And I close off my first year (oh hell!) of blogging about and writing about these birthers, from back when they were cultists with the Cult of the COLB.
Seriously, I should have run screaming when I had the chance. I had NO idea that a simple 3-part debunking would have continued this long. In retrospect, the conspiracy myths around the Clintons should have been a tip-off (and indeed, many of the same people who spewed that bilge are now doing the same with the birther lies.
From PUMAs and Freepers and avowed racists, to sore losers and people convinced Obama's a muslim. Convolutely conspiracy theories and rejected lawsuits. Nothing has stopped the "true believer" in their plummet to the bottom of the gene pool.
For some, it's a strong disagreement with Obama's politics. But for others, it's the 1st amendment to their own personal Constitution, that "no g*dd*amn n*gger is going to be MY president!!"
Many of the birthers see a world of Black and White. Not of race per se, but an "you're with us or you're a traitor" mindset that denies any rational input. To them, no amount of evidence will be enough, the goalposts will be constantly in motion.
In 2012 or 2016, they will still be rocking back and forth, muttering about the "usurper" being led in shackles from the White House "....anyday now." And Gods only know what conspiracy theories they'll come up with by then.
The GOP is starting to realize the albatross around their neck. Time will only tell if they have the ability to shake it loose and rebuild their party, or if it will further fall to the extremists on the right.
Oppose Obama for his politics if you must (there are things he's doing I don't agree with either). But you can be the "loyal opposition" without buying into a sea of disproven lies, slanders, and unfounded hatred. I didn't support Bush's policies from 2001 to 2009, (I wish McCain had won in the 2001 primaries for that matter). But right or wrong, Bush was never "not my president". I didn't claim he wasn't a citizen, come up with bizarre theories about his family. I objected to him for his policies and actions.
People can object to a seated president without going down the yellow brick road into conspiracy land. We have a common ground, which is the United States of America. Not a red country, or a blue country, but a purple country made up of people that should work together for the common good.
Not supporting someone doesn't mean you have to believe every lie and slander about them though.
29 July - "Tulsa World" takes Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) to task for encouraging the birthers.
"Oh, senator. You could have done the right thing and dismissed this goofiness for what it is, and reminded people that there are far more important issues to worry about.
But, instead, you gave them some legitimacy. (Inhofe did at least say he is more interested in Obama's positions on such issues as health care and the environment.)
Those who pursue this whimsical notion that they can somehow remove Obama from office by proving that he is not a citizen are known as "birthers." Despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary, they insist that the president was not born in the U.S. and that he and goodness knows how many other people are involved in a conspiracy to hide that "fact."
Of course, the state of Hawaii has verified his 1961 birth certificate — Hawaii became a state in 1959 — but that is not enough for the "birthers." Even other Republicans have declared the conspiracy theory nonsense and have moved on.
But the "birthers," like the alien abduction believers, Kennedy conspiracy adherents, the Big Foot hunters and those who believe in the bogeyman, will not be deterred. We don't expect they will be. But it would have been nice if Sen. Inhofe had shown some statesmanship. We expect more of our leaders."
I repeat my theory that a pre-frontal lobotomy is a requirement for public service in Oklahoma.
30 July - And Steven Thomas of the McClatchy newspapers debunks the birthers claims AND plays the Sarah Obama tape to boot!
"The false allegation that President Barack Obama was born in another country is more than a fact-free hit job.
Marked by accusations and backstabbing, it's the story of how a small but intense movement called "birthers" rose from a handful of people prone to seeing conspiracies, aided by the Internet, magnified without evidence by eager radio and cable TV hosts, and eventually ratified by a small group of Republican politicians working to keep the story alive on the floors of Congress and the campaign trails of the Midwest.
It's a powerful story about what experts call political paranoia over a new face in a time of anxiety and rapid change — the sort of viral message that can take hold among a sliver of the populace that's ready to believe that the new president is a fraud, and just as ready to angrily dismiss anyone who disagrees as part of the conspiracy."
And as for the birthers themselves, here's what he says about Andy Martin:
"Martin has a history of inflammatory and often anti-Semitic comments. He once called a Chicago judge a "crooked, slimy Jew who has a history of lying and thieving common to members of his race." When he was preparing to run for office in Connecticut, one of his campaign documents said that a purpose of the campaign was to "exterminate Jew power." A court filing in 1983 stated that, "I am able to understand how the Holocaust took place, and with every passing day feel less and less sorry that it did."
And Dr. Orly:
"She once drove to a legal conference in Washington state to press Chief Justice John G. Roberts to consider Obama's citizenship; he declined to comment on any possible case as security officers prepared to escort her from the conference."
(snip)
Taitz boasts on her personal blog each time a prominent Republican, such as a member of Congress or Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, signs up as a "friend" on her Facebook account, although many public figures often sign off on such links routinely.
"I am in total disbelief and greatly honored," she said in one post on her blog. "It means that the leadership of the Republican Party understands the importance of the issues and legal cases I brought forward."
Not so fast, said RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho.
"Chairman Steele has thousands of Facebook friends. Obviously it doesn't mean he endorses the agendas of all of them," she said. "Chairman Steele believes this is an unnecessary distraction and that the president is a U.S. citizen. . . .Chairman Steele has other issues to take up with the president having to do with policy, not a birth certificate."
And Philip Berg:
"Berg, an attorney from Pennsylvania, has been described by the Allentown Morning Call as a "legal gadfly" and also has filed lawsuits unsuccessfully challenging Obama's citizenship and presidency."
(snip)
"Once allies with Orly Taitz — the two appeared together in December at the National Press Club — Berg has had a falling out with the Californian, who's won more media attention.
"Orly Taitz, esquire, must be disbarred," Berg said in June as he filed a lawsuit against her.
"Orly has been grabbing the headlines but doing disservice to the millions who want Obama to prove he is constitutionally eligible/qualified to be president. . . . Orly has only one case pending . . . I have three lawsuits pending."
And Jerome Corsi:
"Democrats weren't his only targets. He's said that Bush was secretly trying to surrender U.S. sovereignty to a new North American Union that would govern Canada, Mexico and the United States. "His secret agenda is to dissolve the United States of America into the North American Union," he wrote at one point.
Many mainstream conservatives recoiled at the North American Union conspiracy theory. Talk show host Michael Medved, for example, called it "paralyzing, puerile paranoia."
30 July - The Daily Beast's Max Blumenthal does an article on Dr. Orly.
"Almost as soon as Orly Taitz answered her cellphone, before I could even ask a single question, the leader of the movement determined to disprove President Obama’s American citizenship breathlessly told me the president was “connected” to 39 bogus Social Security numbers, including one for a deceased person born in 1890. “If Obama is not stopped, we will be in Nazi Germany!” Taitz, who has a thick Russian accent, shrieked. “Forgery is a criminal matter and he committed it. Obama should be in the Big House, not the White House!”"
Of course, in Dr. Orly's brain, the only real thing Obama is guilty of is PWPM (President While Presumed Muslim)
"Since Taitz’s “birther” campaign began, in the summer of 2008, during the late stages of the Democratic primaries, the dentist, lawyer, and mother of three has begun winning friends in high places. Taitz told me excitedly that since she opened her Facebook account, she has had to hire a staff of five to process the thousands of friend requests she receives each week."
There's a word I'm looking for here.....oh, right, bullshit.
"Among those requesting her online friendship, Taitz said, are House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Mary Bono (R-CA), and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. She has even received a request, she said, from someone saying they are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I personally checked [the request] and determined that it came from his office,” Taitz said."
I'm sure that's what the rats infesting your brain told you it was, yes.
“This is Nazi Germany! These are brownshirts in action!” Taitz exclaimed when asked about recent segments by Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, and Jon Stewart mocking her campaign and questioning her credibility. “Anybody who does not take Obama’s word at face value will be harassed by brownshirts like Rachel Maddow.”
You know, all kidding aside, Dr. Orly not only undercuts herself herself when she says things like this, but it really cheapens the phrase as well.
Dr. Orly, you want brownshirts?? Well, you're the one palling around with neo-nazis and various racist groups. If one was feeling nasty, they could even compare what you're doing to another phrase from Nazi Germany.
“I realized that Obama was another Stalin—it’s a cross between Stalinist USSR and Nazi Germany,” she said."
Which makes the almost-Stalinist way you treat your supporters, and constantly demonize anyone who dares disagree with you as some "enemy of the state" all the more ironic.
“Even if I have to be a punching bag, it is still better than listening to the silence from the mainstream media,” she said. “More and more people support me because they are sick and tired of the mainstream media acting like Nazi brownshirts and calling names.”
And calling people "Nazi brownshirts", "traitors", and other such terms ISN'T calling names???
Nitrous, it's a hellofa drug.
30 July - Someone's giving "Lame Cherry" a run in the crazy department. Namely "General Jedi Pauly, Acting, Self-Appointed, Unofficial, Original Jurisdiction Governor Of the Republic of Indiana".
"Jedi Pauly" seems to have a belief though his study of "natural law" that political loyalty and citizenship are gentically transmitted by the parents, with preference given to the father.
"The 14th Amendment did not change or eliminate that, which it can not do anyway, because the subject matter jurisdiction of natural inheritance is under the laws of nature, and not under the statutory authority of government, to eliminate it. Only GOD has that power! Congress can only PRESERVE AND PROTECT natural rights, not ELIMINATE THEM! We still get our citizenships by natural inheritance from our citizen parents."
And later:
"The first and most important test, in the qualifications for president, is your DAD. First, you look at your dad's citizenship when you are born. If he is an American citizen, then you INHERIT LOYALTY to your father's people, by the Laws of Nature, and they are Americans, so you are LOYAL to America and her people, and not some foreign dad's people, or country, or interests. This is the first and most essential qualification. If you fail this part of the test, because your dad is a foreign citizen, like Obama's dad, then you can not possibly inherit loyalty to America, and you DO NOT QUALIFY as a candidate for President. Next, you look at your mom. If she has a foreign citizenship, due to her foreign parents, then the President is subject to blackmail by foreign jurisdictions, by way of his wife's parents, and he is DISEMPOWERED to negotiate in the best interests of the American People, in TREATY NEGOTIATIONS! This is why NBC in Article II means INHERITED, from citizen parent(s), in order to force mom to be an American citizen, also of America, to protect and empower the President in his official duties, should he become President."
As for the father:
"Natural Law of Inherited Loyalties = Males are only born with one fixed loyalty, that is fixed by nature and logic to be only to his fathers tribe and people. Females are naturally born with the possibility of "split" loyalties because females can come from outside of the tribe, so females can be loyal to husbands tribe and home family tribe. Males are only naturally born with loyalty to only one tribe, dads tribe"
The stupid is strong in this padawan. Much stupid, much insanity does Yoda see. Open can of whipass on misguided fool, Yoda must, hmm?
30 July - Andrew C. McCarthy, Contributing Editor for the National Review wades into the birther waters, claiming that "The birth-certificate controversy is about Obama’s honesty, not where he was born"
"The mission of National Review has always included keeping the Right honest, which includes debunking crackpot conspiracy theories. The theory that Obama was born in Kenya, that he was smuggled into the U.S., and that his parents somehow hoodwinked Hawaiian authorities into falsely certifying his birth in Oahu, is crazy stuff. Even Obama’s dual Kenyan citizenship is of dubious materiality: It is a function of foreign law, involving no action on his part (to think otherwise, you’d have to conclude that if Yemen passed a law tomorrow saying, “All Americans — except, of course, Jews — are hereby awarded Yemeni citizenship,” only Jewish Americans could henceforth run for president). In any event, even if you were of a mind to indulge the Kenyan-birth fantasy, stop, count to ten, and think: Hillary Clinton. Is there any chance on God’s green earth that, if Obama were not qualified to be president, the Clinton machine would have failed to get that information out?"
The problem is that Mr McCarthy, in an attempt to prove so-called "dishonesty" of Obama, manages to then barf up just about every single birther claim that a "Certification isn't the same as a Certificate" and that he was a "Muslim Citizen of Indonesia", the "mysterious trip to Pakistan he took in 1981, after Zia’s coup, when advisories warned Americans against traveling there"
He THEN cites Larry Johnson of "Whitey Tape" fame.
"There’s speculation out there from the former CIA officer Larry Johnson — who is no right-winger and is convinced the president was born in Hawaii — that the full state records would probably show Obama was adopted by the Indonesian Muslim Lolo Soetoro and became formally known as “Barry Soetoro.” Obama may have wanted that suppressed for a host of reasons: issues about his citizenship, questions about his name (it’s been claimed that Obama represented in his application to the Illinois bar that he had never been known by any name other than Barack Obama), and the undermining of his (false) claim of remoteness from Islam. Is that true? I don’t know and neither do you. "
Shades of TexasDarlin's Judah Benjamin !
McCarthy is using the same old tired lies about Obama to try and prove that Obama is being dishonest. It's a very classic "when did you stop beating your wife" argument, and shows a severe case of intellectual dishonesty on the part of McCarthy.
30 July - And from the Wall Street Journal, what they optimistically call The last word on President Obama’s place of birth. Obviously they don't know the birthers well at all if they think that.
"Several readers have written over the past few days taking us to task for dismissing so-called birthers as lunatics without bothering to refute their claims. We reluctantly concede their point. The birthers have managed to sow confusion in the minds of some who are not lunatics, and for the latter group’s benefit it is worth clarifying matters."
And for the screaming nutbags, there's nothing that can be done to satisfy their demands
"Further, if Congress were to pass the so-called birther bill, Obama would be able to comply easily. The bill would require presidential campaigns to submit “a copy of the candidate’s birth certificate” to the Federal Election Commission. The certificate Obama has released publicly would meet this requirement."
Which is why I don't have a problem with the "birther bill". It's not going to be the panacea that the birthers want though.
"So why doesn’t Obama release the original certificate? The Advertiser says it is “unclear” whether the president “would even be allowed to see it if he asked.” It is clear, though, that the Hawaii statute governing disclosure of public records does not prohibit state officials from providing him with a copy, since he is “the registrant” and therefore has “a direct and tangible interest” in the record. One would think that Obama could persuade state officials to give him a copy, even if that is not their usual policy.
But the real question is: Why should he? The demand has no basis in principle and would have no practical benefit.
Obama has already provided a legal birth certificate demonstrating that he was born in Hawaii. No one has produced any serious evidence to the contrary. Absent such evidence, it is unreasonable to deny that Obama has met the burden of proof. We know that he was born in Honolulu as surely as we know that Bill Clinton was born in Hope, Ark., or George W. Bush in New Haven, Conn."
Which has been exactly my point for a long tine now.
"The release of the obsolete birth certificate would not “resolve the issue” to those for whom it is not already resolved. They claim without basis that today’s birth certificate is a fake; there is nothing to stop them from claiming without basis that yesterday’s is as well."
Yep. They're already CLAIMING that a long-form is being "faked up". And Dr. Orly is on record as saying she won't be happy unless Barack Obama, Sr.'s body is dug up and granted citizenship.
30 July - And on the blog "Nutmeg Lawyer", an attorney brings up their encounter with a birther.
"Even before he uttered CIA, my first clue should have been the heavy plastic binders he brought overflowing with countless laminated pages. I had a little experience with conspiracy theorists. Before private practice, I worked for a member of the Kennedy clan. As you can imagine, Kennedys are like crack to these people. Nevertheless, like an unfortunate teen camper in a slasher film, I decided to investigate further. What's that scraping noise? Don't worry, let me find out. I'll ask the guy in the hockey mask.
As Mr. Peanut rambled on, I began accessing my options. The jump out of my window would not necessarily kill me, but my wife surely would for ruining my new suit. Faking a heart attack was out of the question. I used that trick last week. It also didn't help that the ambulances drivers knew I was in perfect shape. They often watched me run after them. I decided to trudge onward."
And then later on:
"I like when people hold lawyers in high esteem. I like that mothers want their kids to grow up to be members of the bar. I always smile when a shopkeeper brags that his clients include attorneys as if it is a source of prestige. As such, I scoffed at the notion that a member of the bar would jump on the Birther conspiracy bandwagon. The hours of law study, the strenous bar exam....you have to have some semblance of intelligence to become a lawyer. Then again, think of the lawyers you know. Not all of our bar bretheren are exactly Mensa candidates. After practicing for a few years, it's clear that you can be book smart and a yet a complete moron.
Now I am not suggesting that there is something wrong with New Jersey's Attorney Mario Apuzzo, Pennsylvania's Phil K Berg and California's Dr. Orly Taitz. I do not mean to come off snooty. But whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, the argument regarding Obama's birth seems well settled. Even Ann Coulter says it's a dead issue. Newspaper accounts announced his birth, the state of Hawaii produced a birth certificate with a raised seal, the director of Hawaiian public health confirmed the birth, the Republican governor of Hawaii confirmed his birth, his mother was a US citizen, he underwent a strenous vetting process, and I am fairly confident Hawaii is a state. I think it's the one where Magnum lives with Higgins. So what's the debate about? Frankly, I don't get it. Do these people really believe that there was a conspiracy for 40 plus years over several continents in a plan to someday make Barack Obama president. A conspiracy that would have to include planted birth announcements in the 60s, the bribing of the Republican governor of Hawaii, the destruction of Kenyan birth records and the State's Health director and the deaths of all witnesses including Obama's parents and the birth doctor. I take it back. What is wrong with these people?"
And as for Dr. Orly:
"If you haven't heard of Dr.Taitz, she is a lawyer, dentist and real estate agent. She can represent a client punched in the mouth, fix his teeth, and use the rest of the settlement money to show them a nice duplex. She is representing a soldier who refuses to fight because he says it would make him a war criminal. The soldier says Obama is not commander in chief. Taitz is getting lots of publicity and I assume money from the exposure. Phil Berg could learn a lesson from her. On his website, obamacrimes.com, he asks "If each of you can send $25.00 and have three friends, family or associates send $25.00 each for a total of $100.00 at this time it would help in our efforts." Can attorney's solicit or what? The court denied an application for an injunction filed by Attorney Berg, which sought to stop the DNC from nominating Obama. I guess Mr. Peanut wanted me to be the representative from the great state of Connecticut. I do not blame these attorneys. It appears years of practice finally made them crack."
*chuckle* I take it they're less then impressed with the birther legal horde?
30 July - Rachel Maddow takes more shots at the birthers.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
31 July - If the GOP leadership and many conservative pundits are trying to distance themselves from the birthers, they have a hard job ahead of them. Because only 42% think Obama was born in the United States, whereas 77% of all Americans think he was.
"Here's a complete breakdown of the numbers:
(Yes/No/Not Sure)
Dem: 93, 4, 3
Rep: 42, 28, 30
Ind: 83, 8, 9
Northeast: 93, 4, 3
South: 47, 23, 30
Midwest: 90, 6, 4
West: 87, 7, 6
18-29: 88, 4, 8
30-44: 72,14,14
45-59: 82, 8, 10
60 +: 69,17,14 "
So 4% of Democrats (PUMA anyone?) are playing birther games, and 3% "aren't sure". With Republicans, it's 28 believe the birthers claims, and 30% "aren't sure".
The age and location breakdowns are interesting. In the South, only 47% think Obama was born in the United States, and people above the age of 60 are more likely to believe he wasn't born in the US. (69%)
So the demographic more likely to believe that Obama wasn't born in the United States?
Older Southern Republicans.
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you.
The question I have is if the GOP leadership and conservative pundits are going to continue to try and distance themselves from the birthers, or are going to start playing coy cozying up games with them?
31 July - In the LA Times, Bill Maher comments on the birthers.
"Which raises the question: Why, in this country, is it always the religious right that won't take anything on faith?
So far, the reaction from Democrats is to laugh this off, and I understand why. If you seriously believe that President Obama is an African sleeper spy, get out of your chat room and have your house tested for lead.
But we live in America, and in America, if you don't immediately kill arrant nonsense, no matter how ridiculous, it can grow and thrive and eventually take over, like crab grass or reality shows about fat people.
This flap might be a deluded right-wing obsession that is a total waste of time, but so was Whitewater, and look where that ended up. A handful of Republican operatives, enraged at Bill Clinton's unprecedented economic growth and budget surpluses, found a woman named Paula Jones, which led to a woman named Monica Lewinsky, which gave me enough material to eventually be able to buy a big house in Bel-Air. Which I'm still conflicted about."
31 July - And in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, an opinion on "Birther Control"
"Earlier this week, a reporter from The Huffington Post tried to get Rep. Tim Murphy, a Republican from Upper St. Clair, on the record about the "birthers." But the pride of the 18th District proved too fleet-footed for the running dogs of the media.
Rep. Murphy reportedly hid in a congressional office supply store for 20 minutes rather than answer the politically sensitive question about whether Barack Obama is a natural-born citizen. How many birthers can there possibly be in the 18th District to take offense?
As anyone with a relative with a tinfoil hat knows, the birthers believe Barack Obama is a Kenyan citizen who became president of the United States through trickery. They argue that Mr. Obama's presidency is, thus, constitutionally invalid. Even CNN's Lou Dobbs has given legitimacy to their paranoid ravings by insisting on "more documentation" from the Obama White House on the issue.
Birthers want to inspect the original birth certificate and not the copy issued by the state of Hawaii. They don't believe an original exists and they're critical of the "certificate of live birth" Hawaii distributed to the media to quell the controversy.
Birthers insist that a certificate of live birth and a birth certificate aren't the same animal. They also want to debunk the notion that "six of one" comes anywhere near to being the same thing as "half dozen of the other."
1 August - And Dr. Orly's current blog is generating this warning:
"Reported Attack Site!
This web site at www.orlytaitzesq.com has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences.
Attack sites try to install programs that steal private information, use your computer to attack others, or damage your system.
Some attack sites intentionally distribute harmful software, but many are compromised without the knowledge or permission of their owners."
And, of course, this is NEVER her fault:
"Answer: yes these are just scared dumb obots are trying to scare our patriots not to go on my site. Please complain to Google. If Google doesn’t stop, they will be named as an additional defendant in RICO action. (stands for Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations)"
Didn't we go though these exact same claims with her last TWO sites???? Why do I suspect it's Dr. Orly screwing around with her site and then blaming others when she breaks it??
One year down. Lets see what the next 3.5 to 7.5 years have in store for our merry band of screaming moonbats.
Excellent recap. I am sorry to say though, I think we need them more often. So much lunacy to process and then expel from the brain at one time. :)
I am still wondering though. Are the birthers good for the Republican party or not? Are they good for the Democratic party or not?
They are entertaining.
Posted by: sus | August 01, 2009 at 04:32 PM
Patrick, I have been following you on yestodemocracy since last winter. Thanks for all your hard work in the past year. I agree with you 100% that questioning the president (and there are numerous things on which one can question his policies regardless of one's politics) can and should be done without buying into just any scrap of muck that gets splashed across the Internet. Anyways, just wanted to say thanks for everything and I really enjoy reading your posts.
Posted by: Hektor | August 01, 2009 at 05:03 PM
Patrick, you have a heartier constitution than I. How you wade through the birther sewage and keep your head above the muck is beyond me.
Anyway, thanks for the superb synopsis.
Posted by: GeorgetownJD | August 01, 2009 at 08:56 PM