Conservative Media Go On Attack After Release Of Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate

Right-wing media responded to the release of President Obama's long-form birth certificate by attacking the president and claiming that certain questions surrounding the document remain unanswered. Below is a sampling of the early attacks by conservative media following the release of Obama's long-form birth certificate.

Obama Released Birth Certificate To “Distract” From Bernanke's Press Conference

Beck “Theory”: Obama Released Birth Certificate Today To Distract From Bernanke Press Conference. From the April 27 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:

BECK: The President of the United States is about to speak shortly. Stations, we will carry it live, live, live on this program. Gas prices, sure, out of control. Middle East, sure, on fire. Ben Bernanke going to give the first press conference for the Fed for the first time in 97 years today, but today is the day the birth certificate is released. You have got to be kidding me. Are we really down to this? We're really down to this? The birth certificate? I mean, it was bad when we were down to the, you know, Final Four in the brackets, but now we've got the birth certificate talk and the president is going to hold a press conference.

Alright, first of all let me just tell you my theory: this is because Bernanke is speaking today. Watch the markets move today. Why is the Fed -- this is what I've been trying to figure out -- why is the Fed holding a press conference for the first time in 97 years? Why? Something is coming gang, something is coming. Now at the same day, the same time, why is the President of the United States choosing today to release the birth certificate?

[...]

BECK: There is no way this is being released today for no reason. There's no way. They've had this for two years -- three years this has been going on. This rumor was started by Hillary Clinton. This was a Clinton tactic. This was --

STU BURGUIERE (producer): The birther stuff?

BECK: Yes.

BURGUIERE: Yeah, I mean, people forget that because it was in the primary. That's when it was all coming out.

BECK: This was a Clinton tactic. So now they've had it since Clinton. They could have done this since Clinton. So why? [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 4/27/11]

Palin: “Don't Let The WH Distract You W/ The Birth Crt From What Bernanke Says Today.” In an April 27 post on her Twitter feed, Fox News contributor Sarah Palin wrote:

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[Sarah Palin's Twitter feed, 4/27/11]

Obama Took Too Long To Release His Birth Certificate

NRO's Goldberg: The Release Raises A “Perplexing Question”: “Why Did The WH Take Such Sweet Time Releasing” Obama's Birth Certificate? In an April 27 National Review Online blog post titled, “The New Burning Question,” Jonah Goldberg wrote:

I haven't studied the just released PDF of Obama's birth certificate. But assuming there's nothing in there about a birthmark that resembles the numbers “666” or about how his father worked for the KGB and -- of course -- assuming that the font in question matches typewriters of the time (Let's get Dan Rather on that): I figure this puts the birther thing to bed once and for all. Good.

But it does raise the perplexing question: If this was possible all along, why did the WH take such sweet time releasing it? Could it be that this White House, continuing a tactic used by Democrats for years, actually liked being able to cast their opponents -- often through guilt by association -- as paranoid nuts? No, that couldn't possibly be it. [National Review Online, The Corner, 4/27/11]

Fox's Kilmeade: “Why Did The President Wait So Long To Put The Birther Issue To Rest?” In an April 27 post on his Twitter feed, Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade wrote:

kilmeadetweet

[Brian Kilmeade's Twitter feed, 4/27/11]

Daily Caller: “Dear Mr. President: What Took You So Long?” From an April 27 article by Daily Caller congressional reporter Jonathan Strong headlined, “Dear Mr. President: What took you so long?”:

President Obama released his long form birth certificate Wednesday, only after years of speculation about the issue metastasized into a major political phenomenon he could no longer ignore.

But the question remains: Why did Obama, who has proudly vowed his administration would be the “most open and transparent in history,” wait so long?

[...]

Certainly, conspiracy theorists who peddled lies and half-truths on the issue - and there were many - are at fault for the explosion of the issue.

But did Obama provide them cover in failing to fully address a simple document request for over two years? [Daily Caller, 4/27/11]

Geller: “What Took So Long? And Why?” In an April 27 Atlas Shrugs post titled, “What Took So Long?” far-right blogger Pamela Geller wrote: “Today Obama announced he would finally release the long form of his birth certificate. As Obama continues to toy with and taunt the American people, you have to scratch your head and say, what took so long? And why? [Atlas Shrugs, 4/27/11]

It May Not Even Be Obama's Real Birth Certificate

FoxNews.Com: “White Houses Releases What It Says Is Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate.” On April 27, FoxNews.com posted the banner headline “White House Releases What It Says Is President Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate.”

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[FoxNews.com, 4/27/11]

  • FoxNews.com subsequently replaced the original banner headline with a headline that reads: “White House Releases Obama Birth Certificate.”

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[FoxNews.com, 4/27/11]

WND Placed Scare Quotes Around “Birth Certificate.” An April 27 WorldNetDaily article by Bob Unruh put scare quotes around the words “birth certificate” in the headline. The headline reads: “White House releases Obama 'birth certificate.' ” [WND, 4/27/11]

Birth Certificate Raises Significant Questions, Leaves Others Unanswered

WND's Farah: “There Are Still Dozens Of Other Questions Concerning This Question Of Eligibility That Need To Be Resolved.” In an April 27 article, WorldNetDaily's Bob Unruh wrote:

Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND, the only news agency that has waged a relentless investigative campaign on questions swirling around the Obama's eligibility for nearly three years, was elated at the turn of events.

“We're gratified that our work has begun to pay off,” he said. “The certificate of live birth is an absolutely vital foundation for determining constitutional eligibility of any president. We look forward to reviewing it like so many other Americans do at this late date. But it is important to remember there are still dozens of other questions concerning this question of eligibility that need to be resolved to assure what has become a very skeptical public concerning Barack Obama's parentage, his adoption, his citizenship status throughout his life and why he continues to cultivate a culture of secrecy around his life.” [WND, 4/27/11]

Prison Planet Highlights Farah Quote That Birth Certificate “Raises As Many Questions As It Answers.” In an April 27 article on Alex Jones' Prison Planet website headlined, “Obama Birth Certificate 'Raises As Many Questions As It Answers,' ” Prison Planet editor and writer Paul Joseph Watson quoted Farah as stating: “It would be a big mistake for everyone to jump to a conclusion now based on the release of this document, which raises as many questions as it answers.” Watson also wrote:

Despite some political commentators insisting that the White House release of what it claims to be Barack Obama's long form birth certificate represents the end of the “crazy birther fringe” movement, those who most fiercely pushed doubts surrounding the president's eligibility are not convinced.

While presumptive Republican candidate Donald Trump welcomed the release of the document, he was quick to cast suspicion as to why it took so long and if the certificate was even genuine.

Trump said it was “amazing” that the document surfaced “all of a sudden” after he had begun asking questions about the controversy, adding that the certificate should be analyzed to determine its authenticity.

Indeed, the Smoking Gun website has already compiled a list of inconsistencies found in the document, including asking, “If the original document was in a bound volume (as reflected by the curvature of the left hand side of the certificate), how can the green patterned background of the document's safety paper be so seamless?”

[...]

Since the American people have been habitually lied to about everything under the sun, with trust in government at an all time low, a PDF file put out directly by the Obama administration itself isn't going to make the furore die down at all, and will only lead to claims that the document is a carefully crafted fake. [PrisonPlanet.com, 4/27/11]