Brennan sworn in with original draft of Constitution

Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY | USATODAY

WASHINGTON — When John Brennan was sworn in as the new Central Intelligence Agency director on Friday morning, he put his left hand on a piece of history as he delivered his oath.

At Brennan's request, the National Archives loaned Brennan an original draft of the U.S. Constitution for the private swearing-in ceremony at the White House. The document, which dates from 1787, has George Washington's handwriting and annotations on it.

"Mr. Brennan had requested a document from the National Archives that would symbolize that the United States is a nation of laws," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "And before Mr. Brennan was sworn in he told the president that he made the request to the Archives because he wanted to reaffirm his commitment to the rule of law as he took the oath of office as director of the CIA."

Vice President Biden officiated at the swearing-in.

Brennan, who previously served as White House counterterrorism adviser and spent 25 years in the CIA, was confirmed by the Senate Thursday after facing a long filibuster led by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who questioned the constitutionality of drone strikes without legal due process.

Some have found some irony in Brennan's choice of document. The Emptywheel blog notes that Brennan took his oath on a draft that did not include the Bill of Rights. The Constitution went into effect in 1789, but the Bill of Rights was not ratified until 1791.

Brennan has played a key role in overseeing the drone program, which has been used to target terrorists in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere, in President Obama's and George W. Bush's administrations.