Bill Posey (R-FLA) Eases Out of Birther Status

One month after introducing a bill--H.R.1503--that would require all presidential candidates to provide a copy of his or her birth certificate, U. S. Representative Bill Posey still lacks a co-sponsor for said bill.

Additionally, Representative Posey says that,

he has "no reason to question" that Obama — born in Hawaii to an African father and an 18-year-old American mother — is a U.S. citizen. (Orlando Sentinel)

Sorry Birthers.

Update: Representative Robert Goodlatte [R-VA6] has signed on as co-sponsor to H. R.1503. It only too a few months then.

Salon on the Birthers

Alex Kopelman at Salon reviews the latest "Birther" nonsense, a "citizen grand jury" that opted to "indict" President Obama over the past weekend. Kopelman's concise discussion also notes the creeping violence emerging from the "Birther" folks.

Biden's Birther Joke

At the 124th annual Gridion Dinner, Vice President Joe Biden poked fun at the conspiracy theories about President Obama's birth certificate, saying:

You know, I never realized just how much power Dick Cheney had until my first day on the job. I walked into my office, and you know how the outgoing president always leaves the incoming president a note in his desk? I opened my drawer and Dick Cheney had left me Barack Obama’s birth certificate. (Politico)

Looks like the administration is quaking, doesn't it?

Biden's Gridion address is pretty hysterical altogether, so you might want to take a moment to read the transcript here.

Lonely Posey

On 12 March, Representative Bill Posey (R-FLA) introduced a bill--H.R.1503--to require future presidential candidates "to produce copies of their birth certificates and other documentation to prove natural-born citizenship" (Politico).

Representative Posey asserts, through a spokesman, that he only initiated the bill in order to prevent future presidential candidates from being subjected to rumors about their citizenship status (CNN). However, he's a bit evasive when asked about his own thoughts on the President's citizenship, telling the Orlando Sentinel: “I haven’t looked at the evidence. It’s not up to me to look at the evidence … I can’t swear on a stack of Bibles whether he is or isn’t.” I expect you can't blame the man for dancing around a bit: you can't really appeal to conspiracy theorists without looking like one yourself.

On March 20th, after a week of backlash, Representative Posey posted his reasons for introducing the bill at his 'blog.

The irony: Posey's bill proposes that a candidate produce a copy of a birth certificate. President Obama's COLB is just that--a certified copy that, as the document states, "serves as prima facie evidence of the fact of birth in any court proceeding."

Ah--and one week later, Representative Posey has yet to find any co-sponsors for his bill.

Update: One month after introducing his bill, Posey still lacks a co-sponsor. Additionally, he now says:

he has "no reason to question" that Obama — born in Hawaii to an African father and an 18-year-old American mother — is a U.S. citizen. (Orlando Sentinel)

Update Two: Two months later, Representative Robert Goodlatte [R-VA6] signed on as co-sponsor of Posey's bill. Anyone else?

Sorry Birthers.

Video: Taitz Questions Chief Justice Roberts

The folks at Politijab have located video of California dentist-cum-lawyer Orly Taitz asking Chief Justice John Roberts about her lawsuits over President Obama's citizenship. she prefaces her question with allegations about dirty dealings at the Supreme Court.

Taitz's questions to Chief Justice Roberts followed his delivery of the University of Idaho's Bellwood Lecture on 13 March; she opened the Q & A session.

You can access the entire video at the University of Idaho's College of Law website (scroll down the page until you encounter "The Bellwood lecture is now available [. . . .] Real Media Player is required"). Taitz appears some 53 minutes in. You can also view the "Birther"-relevant portion of the event, "Orly Taitz, DDS, Esq. Asks Chief Justice Roberts a 'Birther' Question," at Youtube.

Audio: Taitz Questions Chief Justice Roberts (Update: Video, Too!)

(Updated)
This little item was an "aside" in an earlier post, but it deserves its own little space.

California dentist and lawyer Orly Taitz, an active player in the "Obama eligibility" business, attended a lecture by Chief Justice John Roberts at the University of Idaho (Moscow) on Friday, 13 March.

Dr. Taitz took advantage of a post-lecture Q&A session to ask the Chief Justice about certain lawsuits challenging Obama's eligibility for the presidency. Here's an article describing the event, and here's audio, of Dr. Taitz addressing the Chief Justice.

Draw your own conclusions about the Chief Justice's reaction to Dr. Taitz. The audience's reaction is fairly evident. The laughter can't have been too encouraging.

Update: You can access video of the event here (Taitz appears about 53 minutes in--H/T to Politijab for the video link!).

Next Up: Bilderberg!

Like your conspiracy theories but getting bored hearing about Obama's birth certificate? Take heart! Refreshed interest in the Bilderberg Group is accelerating! Yes indeed, folks are, once again, pointing suspicious fingers at this top-secret cabal--the elites who plot our global destiny.

And if you're not quite ready to surrender your Obama-related theories, you get to double your fun: Obama's cabinet is chock-full of Bilderbergers, and he just can't get enough! The President has recently nominated Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services--and she, too, is a Bilderberger! What must this mean? Is the President is in the Group's employ? It's all so peculiar....I'm sure there must be a way to tie everything together.

Aside: Speaking of "birth certificate" and "conspiracy," California dentist and lawyer Orly Taitz, a participant in one (maybe two--I lose track) of the "Obama eligibility" lawsuits, attended a lecture by Chief Justice John Roberts at the University of Idaho the other day. During the Q&A period, she asked the Chief Justice about her lawsuits on the President's eligibility. Here's an article about the event, and here's audio of Taitz's questioning. Enjoy.

About that Sarah Obama Tape. . . .

Claims that Sarah Obama, the President's step-grandmother, attended the President's birth--in Kenya--have been floating around for a while.

The allegations stem from a recorded telephone interview Ron McRae conducted, via a translator, with Sarah Obama. The interview has been made available on the internet, but it's been edited to conform to the "eligibility" conspiracy (see this example of an incomplete transcript that seems to confirm the citizenship rumors; in reality, whoever posted the piece failed to include Sarah Obama's clarifying remarks negating the rumors).

The good doctor at Obama Conspiracy has posted a link to an unedited version of the tape as well as a link to an independent transcript of the conversation. Dr. Conspiracy's current post supplements an earlier post on the same topic.

(Seriously--how many tapes, or rumors of tapes, is this now? There was "whitey," there was API, and now this. . . perhaps that's it. Or perhaps there are more--if not now, I'm sure there soon will be).

The Anti-Obama Platform

60% of the nation believe we’re still on the wrong track, so why do some politicians continue to demand that we simply continue to rely on tax-cutting and de-regulation to improve the economy? Is ideology all they have?

Andrew Sullivan has been wondering of the GOP has declared war on Obama based on ideology alone. He presents a compelling argument, and I can’t help but think there’s something to it—these people oversaw our national debt as it hit the $30 trillion dollar mark, all the while cutting taxes and encouraging deregulation in industries that pretty much require watchdogs--banking and securities. Rather than rebuild their platform based on issues, they've chosen to present themselves as the "anti-Obama party."

Additionally, the GOP’s playing offense seems to be “emboldening” others to embrace fringe movements. For example, four Tennessee Representatives—Eric Swafford, Stacey Campfield, Frank Nicely, and Glen Casada--have chosen to link their names to an increasingly outlandish conspiracy involving the President’s citizenship status—a conspiracy they has spawned numerous lawsuits, all of which, to this point, have been dismissed by the courts.

Some suggest that if the President’s approval ratings continue to hold, the GOP will “fall into line.” We’ll see. But Republicans might recall one of their handiest tactics in the 2002 and 2004 elections: painting Congressional Democrats as “obstructionists.” It rather helped the GOP, didn't it? I'm just saying . . .

Nutjobs Convene at the NPC

A selection of "prominent" anti-Obama conspiracy theorists descended on the National Press Club Monday afternoon. David Weigel was there and he's got the goodies here.

Back to Square One, eh?

So the Supreme Court declines to hear the current suit arguing that Barack Obama is not a "natural born citizen." Is there really any shock to this? The case is built on straws. and when no less a personage than David Horowitz chimes in to tell people obsessed with this concocted citizenship issue to back off (rather, to "shut up about the birth certificate"), you might consider the issue closed. We shall see.

Added: At The Next Right, Patrick Ruffini argues that "this kind of crap" will effectively derail legitimate critiques of the Obama administration. He's got a valid point: the story's received significant media coverage in the past few days, and, as more people become aware of it, the more likely that the public will imagine 1) it's a larger movement than it is, and 2) it's an issue within the mainstream Republican party (which it's not).

Jerome Corsi Refuted (and refuted, and refuted, and refuted)

Team Obama wasted little time sorting Jerome Corsi out, and I imagine we’ll be hearing a series of refutations of Corsi's Obama Nation over the next several days. (update: the Obama camp now encourages people to note Corsi's inaccuracies in letters to the press via this webpage).

For now, here’s some excerpts from Unfit for Publication (pdf), found at Fight the Smears. These snips address two of the most common rumors perpetuated by the anti-Obama crowd: his parents' marriage and the question of Kenyan citizenship. Each "False" note signifies a quote from Corsi's book, which researchers then correct.

FALSE: "We find there is even uncertainty whether Stanley Ann and Obama Senior were ever married in a church." [p. 44] REALITY:CORSI ADMITS ON THE SAME PAGE THAT OBAMA'S PARENTS HAD A LEGAL AMERICAN MARRIAGE

TIME Reported On Obama's Parents' Divorce Records. TIME reported, "On Feb. 2, 1961, several months after they met, Obama's parents got married in Maui, according to divorce records." [TIME, 4/9/08]

Corsi Cites Time Story To Say "Divorce Papers Confirm..." Corsi wrote, "Other sources say divorce papers confirm that a civil ceremony was held on Maui, on February 2, 1961, when Ann was three months pregnant with Obama." Corsi cites the April 9th, 2008 Time story for his reference to Obama's parents' wedding. [p. 44]

EVEN A LITTLE BASIC RESEARCH DISPROVES CORSI'S FABRICATIONS

FALSE: "Senator Obama could claim to be a citizen of Kenya, as well as of the United States. Obama can trace his heritage back to his mother, who was born in the United States and was an American citizen when he was born, and to his father, who was born in Kenya and was a Kenyan citizen when Obama was born." [p 103]

REALITY: OBAMA CANNOT CLAIM KENYAN CITIZENSHIP

Kenya Does Not Allow Dual Citizenship Applications for People Over 21 Years of Age. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management writes of Kenya, "DUAL CITIZENSHIP: Not recognized except for persons under 21 years old." The Kenyan Constitution writes, "A person who, but for the proviso to section 87 (1), would be a citizen of Kenya by virtue of that subsection shall be entitled, upon making application before the specified date in such manner as may be prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament, to be registered as a citizen of Kenya: Provided that a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years (other than a woman who is or has been married) may not himself make an application under this subsection, but an application may be made on his behalf by his parent or guardian." [U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Kenyan Constitution]

Even if Obama Had Applied for Dual Citizenship Before He Was 21--Which He Did Not--It Would Have Expired. "A person who, upon the attainment of the age of twenty-one years, is a citizen of Kenya and also a citizen of some other country other than Kenya shall, subject to subsection (7), cease to be a citizen of Kenya upon the specified date unless he has renounced his citizenship of that other country, taken the oath of allegiance and, in the case of a person who was born outside Kenya, made and registered such declaration of his intentions concerning residence as may be prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament." [Kenyan Constitution]

So there. Can we stop with the "he's not an American citizen!" rumors now? (answer: of course not. The conspiracy-minded have already started suggesting that Obama is a citizen of Indonesia. When that gets refuted, my guess is that they'll try Papua New Guinea or Libya--either country would fit into their increasingly outrageous conspiracy plots).

Back to the refutations. Outside of Obama's group, we've got The Washington Post, which has chimed in with a column that corrects a variety of Mr. Corsi's "facts," and then concludes:

Mr. Corsi has dismissed criticisms of his book as "nit-picking," an odd defense coming from an author happy to inflate any possible omission into a full-blown evasion. Mary Matalin, the Republican political strategist who heads Threshold Editions, the Simon & Schuster division that published "The Obama Nation," described the book to the New York Times as "a piece of scholarship, and a good one at that." That would not be our description.

From what I've heard at this point, Corsi's reviewers have achieved a consensus, and it's not a flattering one.

I'd like to add that, although you might have heard that Corsi's book shall be number one on the New York Times' bestseller list this Sunday (17 August), it's not because of individual book sales. According to the Times, it's because "the book is being pushed along by a large volume of bulk sales." This suggests that, after the bulk purchase, the text is meeting one of two fates: it is being sold at right-leaning functions or distributed for free to Conservative groups--those people who aren't really Obama-inclined voters. In other words, Corsi will be preaching to the choir (as I, um, said earlier this month).

Aside: Might I add that, according to Media Matters, Corsi is all lined up to appear on a white supremacist radio talk show? Oh, yes. Mr. Corsi will be sitting down with James Edwards on 17 August's edition of The Political Cesspool: "the South's Foremost Conservative Populist Radio Program." The blog claims that the newly released film Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 promotes "white genocide." That is, Caucasian women having sex with men of other races.
Should be charming.

The Obama Birth Certificate Flop

I guess that "White" story didn't pan out, eh? (oops! I spoke too soon). I guess if one attempt to smear doesn't work, you move onto the next.

I'm sure you're well aware that a few bloggers have made it their mission in life (errr...this election cycle) to prove that Barack Obama was not born in the United States and is, therefore, ineligible for the presidency. This branch of the Obama conspiracy tree features several mutations, but it evolved out of claims that, since Obama was born in Hawaii, he isn't an "official" US citizen. From that point, the conspiracy theorists turned their collective eye to Africa and claimed that Obama is a citizen of Kenya. As these two allegations of Obama's citizenship didn't work out too well, the anti-Obamites moved on to claim that Obama was (and might still be!) a citizen of Indonesia. In fact, they've found that he's not even named Barack Obama: his "real" name is "Barry Soetoro."

How did these supersleuths uncover this supersecret info? TechDude--an anonymous genius who has discovered, after extensive analysis, that Obama's COLB (certificate of live birth) was forged (apologies for the cahed link: the "regular" link now leads to a 404 error). Unfortunately, "TechDude" isn't a supersleuth--he's a superfake! See Cannonfire for an interesting expose of the people who keep pushing the fake birth certificate story--including allegations that one of the story's primary supporters might be tied to Stormfront.

It also appears that the major stoker of the birth certificate fire is a female Larry Sinclair supporter. She's also an alleged PUMA (I say "alleged," as I'm unfamiliar with Hillary supporters who post at Free Republic).

Aside: Yes, Mr Cannon is fiercely anti-Obama, and I have no problem with that. I only take issue with people who choose to make unsubstantiated, intentionally harmful claims for the sake of sliming a public figure, no matter who that public figure might be. Besides, I get a kick out of Cannonfire.

A Further Aside: Enjoy David Weigel's take on the birth certificate conspiracy theories.