The Obama is not a citizen/birth certificate story, once again for posterity in the Chicago Tribune:
An anti-tax activist from upstate New York who is questioning whether President-elect Barack Obama is a “natural born citizen” eligible for the nation’s top job said Tuesday that his non-profit group spent “tens of thousands of dollars” to get his message across in ads in the Chicago Tribune this week.
Robert L. Schulz, 69, chairman of We The People Foundation, took out ads Monday and Wednesday to raise questions about whether Obama’s Hawaii certificate of live birth is authentic.
The ads echo accusations circulated online by some Obama opponents before the election. Cases challenging Obama’s citizenship have been tossed out of courts in several states, and Hawaiian officials have vouched for the authenticity of Obama’s birth certificate, which is locked in a state vault. The Obama campaign likewise has always dismissed the accusations.
Nevertheless, some critics remain dubious.
While Andy McCarthy and Pam Atlas will probably keep the faith, the rest of you out there should probably just come to grips with the facts- Obama is a citizen, Obama won the election, Obama is picking his cabinet, and Obama will be the next President. There is not going to be some sort of magical discovery that proves he is not a citizen and the lunatics were right all along.
He won. He is an American. Get over it.
(via)
Jeff
But even Obama admitted he is not a natural born citizen.
Jon Hansen
I think they’re still hoping that something like this from The Simpsons will happen:
El Cid
Also, income taxes are un-Constitutional and there’s a guy out there who’ll show you how you never have to pay ’em again if you just give him a certain amount of money for his special, foolproof instructions, and plus he’ll throw in the secret history of the carburetor that let you run cars on water.
AnneLaurie
Keep it up, Mr. Cole, and they’re going to start questioning whether *YOU* are really a U.S. citizen…
Jon Hansen
@Jon Hansen: Darn it, I hoped it would blockquote the whole way through. Curses!
Tom65
Who – TechDude and Larry Johnson? RiverDaughter? Daragh Murphy? Who gives a flying fuck?
NonyNony
You’re talking about a mindset (if not the very same people) who considered Bill Clinton illegitimate as president. They’ll find any reason – no matter how thin – to keep themselves from having to admit that a Democrat was legitimately elected to the POTUS. The fact that it’s a black dude with a "foreign" name makes it that much more infuriating for them, but even if he were a white dude named "Richard Cunningham" they’d find some reason to declare his presidency illegitimate.
At least he won by a legitimate majority, unlike Clinton or Bush the Lesser. With those two there were always arguments about not having at least 50% of the vote or having stolen the election that could be framed in fairly reasonable ways. With Obama if you scream about him stealing the election you’re going to look like as big a nutter as someone trying to make the case that Reagan stole his election. Your fellow travelers may nod sagely in agreement, but everyone else is either going to laugh at you or back away slowly, depending on how dangerous you happen to look.
JasonF
Why are cranks like this getting attention and legitimacy? If I went to the Chicago Tribune and offered to buy an ad stating that the moon landing was faked, that 9-11 was an inside job, or that the Holocaust never happened, I bet I’d be told "thanks but no thanks." And if they did decide to take my money and then run a piece debunking me, I doubt they would say "Some critics remain dubious." I would hope they would say something more like "The facts do not seem to deter some conspiracy theorists."
J.
He won. He is an American. Get over it.
You tell ’em, John.
Besides, we have much bigger issues to worry about right now, like what really happened to Bill Richardson’s beard?
Caidence (fmr. Chris)
I would like to say (and partially reiterate from the other thread) that this newspaper needs to be lauded to the sky for actually daring to state something as fact.
BUT, if you look at it, there’s
MOREMOAR.Yes, really! This is the same newspaper that ran the advertisements! They took their press money, ran the ad, and then turned around and said "BTW, that advert was complete bullshit."
I’m in love.
Xenos
Instead of remarking on why this never dies, ask why people who surely know better keep the issue alive regardless of all evidence and legality.
I fear they are trying to dupe a lot of dumb, ignorant, bigoted people into thinking that Obama can not be the president legitimately, so that a few dumb, ignorant, bigoted persons are disinhibited from acts of violence against Obama. It worked with the Clintons, of course, so why not try it again?
justme
Ah, the new Clenis.
And some of y’all thought we had seen Peak Wingnut already. Ha! There’s more to be drawn out of that poisoned well yet.
Anybody who thinks that Teh Crazy is just going to wither up and blow away just because of inconvenient things like facts hasn’t been watching all that closely. See: "Michelle Obama’s $30k ring" as simply one example of the genre.
I mean, come on. From folks that bring us this sort of humor, there’s some sort of end in sight? Pammykins has all sorts of new crap up on the birth certificate thing. They just aren’t going to let this go. Good, say I. Let ’em rave. The more light shone on their batshittery the better.
topolski
With his ad campaign mr schultz is simply spreading the wealth around. In these troubled economic times that’s the patriotic thing to do.
That One - Cain
@JasonF:
Shut up! I blame you for balloon-juice being slow! Thanks to you and your little skit, and your star power, we got people surfin this place constantly. My BALLOON-JUICE EXPERIENCE IS SLOW! I HATE YOU!
[/FUME]
cain
Linkmeister
Take note of the Obama entry at Conservapedia, which I wrote about this morning.
Some of our fellow citizens are bonkers.
Montysano (All Hail Marx & Lennon)
Stop the presses!
Obama to buy ring worth gazillion $$$ for Michelle!
[email protected]!
Oh wait………..never mind.
Damn….. I thought we had him dead to rights, readhanded as it were, caught in the act of … um, spending his own money.
Punchy
You, my amigo, apparently have never read the Trib. It’s not quite as blantantly and unapologetically right as the WashTimes or WSJ, but it’s extremely partisan. Their op-eds read like transcripts from Hannity’s show. They’re scumbag fucks, and it doesn’t surprise me at all that they’d run this shit.
Calouste
So we have someone who rather wastes tens of thousands of dollars on newspaper adverts than paying tax?
And that is prudent and responsible in which way?
And can we refer to Robert L. Schultz as a "convicted tax fraud" rather than just "anti-tax activist"?
Comrade Stuck
We all value our lunatics at the Funhouse, and can’t imagine a world without our hysterical friends on the right (and some on the left) . Think about it. Without them, this insightful thread could not have been written, and we would be reduced to only discussing serious policy and stuff. Yuck that!
Remember.
All work and no wingnuttery to mock makes for teh dull blog.
Comrade Kevin
Is this some sort of new Internet Tradition I have not been made aware of yet?
Posey
For some ungodly reason, I bookmarked Pam’s "Atlas Shrugs" site years ago. It is still there, because every now and then I need to remind myself that narcissism and monomania are still alive and well. She posts a photo of herself with every pseudo-VIP she interviews. She posted a video made of herself talking in a ladies’ room for God’s sake! I don’t know how she keeps track of the conspiracy theories she promotes.
She is the best means test there is for whatever bizarre thought that comes down the road. If she likes it, it is out-of-the-question-nuts, and that should settle the birth certificate question. Nuts.
jaime
I don’t know whether Larry Johnson is just peddling BS for the hits and ad revenue (Valerie Plame isn’t exactly the topic du jour) or he truly is some psycho sitting in his kitchen wearing a Santa Suit booking a hijackable flight on hotwire.
The Moar You Know
@El Cid: Gosh, El Cid, it’s funny you should mention that.
From John’s linked article, which is extra-lulzy given that this is the same paper that ran the ads:
Goddamn Gubbmint, always trying to kneecap the small businessman.
stevie314159
I interpret "natural born citizen" to be someone not delivered by Caesarian section.
Do you know if Obama was delivered naturally?
Jeff
@stevie314159: But are Epidurals allowed in your definition?
chsw
Whether Obama is a "natural-born" citizen, not simply a citizen, is what’s being debated. However, I have a different theory as to what’s happening. I think that Obama’s lawyers have the necessary documents. However, they also see Obama’s record pile of campaign cash. Therefore, a case that should have been decided (and dismissed) in 10 minutes of court time is being prolonged for the billable hours.
chsw
Laura W
@That One – Cain: Two days ago I asked John if he wanted us to start a petition to get him on Rachel, or Maher, or KO. Little did I know the very next night he (sort of) would be on Rachel!
Can you imagine what would happen to this site if he were to make a personal appearance? I mean, Nate nearly has his own action figure, for christ’s sake.
Incertus
@justme: Nah, the new Clenis is the same as the old Clenis, only now it’s whether or not Hillary Clinton will be constitutionally eligible to be the Secretary of State, thanks to something known as the "Emoluments Clause." Apparently, that’s not Santa’s brand of hemorrhoid cream after all.
SnarkyShark
Comrade Kevin
Wolverines is a reference to Red Dawn(tm). Red Dawn is masturbation material for all the keyboard Komandos of the right.
So when they think they have had another Dan Rather moment it becomes "Wolverines bitches!".
Then shorten that and wa-la!
To be fair, this is a recent tradition never really practiced by the lunatic fringe Malkinites. B Juicers just assigned the snark and thus a new tradition was welped.
The fact that no righty blogger actually said this is inconsequential as making up shit about those fools has no repercussions. It’s like torturing cockroaches. No one cares or thinks less of anyone who does it.
Nylund
I suggest all these people spend all their time and money on a fact-finding mission to Kenya, Indonesia, etc. Even if they have to spend the rest of their lives on the other side of the world, I support their decision to stay there until they find the proof they are looking for.
Origuy
Let’s start a rumor that Ann Dunham is actually Anna Stansdottir from Iceland, and never became a US citizen. Iceland’s economy needs an influx of cash.
Punchy
Shouldn’t that read "naturally born citizen" if it’s to be grammatically correct? Pretty sure "naturally" is the adverb that describes the adjective, "born". Unless you place a hyphen between the two words, I do believe that I’m correct.
Comrade Stuck
No, and I fear the horror of that occurrence would shake the free world. Not to mention a Heather Wilson meltdown.
Nim, ham hock of liberty
To the contrary, the actual lawsuits that have been brought have been nipped in the bud in just about the fastest way possible; i.e., not even answering the complaint, but going directly to immediate motions to dismiss.
Which is why the nutters are running around claiming that Obama is trying to "avoid" discovery – i.e., the part of the case where Obama would have to start producing documents.
I doubt all of this tempest in a teapot is costing Obama anything. It’s almost certainly costing him less than if the cases that had been filed hadn’t been nuked before they even got off the ground.
Krista
The whole damn thing just cracks me up. If his citizenry could not be disproven during the Dems’ vetting process, the ugly-as-sin Democratic Primary race, AND the Presidential race itself…what do these idiots think they’re going to find that NOBODY else could?
I think these are just people who are so sheltered and clueless that they automatically assume that any non-white with an ethnic-sounding name had to have been born elsewhere.
Chuck Butcher
@Comrade Stuck: No, and I fear the horror of that occurrence would shake the free world. Not to mention a Heather Wilson meltdown.
Would anyone be able to get along with JC? Think of the repercussions on Tunch – celebrities aren’t allowed fat-cats, especially in left circles.
Formica
Pammykin’s website feels like Timecube had an illegitimate butt-baby with LGF.
But then, I was educated by stupid, one-cornered word gods who deny cubic creation, so I suppose I’d see it that way regardless.
Comrade Dread
Other things Obama must prove:
That he was not the gunman in the Vince Foster ‘suicide’.
That he did not fire the magic bullet.
That he did not secretly move all of Saddam’s WMDs to Syria.
That he is not secretly the product of time-traveling Nazis sowing Hitler’s DNA throughout Africa around the late 18th century who genetically engineered his great grandfather in an effort to create a half Aryan, half Muslim, Super-Nazi President.
dmsilev
Actually, Obama himself has admitted that he’s an alien. At the Al Smith charity dinner, he denied rumors that he was born in a manger, but did say that he was born on the planet Krypton and was sent here by his father Jor-El to save humanity.
Open and shut case, I’d say.
-dms
Crazy C
Most of the people from the We the People foundation are a little off – they’re real concerned with the IRS infiltrating their organization. I think they finally got charged with something a year or two ago, but they seem to have kept operating since then.
Jeff
@dmsilev: You missed the first comment.
Litlebritdifrnt
Sheesh do you guys not get it, it is OBVIOUS, a) Obama is declared ineligible to be president, b) Biden is killed (either dies unexpectedly or is shot) c) Nancy Pelosi dies from botox overdose d) Hillary is president! (did I get the order of succession right?) Ya know the fact that you guys don’t even get this is sad, NoIQ, His44, and the rest have been on this like white on rice since the nomination thing was done. You can’t get to d) until you get a) done. See? You think Hillary is 44 are going to give up ever?
Laura W
@Litlebritdifrnt: Omigod. It’s totally clear now. Thank you so much!
(Yellow Tail 2008 Riesling
+3
It’s yummy!)
Shygetz
Indeed, it is central to my point.
/Doughy Pantload
Litlebritdifrnt
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Laura: As usual Yellow tail Cabernet/Shiraz + 3 :)
Litlebritdifrnt
PS) Laura Reisling is way too sweet for me, I like my wine dry and chunky (as we have discussed), the only time I like a reisling is when I buy a Blue Nun for the blue bottle :)
Laura W
@Litlebritdifrnt: Did I tell you the Shiraz is now my fave YT red? Excellent.
I know the Riesling is sweet, but it’s all I had* and I was in my jammies early and not changing just for a wine run.
(*Besides 6 bottles of Mumm sparklers which I was saving for the holidays and Nov 20.
Which, of course, I will consider the closer I get to empty on the Riesling.)
Blue Nun…sweet nectar elixir of my college years. Omigod. The memories.
The vomitfests.
The stomach pumps.
(not me…my BF.)
Wilson Heath
Funny, the typical tax protester arguments also get citizenship dead wrong. What now, he’s a citizen of Illinois and not D.C. so Obama is not subject to income tax or eligible to be president? Douchebag.
Litlebritdifrnt
Laura – actually I really like a blue nun over a glass of ice, (the way I like any white wine these days), if I could get a really decent Chablis, and chill it to the point of almost being frozen then I would love it, but alas getting a decent Chablis in the US is a lost cause.
Comrade Kevin
@SnarkyShark:
Thank you. I haven’t seen that movie, so didn’t catch the reference.
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Reisling is too sweet, but you like Blue Nun???
Laura W
@Comrade Kevin:
Thank you! I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out why she would want to trick me into buying, and drinking, a bottle of Blue Nun.
I really thought she sort of liked me.
Ash Can
@Punchy: The Trib is partisan, all right, and I admit it’s been a while since I’ve read their op-eds. However, its editorial board was still sensible enough to endorse Obama in the primary and the general election, after sitting down with him and grilling him about such issues as Tony Rezko and whatever else may have been on their minds (maybe even birth certificates).
And, oh God, you guys can do SO much better than Blue Nun for a riesling (or any other semi-sweet German wine, complete with blue bottle), for comparable cost.
Zuzu's Petals
@Nim, ham hock of liberty:
In much the same way the nutters were/are still running around claiming that Kerry is trying to "avoid" discovery, elsewise he would have sued those Sleaze Boaters for defamation.
Ted
Folks, this is NOT rocket science.
Since the Constitution’s Article II requires our President to be a “natural born citizen” (not merely a “citizen” as allowed for those living when the Constitution was enacted), meaning both parents were US “citizens” when the child was born (altho parents need not be “natural born” citizens), there’s NO WAY Obama can be President — regardless of being born in Kenya OR Hawaii — that is, to be “natural born citizen” (as opposed to being a “citizen”) being born on American soil is insufficient unless both parents are “citizens”. Obama’s dad was NOT an American citizen. He was a citizen of the UK (administering Kenya at the time).
Case closed.
CIRCVS MAXIMVS MMVIII
@Jon Hansen:
That doesn’t happen without adding an opening and closing paragraph between each new paragraph. Like this:
demimondian
@Ted: You’re right, of course. Now that you put it that way, it’s clear that the President-elect isn’t the President-elect, because his father was a scary -black- African guy.
Dennis - SGMM
@Ted:
Ted, you don’t mind if I call you Theodore, do you? Well, Theodore, you’re right: it isn’t rocket science – it’s law. You seem to know as little about the one as the other.
Comrade Kevin
@Eddie Baby:
You’re right, it’s not rocket science. That’s probably another subject you know nothing about.
Go back to No Quarter or whatever shithole you climbed out of.
Dennis - SGMM
@CIRCVS MAXIMVS MMVIII:
You forgot to include using Shift+Enter to add an empty line between paras without breaking up the blockquote.
CIRCVS MAXIMVS MMVIII
Well, perhaps that’s another method that I’m unaware of, I don’t use it. I’m showing how it’s done, that’s all. If you have another way, go for it.
CIRCVS MAXIMVS MMVIII
I’ve linked a graphic to my name, in case anyone wants to see the code. Typing out opening and closing tags is a waste since they don’t show up in the HTML, so I’ve put them on a graphic instead. Just trying to help.
zoe kentucky
Would they be making such a stink over this if anyone who was around for Obama’s birth was still alive? Everyone in Obama’s family who could publicly and personally attest to the fact that Obama was born in Hawaii– his mother, father and maternal grandparents– are all deceased. Hell, even his grandmother died the day before he was elected. Nice scab for them to keep picking at, right?
Keep on digging, right-wing thugs, you’re only digging your own political grave. What’s next, frothing at the mouth while rambling about black helicopters?
John Spragge
Interestingly, the basic argument I use to dismiss the 9/11 inside job argument, that too many people would have to knowingly commit high treason, also applies to the allegations of an Obama conspiracy. Too many people would have to break too many laws to pull it off.
RememberNovember
Delusional is as delusional does.
Cyrus
Link?
passerby
@Nylund:
Echo that. Because wouldn’t they bear the burden of proof in this matter? I doubt they have the will and resources to actually engage in this fool’s errand. Those bringing these charges are just hoping that something will stick and would be happy to see this grow legs as media (and blog) fodder. Smear, smear, smear.
[email protected]:
Exactly. Hillary would’ve played this card during the kitchen sink portion of her campaign if she thought it had a snow ball’s chance in hell.
We passed the point of no return once millions of Americans voted in the General Election.
As John said:
Randall
Only one parent needs to be a US citizen.
They will have to prove that his mother wasn’t a citizen at the time of
his birth.
John Spragge
They want the electors to switch their votes (as "faithless electors"). I suspect John McCain puts up a special prayer every night that they don’t succeed. Because he really needs to go down in history as the guy who got elected by a conspiracy of faithless electors. And he couldn’t govern. Heck, anyone who thinks that John McCain could govern if he got elected under these circumstances, probably has a perspective as impaired as those who think they have "proof" of President-elect Obama’s birth in Kenya or wherever. The United States would have a four year constitutional crisis, just when you really need one.