one possible course of action.

The tiniest error in a state ceremony in ancient Rome meant repeating the entire ceremony from the beginning, even if it lasted several days. So, instead of the quick remedial swearing-in behind closed doors - in itself, food for conspiracy theorists - let the whole triumphal progress be reconstructed and run through once more (only without Bono this time - please!)

That'll teach them to subject us to endless footage of crowds being herded about and chilly reporters breathlessly indicating the spot where 'something will be happening in about 4 hours time' (at the expense of any real news). Sure, we're interested in Obama's presidency, but it's about time the Americans (and the BBC) learned to separate the office from the spectacle.

Musings On the Obama train

On a chilly January day a triumphal procession takes place. At its centre is a gifted orator and skilled politician who inspires the crowds with well-chosen phrases at the various halts arranged along the way. As well as the insiders in attendance, there are also ordinary people, carefully picked to show the universal appeal of this new regime.

Washington 2009? No, dear reader, you are 450 years too late. The year is 1559 and the city is London, England. Queen Elizabeth I, like Barack Obama, is a master of spin and the art of public performance and her coronation procession is choreographed to the last detail, every element calculated for maximum political impact.

American presidential set-up has more than a touch of the renaissance court at any time but this seems to have reached its apotheosis in Obama’s inauguration. A cult of personality is emerging which could be disastrous if he fails to live up to expectations.

The USA may be the land of the free, but this is starting to look a lot like a coronation.

Obama: still considering choice of dog for White House

Hold the front page! As the BBC news strapline said, in answer to a question from one of the highly-trained political journalists at this evening's press conference Barack Obama revealed that they had still not chosen the future First Puppy.

He explained that this is because the dog must be hypo-allergenic (?!) and secondly - here's the good bit! - they would like to get a dog from a shelter, and they can't name a breed because "most shelter dogs are mutts, like me".

Parental concern, social responsibility and racial integration all rolled into the answer to a trivial and facetious question - that man is one skilled political operator!

Back in the UK, a cursory glance at tonight's television schedules shows that the Friday night slot left unexpectedly vacant following a certain resignation is to be filled by a screening of 'Armageddon'.

Last week, the hastily-found replacement for the show was 'Speed', in which an out-of-control bus causes havoc. Is the BBC trying to tailor its programming to the tastes of those newly deprived of Ross' sophisticated repartee or is someone trying to make a not-so-subtle comment on his career?