Meet the Birthers: This is who Lou Dobbs is mainstreaming
SUMMARY: In light of Lou Dobbs' recent promotion of birther theories, Media Matters presents a look at some of the leading figures within the birther community and the views they've espoused.
In recent days, on both radio and TV, CNN host Lou Dobbs has provided cover for conspiracy theorists who claim that President Obama lacks a valid birth certificate and is therefore ineligible to be president. Specifically, Dobbs has repeatedly said that Obama needs to "produce a birth certificate" and cast doubt on the birth certificate posted online by FactCheck.org. Moreover, Dobbs has claimed that "reasonable people should be interested" in the issue and that Obama has refused to put the questions to rest.
Given Dobbs' spotlighting of the birthers' claims, Media Matters for America presents some of the leading figures within the birther community and the views they've espoused. The figures include Andy Martin, who has made anti-Semitic and racially charged comments; 9-11 "Truther" Philip Berg; perennial candidate for public office Alan Keyes, who has reportedly accused Obama of taking the "slaveholder's position" on abortion; a pastor who has prayed for Obama's death; and the discredited right-wing website WorldNetDaily (WND).
Dobbs has hosted some of the birthers, while others have cited Dobbs' efforts as evidence that the birther movement is growing. WND wrote in a July 16 article that it "has been reporting -- many times in solo fashion -- on the issues that have been raised by multiple lawsuits" and cited Dobbs as evidence that "now word is spreading." Martin wrote in a post on his blog that "the controversy has continued to increase" and that "Dobbs apparently said he was going to contact the Hawai'i governor to demand release of the birth certificate." And on her blog, birther lawyer and dentist Orly Taitz wrote a post titled "More on Eligibility on CNN," which included a link to a Media Matters video featuring Dobbs claiming that there are "a lot of [birther] questions remaining" and that "questions won't go away because they haven't been dealt with."
Gawker's Alex Pareene also explored the birther movement in a July 22 post, "The Birthers: Who Are They and What Do They Want?" and cited Dobbs, among others, as figures granting the birthers legitimacy.
Andy Martin
The New York Times has reported that Martin, who describes himself as an "Internet columnist," "is credited as being among the first -- if not the first -- to assert in a chain e-mail message that Mr. Obama was secretly a Muslim." The Nation's Christopher Hayes has written that when asked about emails being circulated that claimed Obama was educated in a madrassa -- a falsehood, like the claim that Obama is a Muslim:
"Everybody started calling me" when the e-mail first made the rounds, Andy Martin told me. "They said, 'Hey, did you write this?' My answer was 'they are all my children.' "
Since then, Martin has been an active litigant in suing the Hawaii state government over Obama's birth certificate.
As Media Matters has documented, Martin has a history of making anti-Semitic and racially charged comments, such as claiming that "African-American judges ... circle the wagons and try to protect Barry [Obama]" and that "African-Americans are willing to corrupt and abuse their-public offices to defend their own sleazy candidate for office." The Chicago Tribune and several federal courts have stated that Martin has called a judge a "crooked, slimy Jew, who has a history of lying and thieving common to members of his race."
In October 2008, Martin appeared on Fox News' Hannity's America and smeared Obama by claiming he was "training for a radical overthrow of the government" as a community organizer. Fox News later reportedly "express[ed] regret" for hosting Martin given his past remarks.
As the Politico's Ben Smith noted, Berg is "a former Pennsylvania prosecutor who has also sued President George W. Bush to claim that he was complicit in the September 11 attacks." In 2004, Berg filed a suit with the U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania on behalf of William Rodriguez. Among Rodriguez's claims in Rodriguez v. Bush was the assertion that "[s]cientific data clearly indicates that the World Trade Center buildings ... were destroyed by means of controlled demolitions, of the sort that take weeks or months to prepare and could only have been an 'inside job.' "
In an August 28, 2008, article (retrieved from Nexis), The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania) reported that "[c]areer gadfly Philip Berg has a new conspiracy theory -- Barack Obama's actually an African. ... Obama is lying about his U.S. citizenship, Berg's suit asserts, and actually was born in Kenya, according to Obama's grandmother, brother and sister. Only U.S. citizens by birth can be president. Berg's proof? Widely debunked online accounts." The Morning Call also reported that "Berg's blog indicates he has spoken about his 9/11 lawsuit in cities around the world."
Berg filed a birther lawsuit (Berg v. Obama) against Obama, the Democratic National Committee, and the Federal Election Commission; on October 24, 2008, the case was dismissed.
In March, a federal judge dismissed another birther lawsuit filed by Berg, Hollister v. Barry Soetoro. The judge wrote of Berg's suit:
This case, if it were allowed to proceed, would deserve mention in one of those books that seek to prove that the law is foolish or that America has too many lawyers with not enough to do. Even in its relatively short life the case has excited the blogosphere and the conspiracy theorists. The right thing to do is to bring it to an early end.
As Media Matters has documented, on the October 3, 2008, broadcast of Clear Channel's The War Room with Quinn & Rose, Berg asserted that "evidence" indicates that "Barack Obama, even though he states he was born in Hawaii ... was born in Kenya" and added: "It appears right now he might be an illegal alien, not only not be qualified to be president, but not even qualified to be a United States senator from Illinois."
Alan Keyes
Keyes is a frequent presidential candidate who also unsuccessfully ran as the Republican candidate during the 2004 Illinois Senate race against Obama. During the course of the Illinois campaign, Keyes reportedly made numerous controversial remarks, including labeling homosexuality "selfish hedonism"; calling former Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter a sinner; calling Obama's views on abortion "the slaveholder's position"; accusing Obama of supporting "infanticide"; and claiming, "Christ would not vote for Barack Obama."
Since then, Keyes has called Obama a "radical communist" who is going to "destroy this country, and we are either going to stop him or the United States of America is going to cease to exist"; said Obama "has made himself the focus of evil, the focus of child-killing policy"; and claimed Obama openly displays "contempt for the Constitution's eligibility requirements for the presidency."
Keyes filed a lawsuit against Obama regarding his birth certificate and discussed it on Dobbs' radio show. He is currently a columnist for WorldNetDaily.
Orly Taitz
Before interviewing Taitz, Dobbs said that he began questioning Obama's birth certificate after Taitz filed a lawsuit on behalf of an Army major. In a June 17 profile, the Orange County Weekly's Spencer Kornhaber described Taitz as the "queen bee of people obsessed with" Obama's birth certificate. Kornhaber wrote that "[s]ince November of last year, Taitz has been 'criss-crossing the country'; talking with activists, law-enforcement officers and government officials; filing lawsuits and finding plaintiffs; and speaking at events." Dobbs hosted Taitz and Keyes on the July 15 edition of his radio program. At the conclusion of his interview with Taitz and Keyes, Dobbs said he "learned a lot today, we appreciate it."
Taitz has reportedly made numerous controversial remarks, including:
- Taitz is quoted in the OC Weekly article as saying in February, "The simple fact is that we are long overdue for another Rebellion in this nation, and I heartily endorse the idea of having one again very soon, preferably starting THIS year!"
- According to the OC Weekly article, Taitz also said that Obama is a "usurper" and an "arrogant jerk from Africa and Indonesia," and "calls anyone who stands in her way an 'Obama thug.' "
- According to several blogs -- including ones that support and oppose birther theories -- Taitz wrote that Obama should be tried for "crimes perpetrated upon American citizens": "There is no proof that you are even a citizen. For all we know, you need to go back to Kenya and wait for your green card, and that after we try you for all the crimes perpetrated upon American citizens."
- Taitz wrote that Obama defenders should be tried in "Nurenberg [sic] style trials":
As a follow up to the previous article about Clair McCuskill [sic], Obama "truth" squad and people like Secretary of State of Ohio Jennifer Brunner and all the others that have been collaborating with this Gestapo-SS establishment, they all should and would be tried in Nurenberg [sic] style trials for harassing, intimidating, blackmailing and terrorizing fellow citizens, for defrauding the whole country. Patriots of this country didn't fight and defeat Nazi Germany to end up with Obamas, McCuskill [sic], Soros, Brunner and the rest of this squad. I hope that the men in this country, particularly in our military will finally revolt against this travesty of Justice. If our government and our elected officials and our judiciary have failed us, then it is time for the new government, new elected officials and a new judiciary.
Taitz is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Berg. Media Matters editor and ConWebWatch proprietor Terry Krepel wrote of Berg's lawsuit against Taitz:
Philip Berg -- the same person whose legal actions over the birth certificate WND first endeavored to shoot down until it decided that they served its anti-Obama agenda -- filed a lawsuit against Taitz in April, accusing her and various associates of "harassing" Berg and fellow plaintiffs (among them Taitz's former webmaster), and filing "falsified police and law enforcement reports" regarding her claims against the former webmaster. Berg noted in his filing that "Taitz is no stranger to falsifying stories and falsely claiming to be the victim of 'hacking' of her websites" and accuses Taitz of plagiarizing the briefs he filed in his birth certificate-related actions for her own filings. Berg also claimed that an investigator working for Taitz dug up alleged information about an employee of Berg's and "sent the information to Taitz and a reporter with World Net Daily" complete with the employee's full Social Security number, which neither the investigator nor Taitz had "permissible purpose to obtain."
In a June 22 Washington Independent post, David Weigel wrote of Taitz: "I ran into the same problem that Kornhaber did -- for all of Taitz's legwork, none of her stuff held up. It was/is based on misunderstandings and a failure to check the veracity or meaning of documents with the right people."
Wiley Drake
In his OC Weekly article, Kornhaber wrote that radio pastor Wiley Drake helped bring Taitz into the birther movement. Drake was Keyes' running mate in 2008 on the America's Independent Party presidential ticket and, with Keyes, filed suit against Obama over his birth certificate.
Drake admitted to Fox News' Alan Colmes that he prayed for Obama's death, and has also reportedly said he is "glad George Tiller is dead. ... [I]t's an answer to prayer."
WorldNetDaily
The conservative news website WorldNetDaily.com frequently posts articles and commentary regarding Obama's birth certificate. WND also offers, "Where's the Birth Certificate?" merchandise and has funded "Where's the Birth Certificate?" billboards across the country. WND gives readers a chance to contribute to "The Fund For Truth About Obama Birth," which promises to offer a reward to anyone "who can provide persuasive evidence of involvement or presence at that birth -- whether it took place in Hawaii or elsewhere." WND also hosts a petition for "demanding that the constitutional eligibility requirement be taken seriously and that any and all controlling legal authorities in this matter examine the complete birth certificate of Barack Obama." The petition claims to have more than 420,000 signatures.
In reporting on Obama's birth certificate, WND has frequently advanced the claim that Obama was actually born in Kenya. PolitiFact.com has recently criticized WND for falsely claiming that White House press secretary Robert Gibbs "lied when he said Obama's birth certificate is posted on the Internet."
Media Matters and Krepel have noted that WND has frequently smeared Obama on other topics as well.
Jerome Corsi
Jerome Corsi is a staff writer for WND. In August 2008, Corsi claimed on Fox News that Obama posted online a "false, fake birth certificate." Since then, Corsi has promoted birther theories on WND and elsewhere.
Media Matters previously noted that Corsi wrote a widely criticized and falsehood-laden book about Obama during the 2008 election. Corsi has a history of controversial comments, including:
- Corsi on Islam: "a worthless, dangerous Satanic religion"
- Corsi on Catholicism: "Boy buggering in both Islam and Catholicism is okay with the Pope as long as it isn't reported by the liberal press"
- Corsi on Muslims: "RAGHEADS are Boy-Bumpers as clearly as they are Women-Haters -- it all goes together"
- Corsi on "John F*ing Commie Kerry": "After he married TerRAHsa, didn't John Kerry begin practicing Judiasm [sic]? He also has paternal grandparents that were Jewish. What religion is John Kerry?"
- Corsi on Senator "FAT HOG" Clinton: "Anybody ask why HELLary couldn't keep BJ Bill satisfied? Not lesbo or anything, is she?"
In addition to the previously noted birther leaders, as TalkingPointsMemo.com noted, Holocaust Memorial Museum shooter James von Brunn "wrote an internet posting complaining that Obama's birth certificate and other documents have not been made public." Von Brunn has a long history of racist and white supremacist writings.
And, the Politifact article from Robert Farley is misleading.
Perhaps MMFA would care to address the many gaping holes in the arguments coming from other BHO supporters. They're constantly lying, misleading, and twisting themselves into knots to try to prove something that they say is cut-and-dried. Why is that, MMFA?
Like what? Evolution? Global warming? Or are you referring only to Barack Obama's birth certificate. It is the birthers who who argue that it is cut-and-dried that Obama is not a U.S. citizen. And I have never seen any evidence to support that goofy notion. On the other hand, Obama has produced a Cetificate of Live Birth, certified by the State of Hawaii. What more do you want, affidavits from his parents? When have you ever been required to produce more than a state-issued birth certificate to prove you were born a U.S. citizen?
You also said:
Perhaps MMFA would care to address the many gaping holes in the arguments coming from other BHO supporters. They're constantly lying, misleading, and twisting themselves into knots to try to prove something that they say is cut-and-dried.
I understood you perfectly... Again, when was the last time you had to provide anything more than a state-issued certificate of birth to prove you are a U.S.-born American citizen. You ignore the fact that Obama has produced his certificate of birth, verified by the State of Hawaii. Or are you claiming that document is bogus? If so, what proof do you have?
For the umpteenth time: the state of HI has *never* verified that what's shown on BHO's sites (one of which has since disappeared off the web) matches what's on file. They've *never* verified where he was born.
The AP issued a distorted report about a 10/31 press release issued by HI's DOH (full text at the link), but that press release doesn't say anything about the picture of the cert on BHO's site nor does it say anything about where he was born. They only say they have a valid cert on file, but they don't say anything about what's on the cert.
Are you aware that none of this matters? Are you aware that the courts have never ruled on the precise meaning of "natural born citizen"? Are you aware that there is substantial evidence that President Chester A. Arthur was born in Canada? Are you aware that Barry Goldwater was born in the Arizona Territory, yet he ran without contest in 1964? Are you aware that George Romney ran for the Republican nomination in 1968 without contest, even though he was born in Mexico?
Are you aware that no court ever ruled that John McCain (born in Panama City) was eligible to run for president?
Are you aware that, as an American citizen with one American citizen for a parent, Barrack Obama is legally entitled to all of the rights of citizenship - and no court has ever ruled otherwise?
Are you aware that your screenname is about the only thing you have contributed that makes any sense at all?
[§338-17.8] Certificates for children born out of State. (a) Upon application of an adult or the legal parents of a minor child, the director of health shall issue a birth certificate for such adult or minor, provided that proof has been submitted to the director of health that the legal parents of such individual while living without the Territory or State of Hawaii had declared the Territory or State of Hawaii as their legal residence for at least one year immediately preceding the birth or adoption of such child.
So it sounds like a couple of things.
1. If my parents lived in Hawaii for at least a year, became pregnant, and while away from Hawaii gave birth outside of Hawaii, they could apply for my birth certificate saying I was a Hawaiian because of their residency there prior to my birth.
2. President Obama was already a legal adult by the time this law was passed. So this can't apply to him.
3. His mother is a citizen of the United States.
4. People really really really really really want to believe that he is ineligible to be President of the United States.
Because:
1. The law is clearly retroactive.
2. Adults can get certs for themselves.
Read the law again.
The long form Hawaii certificate is also called a "Certificate of Live Birth" - that is merely the name they use for a birth certificate in Hawaii.
President Obama has no control over what the State of Hawaiii sends pursuant to a legal request for a birth certificate.
Have you seen a birth certificate for any president, ever? Why is this an issue to you? Answer that question honestly. My guess would be that it is an issue because you don't want this particular man to be the president.
Bummer for you.
The original certificate with the doctor's signature was a form filled by hand in pen. I imagine a copy of the original may be in some warehouse somewhere in Harrisburg. But when anyone requests proof of citizenship what the state always issues is a copy of the information in the computer which is based on the information the state received from the hospital in 1948. I do not doubt that the computer may have the name of the doctor but any certificate issued today could not possibly have the doctor's signature. When the state records were computerized (I am not sure when Pennsylvania did that but I cannot imagine it was earlier than the eighties) databases could not contain graphical information. The signature on the certificate is that of the Assistant Secretary of Health for Vital Statistics, the official certifying that it is a true copy of the state records, not the signature of the doctor who is long dead.
I challenge anyone who does not have his or her original birth certificate to get a copy from the state where he or she was born with the doctor's signature.
Really? Can you find a real lawyer to back up that claim? Your own link shows nothing of the sort. It would be ludicrous to think that law is retroactive.
If this isn't true, please provide your true birth certificate, not that short 'lil thing but the one that lists the doctor that almost delivered you next to the real doctor that spanked your bottom, the nurse that took your temperature, the hospital not the one the state sez you were born in and, not one but two newspaper announcements of your birth and they can't be printed on anything but parchment.
Please note the date, August 21, 2008
Updated: November 1, 2008
Update, Nov. 1: The director of Hawaii’s Department of Health confirmed Oct. 31 that Obama was born in Honolulu.
[b]Update Nov. 1: The Associated Press quoted Chiyome Fukino as saying that both she and the registrar of vital statistics, Alvin Onaka, have personally verified that the health department holds Obama's original birth certificate.
State health director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said she has “personally seen and verified that the Hawaii State Department of Health has Sen. Obama’s original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures."
The document is a "certification of birth," also known as a short-form birth certificate. The long form is drawn up by the hospital and includes additional information such as birth weight and parents' hometowns. The short form is printed by the state and draws from a database with fewer details. The Hawaii Department of Health's birth record request form does not give the option to request a photocopy of your long-form birth certificate, but their short form has enough information to be acceptable to the State Department. We tried to ask the Hawaii DOH why they only offer the short form, among other questions, but they have not given a response.
Born in the U.S.A....
What I do not understand about your argument is why would Hawaii have any record if Obama was not born in the state? States only issue birth certificates or certification of live birth if the person was born in the state. Show me proof that any state issues any certificate related to birth for any person born outside of the state.
I am a retired state worker from Pennsylvania. In my years working for the state I saw thousands of birth certificate (and other documents) to verify citizenship and eligibility for government benefits. I saw documentation of births outside the United States. In every case like that the certificate was issued by the embassy in the country where the person was born or by some United States government agency. It was not issued by the state in which the parent claimed citizenship.
Just because I never saw that does not mean it has never happened in history somewhere. But you cannot just say without any verification that it happened in some case. Where is your proof of anything?
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/jun/27/obamas-birth-certificate-part-ii/
In case you didn't know, Janice Okubo is the spokesman for the Hawaii Department of Health.
Also, when I went to Canada in 2004 and applied for entry, I had to send a copy of my birth certificate, my driver license, a photo ID. There is not a birth certificate for Obama, no seal, no witnesses, just a copy that says his father was AFRICAN. Who in their right mind in 1961 uses the term "AFRICAN" to describe someone who is from the NEGRO race, someone who wanted in 2007 to be politically-correct. The "real" birth certificate is a Adobe Photoshopped version of a documenet from 1961. The problem is, if Obama really is not an American, all Obama's decisions would be MOOT and we would see him get on the helicopter like Nixon. We would then see probably the largest upheaval of rioting the world has ever seen. We have all sworn to uphold the Constitution.
Also, the designation, "Negro" would not suggest a place of birth, since we had, at the time, "Negroes" in America, as well. "African" would clearly designate the father as non-American.
Also, there is absolutely no court ruling that defines "natural born American" - never, hasn't happened, ever. Even if he was born in Kenya, as long as he has one parent holding American citizenship, he could easily be a "natural born American", since there is no legal definition anywhere that defines "natural born citizen".
Funny, isn't it, that none of the Birthers talk about that?
You really ought to do some reasearch beyond reading the garbage written by people with an agenda.
Yes.... there has been. It's the exact same document that you, me, and every single other American uses to prove a live birth whenever and wherever we go to get into college or join the military, or get a drivers license --->
Just because you are not claiming that he was not born outside the US, you are claiming that not enough evidence exists...
And you don't see the stupidity in that?
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For the umpteenth time: the state of HI has *never* verified that what's shown on BHO's sites (one of which has since disappeared off the web) matches what's on file. They've *never* verified where he was born.
The AP issued a distorted report about a 10/31 press release issued by HI's DOH (full text at the link), but that press release doesn't say anything about the picture of the cert on BHO's site nor does it say anything about where he was born. They only say they have a valid cert on file, but they don't say anything about what's on the cert.
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If anyone wants to make me look bad, find any statement from HI's governor in which HI's governor directly states that BHO was born in HI.
You can actually do CNN a good turn - and make me look bad - by finding any form of valid documentation - i.e., a clear statement directly from HI's governor - that matches CNN's claim.
Note: I'm not talking about hearsay or a distorted AP report. I mean, find the actual original documentation of HI's gov. "validating" BHO's cert as CNN claimed. That must be an actual original quote from HI's gov in which she said anything like that.
Why would they have the "original birth certificate" if he wasn't born in Hawaii?
Direct quote from the Hawaii Department of Health.
Learn what "pwned" is and you might understand what's happened to you on this strand.
I know I didn't. I didn't have to sign anything stating that this is where I got the birth certificate. I didn't have to document anything, and have anybody sign anything.
They throw around "Chain of Custody" but have no clue what it really means.
As I said in an earlier post, you're lying, delusional, or both. Proof HAS been provided. The birth certificate HAS been provided. Pay attention.
"It's a valid Hawaii state birth certificate," spokesman Janico Okubo told us.
There was also Hawaiian official that said something like, 'yes, we have it and it's in accordance with our policies.' For some that says it all, and for others it says nothing.
Both of the above are important to the 'birthers' because (apparently) at that time in Hawaii, people could register foreign-born children and get a Hawaiian birth certificate.
Personally -- i've taken a step back and am willing to watch where this goes for a while. I don't think there's much progress being made on either side and there are much more important issues facing the country. ;)
;)
1. The birth of Barack Obama was filed into record on August 8, 1961, just 4 days after the birth date (August 4). So, for your supposition to be true, after giving birth, Stanley Ann Durham would have to fly back on a multi-day trip (remember, air travel wasn't as common, or as cheap in 1961) in order to get back to Hawaii to swear to the state that he was born in Hawaii just after 4 days of giving birth. Durham must be Wonder Woman to pull that off.
2. While Foreign births can be registered, they cannot get a birth certificate that says that their place of birth is "Honolulu". Nobody has ever shown that to be true.
Going to be hard to get as both of them are dead. If they were alive would these help? I do not think so. If the Dr. who delived Obama stepped forward he would be called a lier to his face. These people do not care about the truth only what they think.
You just earned your $50 from the right-wing think tank that pays you to speak their stupid.
Here's a question for ya,
Do you believe that the left-wing Barack Obama defenders invented a time machine for the sole purpose of creating an out for them with this birth announcement found in the August 13th, 1961 addition of a weekly advertiser??? --->
Just wondering about just how stupid some people really want or need to be in order to hide their deep seeded fears that a black man lives in the White House and goes by the name Mr. President
2. From my comment at mediamatters.org/columns/200907230005#529507
4. Neither announcement listed a birth place or hospital, and no one has ever provided proof that such announcements could have only come from the birth hospital... Why isn't MMFA mentioning that the possibility that the announcements were planted by BHO's grandparents in expectation of a custody battle? That doesn't mean they did that. However, isn't MMFA misleading you when they only state one outrageous possibility rather than stating other more reasonable possibilities? Is MMFA dumb, or do they think you are?
This whole thing defies logic, wackjob.
What you'd have to show is that it was impossible for them to have placed those announcements for whatever reason. And, no one has done that nor can they give that it was almost five decades ago.
Oh my God! A perfect example of the impossibility of proving a negative. Since you are making an unbelievable claim, it is not up to us to prove that, not the other way around.
That is the reason court after court is dismissing the foolish claim about Obama being born in another country...
You can suspect all you want...without evidence it goes nowhere..
Every American citizen SHOULD KNOW the law requires that "the necessity of proof always lies with the person who lays charges".
No one has to show or provide diddly squat! YOU make the charge, YOU provide EVDIENCE.
Unbelievable nonsense. You failed to show how that theory makes a bit of sense at all. You were asked to explain it, and you skipped town.
Maybe there were two other people with the exact same names as Obama's parents, who had a child on the exact same day Obama was born. It's not impossible, so now we have to give that notion credibility as well, right?
So you now admit that all you have is unsupported speculation. That's a start.
I think its gonna be hard for you to prove over the internet what captfoster2 is saying about you is indeed too hard to somehow link back to you. This could be such as an entity that has paid you (through advertising or otherwise)that also feels they way captfoster2 said as quoted "right-wing think tank that pays you to speak their stupid"
Burden of proof is yours...not his. And "I'm not in anyone's pay." is not proof.
because it is cut-and-dried, you logic-impaired, brainless dolt who one day aspires to reach the level of idiot.
At some point you would think that a 'civilized' society like America with its oh so wonderful justice system would put a stop to these kinds of frivolous lawsuits?
Oh wait, only people with broken bodies due to careless corporations are frivolous.
How dare I forget...
I have a better question: how has she not been charged with public incitement against the government of the United States?
Add G. Gordon Liddy to the birther list. Saw him on the teevee asking where the name of the hospital was on the suspicious birth certificate. Not that anybody's surprised by Liddy jumping on any passing crazy Train.
Respectfully yours,
crazyinxs
link
The authors of the article state that they got a birth certificate, and then "e-mailed it to the Hawaii Department of Health, which maintains such records, to ask if it was real."
Now take a look at the birth certificate mailed. It states that Obama was born in Honolulu. Let me state again: a Hawaiian official affirmed the authenticity of the document that states Obama was born in Hawaii. That means, being born there, Obama is a natural born citizen.
It is up to the birthers to show why we shouldn't believe Janice Okubo, the Hawaiian official who confirms Obama's birth.
Is out nut job still out there?
Wikipedia:
An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin: "argument to the man", "argument against the man") consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to a characteristic or belief of the person making the argument or claim, rather than by addressing the substance of the argument or producing evidence against the claim.
Now my kids birth records states "Certificate of Vital Record" and looks like a computer print out. It has minimal info on it - my wife's name, my name, child's name, sex, DOB, city of birth, and date filed. What's interesting is at the bottom it says "I certify that this document contains a true and correct reproduction of facts on file with the Wisconsin Vital Records Office." This is then signed by the State Registrar.
Now let me summarize that for you birthers who are congitively impaired - the modern document specifically states it's a "...true and correct reproduction..." YOU DON'T ACTUALLY GET THE FREAKIN' ORIGINAL DOCUMENT!!!!!!
Finally, to answer the question of why doesn't our president release the document (assuming he could)? Very simple, he isn't going to fall into the same trap that Clinton fell in. Bill spent a large portion of fighting off bogus and irrelevant charges, conspiracy theories, etc. This limited the amount of governing he could do because he was constantly tied up with a bunch of frivolous accusations.
In closing, if you birthers don't like Obama as president, that is your right. However, the vast majority of Americans voted for him and support his efforts. It is not your right to distract him from performing his duties that WE elected him to do.