Several Sources Get it Right on Birther Issue
Jul 26 2009
As a follow up to our discussion about the Birther ‘controversy’, I wanted to share an excellent short segment from today’s Reliable Sources on CNN. Reliable Sources nails the issue and is right on point, an example of intelligent news coverage of a less than intelligent news phenomenon.
Video captured by Think Progress and provided by YouTube.
Update
Take a look at Politico’s coverage of the issue and how Republicans are going to deal with it here. Interesting read, sad, but interesting.
On July 27th, the health director of Hawaii issued another statemement confirming that she has seen the birth certificate and that it is authentic.
I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the Hawai’i State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawai’i State Department of Health verifying Barrack Hussein Obama was born in Hawai’i and is a natural-born American citizen.
But that hasn’t stopped the birthers of course, as the latest World Net Daily article shows.
The opinion section of the Wall Street Journal has a piece today by James Taranto that all but declares an end to the issue of President Obama’s eligibility to hold the office. The article also contains a very astute section about why the issue won’t go away:
Will the House resolution satisfy the birthers? Don’t hold your breath. Conspiracy theories are by nature unfalsifiable, since all evidence against them is recast as evidence of the conspiracy’s breadth and effectiveness.
The resolution mentioned in the quote is House of Representatives Resolution 593, which passed with a unanimous 378-0 vote. The resolution included the following language:
Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961
But as Taranto points out, this will make little difference. The real motivations of this effort has little to do with citizenship. This was all just a tactic, a salvo that will undoubtedly be followed by several more in the effort to remove President Obama from power.
Discussion
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If Mr. obama has a vault Birth Certificate to prove that he is Constitutionally qualified to run for the office of President of the United States, and if he has nothing to hide, why doesn’t he just show it and bring this important question to an end. Why does he have an army of lawyers preventing access to his vault copy birth certificate and his college records? John McCain, a proven loyal American and War Hero, was required to show the vault copy of his birth certificate, and then was subjected to the vetting process. Mr. obama was not required to do either. He got a free pass. As private citizens, we are required in certain instances, to show a vault copy of our birth certificates. We can hire all the lawyers in the world, or bring an army of witnesses who claim to have seen us born in the US, I won’t get our documents till we show a vault copy of our birth certificate because that’s the law. How come it’s the law for us and not for him, maybe because he’s a Democrate………..Ya think?…….Naaaaah.
George
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/a-renewed-debate-about-obamas-birth-certificate/2/
A vault copy was also show to Fact Check.org, an a-political organization, who also verified its authenticity. The long form document others claim to want to see was not started in Hawaii until 1991, so all that was kept was the cover page, which is available widely on the internet.
By what authority does Dr. Chiyome Fukino, a State-level official and employee, use to make any sort of declaration as to the eligibiliy of any candidate for office?
See this article for a good analysis of what she said previously and now:
Certifigate: Fukino “Declares” Natural Born Citizenship; Radio Talkers Lose Jobs on Eligibility
http://www.therightsideoflife.com/?p=6815
Here is an interesting excerpt:
“Now this is a subtle change from Fukino’s previous statement. In the original statement, Fukino says that she has personally seen the original birth certificate. OK, lets’ take her at her word. Hawaii has the original document.
Now, watch the language Fukino uses in her latest declaration — “I…have seen the original vital records maintained on file…”
Those are two completely different statements. In the first, she is describing a document — a piece of paper. In the second she is describing an electronic data set — data stored on a disc. Fukino is carefully parsing her words and clearly dissimulating, but why?
Now let’s examine what USA Today is reporting: “Hawaii’s health director reiterated this afternoon that she has personally seen Obama’s birth certificate in the Health Department’s archives.”
That statement is false. It is not what Fukino said. Fukino did not say, “she has personally seen Obama’s birth certificate in the Health Department’s archives” — and USA Today even put their made-up statement within quotes.”
I am a retired USAF nurse corps officer. I just looked at my “birth certificate” which has the embossed seal and signature from the Alameda county recorder. I was born in Berkeley, California in 1953. Guess what. My “birth certificate” states at the top “Certificate of Live Birth”. As all military officers must be US citizens do I have to give back all my medals? How about my pension and TRICARE.
Allyson Maes Major USAF NC
Major Cook is a REAL SOLDIER obeying his Oath to defend the Constitution against ALL ENEMIES foreign or DOMESTIC.
The term natural born citizen was first codified in writing in colonial reference books in 1758 in the legal reference book “Law of Nations.”
BOOK 1, CHAPTER 19 Section 212 Citizens and Natives
“The natives, or NATURAL BORN CITIZENS, are those born in the country, of PARENTS who are citizens.— The country of the FATHER therefore is that of the CHILDREN.— I say then in order to be of the Country, it is necessary that a person be born of a FAther who is a citizen: for if he is born of a foreigner, it will only be the place of his birth, and not his Country.”
That legal reference book was used by John Jay, who later went on to become the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Jay had the clause inserted into the Constitution via a letter he wrote to George Washington, the leader of the Constitutional Convention. Jay was considered the outstanding legal scholar of his time and he was the one responsible for inserting that term into the U. S. Constitution, which was derived from the “Law of Nations”.
John Jay wrote: “Permit me to hint, whether it would be wise and reasonable to provide a strong check to the admission of Foreigners into the administration of our national Government; and to declare expressly that the Commander in Chief of the American army shall not be given to nor devolve on, any but a natural born Citizen.”
By his own addmission Barack Obama states his FATHER was a Native of Kenya and a Btitish Subject. Any Constituional Scholar can only state that based on the Laws considered by the FRAMERS of the Constitution that he is not a natural born citizen, and that he has managed to make a mockery of our Constitution, and has an agenda subversive to the welfare of this Nation.
It is the duty of every Officer to asscertain that any order he recieves complies with all of the laws that govern the actions they are invloved in.
Never before in the HIstory of our Nation has a situation like this arisen, and it behoves us all not to just follow blindly but research all the necessary laws rules and regulations, and then follow our conscience.
The lawsuit Kerchner vs. Obama specifically addresses Obama’s ineligibility to be President because he is not a “Natural Born Citizen” as required by the U.S. Constitution. Plaintiff attorney Mario Apuzzo has a website ( http://puzo1.blogspot.com/ ) and has posted a wealth of information about the meaning of the term “Natural Born Citizen” including historical references and Supreme Court Decision citations about this very important phrase. He points out Obama could be a citizen but is NOT a Natural Born Citizen.
Those claiming Obama is a citizen therefore end of story seem to deliberately ignore the framers intent for including this very important phrase. All U.S. citizens are not Natural Born Citizens.
Also, all need to remember, to date the courts have refused to hear any of the many Obama suits on their merits. Excuses as vacuous as “the issue has been blogged and twittered” have been used to dismiss the suits. No documents have been subpoenaed and no sworn testimony has been required.
Until these lawsuits get a full and fair hearing and the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the merits all military officers are obliged by their solemn voluntary oaths to Protect and Defend the Constitution – not the person in the office of the Presidency.
Remember:
“I, (name), having been appointed an officer in the (specific service) of the United States, as do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the
Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.” (DA Form 71, 1 August 1959, for officers.)