Dispatches from Birtherstan - 27 January 2012

In today's dispatches, The Pest and eFail has washed up at the conspiracy site "Gulag Bound", where they give their uniquely dishonest spin to the Georgia Birther Ballot Jihad hearing.

By this point the majority of birtherstan is firmly convinced that the judge in the Georgia Birther Ballot Jihad hearing gave them everything they wanted (and a pony) before the hearing, but the birtherstani attorneys just decided to go ahead with the hearing and their nonexistent "merits". However, we already have one ruling from the Judge that tells Dr. Orly she doesn't get one thing she wanted or a pony.

Some news video, along with a few YouTube hostings of the hearing footage, courtesy of Joseph Farah's buddy and comrade in arms Floyd Brown. Which meshes with the articles World Nut Daily managed to excrete without actually having had a reporter at the hearing.

Dr. Orly is in Media Whore Heaven. Sharon Meroni realizes she doesn't have what she needs to challenge Obama in Illinois after all. And the police officer in Arizona who thought it would be fun to post a picture of teens with rifles and a shot up Obama shirt tells the Secret Service "was that wrong? should I not have done that??"

26 January - Someone tripped over the cord at the Pest and eFail today. As a result while they mop the beer out of the cabinet, things are being hosted at the conspiracy blog "Gulag Bound".

Like this one about the birther ballot jihad hearing in Georgia.

"In closing, this case is about the Constitution,” Irion said. We’ve shown that Barack Obama’s father was never a citizen…and that means he is not constitutionally qualified…Finally, the defendant was ordered to be here, and I wish to state on the record that that shows not just a contempt for this court…”

Then Irion was interrupted and stopped speaking."

She doesn't mention it was the judge who told Van Irion to zip it.

"Taitz utilized a projector on the wall to the right of the judge as an aid in her presentation. She then stated that evidence existed that Obama possessed Indonesian citizenship, to which the judge was heard by this writer to say, “That’s not relevant.” Taitz then discussed the court’s decision in Minor v. Happersett and was interrupted by the judge, who said, “Counselor, can you save your argument for the closing?” She then stopped speaking."

Sounds like someone didn't realize the level of circus he was in for.

"Regarding the number of Obama’s purported birth record, Vogt stated that “federal regs” require that “all birth certificate numbers have to be sequential, starting on January 1.”

Funny, I have yet to find any such regs, and I've been looking.

Here's something amusing, federal regs don't even require that birth certificates be issued! They simply mandate what should on such a birth certificate. Florida was the last state to mandate all births be accompanied by a birth certificate, and this was in 1963.

“We have another boy who from 1968-69 was in Hawaii,” she said. The judge then said, “Are you testifying? Do you know how?” which brought laughter from the assembly."

I guess they can't tell sarcasm when they hear it.

"Taitz asked Judge Malihi to order the release of Obama’s records in Hawaii and to hold Obama in “contempt of court” for failing to appear at the hearing.

The judge said, “Thank you” and adjourned the court at 11:12 a.m."

In other words, "No", and "FREE AT LAST!"

26 January - Video (complete with the crappy audio) from the Birther Ballot Jihad hearing is posted on YouTube by "floydb310", aka GOP dirty trickster and Joseph Farah cohort Floyd Brown

Part One

Part Two

26 January - Speaking of Floyd Brown, the "Western Center for Journalism", which he runs with Joseph Farah, has their take on the Birther Ballot Jihad hearing.

"Court was in session at 9 am sharp; proceedings began with the judge meeting privately with all attorneys associated with the case (you know, at least those who showed up) for more than twenty minutes. According to various sources, he told them that since Obama was not present that he would be issuing a default judgment in their favor; he also initially wanted to end the case right then and there. However, the attorneys insisted on holding speedy hearings in which witnesses could testify and evidence would be entered into the court’s records. The judge honored their request."

How do they know this? They cited Carl Swensson's claim!

"What everyone is awaiting now from the judge is an official publishing of today’s ruling, again a default judgment for the plaintiffs. Swenson says “we won” and that it is now “time for the rest of the States to take my lead and duplicate this effort.”

And so a birther meme is born.

"In short, the “birthers,” who have been ridiculed if not ignored by the media and much of the American public for the past three years, have officially been vindicated today."

Actually they got shown to be a batch of conspiracy minded dolts. With egg on their faces if this so-called "default judgement" turns out to be Yet Another Birther Lie/

26 January - MEE!! MEE!!! IT'S ALL ABOUT MEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! (malware and redirect warning)

"I JUST SAW A CLIP OF MY INTERVIEW TO ABC ATLANTA
Posted on | January 26, 2012 "

And that's all she posted.

26 January - Atlanta NBC 11's video on the Birther Ballot Jihad hearing.

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Bonus, they talked to the birther debunkers as well.

26 January - NBC Atlanta also posts their news story about the Birther Ballot Jihad hearing.

And one of the better debunking websites out there got a hat tip:

"One group proudly called themselves the "anti-birthers."

"This whole birther movement is a pack of lies from beginning to end," said Bill Bryan of North Carolina.

"I think today's hearing was an embarrassment to the state of Georgia that they would even have a hearing like this. It's all based on claims to delegitimize the president."

Bryan runs a website dedicated to debunking the "birther" theories."

26 January - At "All Voices". Harold Michael Harvey points out a logical conclusion of Van Irion's argument.

"Welden's attorney, Van R. Irion, argued that under the constitution before the 14th amendment both parents had to be citizens for an offspring to meet the requirement of natural born citizen. Additionally, Irion told the court that the enactment of the 14th amendment did nothing to eliminate the requirement of both parents being citizens for a child to become a natural born citizen. He went on to add that if a person was ineligible to run for president before the enactment of the 14th amendment, he would still be ineligible to run for president after it.

At this point Irion's voice trailed off. He did not have to state the obvious; if his reasoning is correct, the office of the President is reserved to descendants of free born parents before Lincoln freed the Africans enslaved on these shores."

Van Irion is on the board of directors for a Neo-Confederate group and has fought (and lost) some so-called "Southern Heritage" lawsuits. It's quite possible - if not likely - he has the same contempt for the so-called "Reconstruction Amendments" (which include the 14th) that many of his fellow Neo-Confederates have.

And it's a matter of belief among some of the more racially-motivated Neo-Confederates that any non-white citizen is a "14th amendment citizen" and not a "natural born" citizen. We've seen this belief crop up from time to time in birtherstan as well.

"Mr. Irion asked the court to sanction President Obama for his failure to produce documents and to present himself for questioning in this matter."

"That uppity BOY didn't show us his papers. You gotta punish his darkie ass for that!"

"At one point the hearing took on an atmosphere of a Saturday Night Live skit when Judge Malihi interrupted Orly Taitz, the Euro Asian, who grew up in the Soviet Union and is representing the lead plaintiffs in this case and asked her if she wanted to testify. She jumped to the opportunity and raced to the witness stand before Judge Malihi could object. She took a seat in the witness box, took the oath to tell the truth and proceeded to rant on and on about fraud and deceit in high places in the government."

Crass, brazen, unprofessional, and totally without any class. Yep, that's Dr. Orly.

"The name Obama was mentioned over two dozen times, but never President Obama. Ms. Taitz did refer to the president as Mr. Obama three times. All of the white males who testified referred to the president as either he or him or Obama."

Not at all surprising. They can't stand to acknowledge him as President. Hell, they can hardly stand to acknowledge him as a human being.

27 January - At the Pest and eFail's temporary home at Gulag Bound, we have an interesting idea (by which I mean, really stupid). The idea of having "Sovereign Voters" go to the Electoral college, rather than, oh, the people that the voters in a state actually CHOSE to go for them.

"Let’s get this straight. If you are a registered voter, you are an elector. Your vote is in no way inferior to those cast by the Party-appointed members to the Electoral College.

Per the 12th Amendment, “the electors, all of them individual and appointed, shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President…. “
You are a Presidential elector if you hold a voter’s franchise granted to you by your State. That the election has two parts and is considered indirect as opposed to the direct elections of State Officials is irrelevant. It is considered an indirect election because the Nation is voting for Federal Officers and the voting results are a compilation of State vote results. There is no National voter franchise per Bush v Gore (2000). Thus, the Electoral College is the Federal component of the election for a President, while the popular vote remains the State component."

Right. You just show up at the Electoral College in December of 2012, and see how seriously they take you.

27 January - Jay Bookman at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution throws some cold water on the birthers victory lap.

"According to the birther movement, Malihi told their lawyers during pre-hearing conference that he would enter a “default judgment” against Obama for refusing to appear and for refusing to even send lawyers to participate in the hearing, and that he would in fact recommend Obama’s removal.

I think that’s highly dubious. I know you will be shocked to hear this, but Orly Taitz and others have a record of claiming important legal victories that turn out to be inglorious defeats. Among other things, it keeps the contributions flowing in. Nothing presented in the absurdist comedy of that courtroom yesterday would justify barring a sitting president of the United States from the Georgia ballot. It was a farce. The birthers’ only chance is a recommendation from Malihi based not on their “evidence,” but on the refusal of the Obama camp to put up a defense against it."

And if the judge does decide to play nice with the birthers??

"Regardless of what Malihi recommends, Kemp does not want to become the Republican secretary of state who ruled Barack Obama off the ballot in Georgia. Becoming a birther hero would not begin to compensate for the lasting infamy such a step would bring him, especially because such a ruling would be challenged in state or federal court and almost immediately overturned on any number of reasons. Kemp would then look like a fool and put an end to any further political ambitions he might have. I doubt that’s the course he will choose to take."

27 January - Sharon Meroni tries to explain away the withdrawal of their signature challenge.

Now on 17 January, on her internet radio show (MP3), she played a claim by Chris Cleveland that 3000 of the 5000 signature on Obama's petition are from people who are not registered to vote, which would then knock Obama off the primary ballot.

(Note, Meroni was part the lawsuit filed with Chris Cleveland and Steve Boulton to challenge those signatures)

Needless to say, Sharon Meroni was ALL over this one. Except, as it turned out, they were wrong.

"During the records review of the petition signatures, held at Illinois State Board of Election offices in downtown Chicago, ISBE clerks called “Checkers”, rule on each challenged voter signature on a line by line basis though comparison with ISBE records on computer screens. In this case, over 3,000 individual reviews had to occur. On respective sides of the Checker are single representatives of each party, who notes each ruling, and asserts the party’s position.

After six hours of checking at eight computer terminals, a substantial ongoing effort by 40 Board employees and volunteers, we determined in the final stages of the records check that Mr. Obama had reclaimed sufficient signatures to cross the 3000 mark required for ballot placement. Through close review and extensive use of pocket calculators, we had to face the mathematical reality that the President was certain to prevail on the challenge, and consequently instructed our counsel to file papers to withdraw the Objection to avoid using additional hours of effort and time. No further action will follow."

So in other words, they made a mistake and were wrong in their claim. However, Sharon Meroni can't admit she made a mistake, so she weasel-worded her entry to make it sound like Obama did something underhanded to make up those supposed missing signatures.

She's just as dishonest and hypocritical as ever.

27 January - Looks like Van Irion has a mad that that uppity darkie didn't appear at their birther ballot jihad hearing.

"One of the attorneys who argued before a Georgia judge today that Barack Obama is ineligible to have his name on the state’s 2012 presidential ballot says the president’s decision to snub the court system and ignore the hearing is a dangerous precedent that threatens the foundation of the United States.

“We have a president who has openly refused to comply with a legal order of the judicial branch,” Van Irion told WND after today’s hearing before Administrative Law Judge Michael Malihi concluded in Atlanta."

First off, it wasn't a "legal order of the judicial branch". It was a subpoena issued by another attorney in the case that was only valid in the state of Georgia.

Second off, the attorney who issued it was the SAME ONE you and the other attorney tried to separate from and distance yourself from. And now you want to suck up to Dr. Orly's subpoena storm??

Right…….

“If this doesn’t lead to impeachment proceedings, everyone in Congress is as responsible,” he said."

"Wahhhh! That uppity darkie is STILL PRESIDENT!!!"

27 January - Oh look. World Nut Daily talks to Leo Donofrio.

"One of the attorneys who challenged Barack Obama’s eligibility to be president all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court says he fears that even if the justices declared Obama constitutionally unqualified, he’d simply ignore the ruling and continue issuing orders.

But those who observed a court hearing today in Atlanta say it could be the beginning of the end for the Obama campaign, because of the doubt that could surge like a tidal wave across the nation.

The comments came today from Leo Donofrio, who led the pack in filing lawsuits over Obama’s 2008 election and his subsequent occupancy of the White House."

Yeah, but it's the same attorney who believes he's an avatar of God, and that Black Helicopters dog his every move.

“If the judge’s recommendation – and I’ve been told that it’s going to be to disqualify Mr. Obama as a candidate – is followed by the secretary of state, Mr. Obama has got a real problem,” said Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation."

There's that rumor again. And it's not like Gary Kreep has been wrong about such cases before.

Oh, right. He has.

"Mario Apuzzo, who also shepherded a case to the Supreme Court, said Obama, by not showing, “actually failed to meet his burden of proof, to show that he is eligible and should be placed on the ballot.”

“For him to just ignore due process here is really telling a lot,” he said, noting, “This decision will have a ripple effect.”

*Rolls eyes* The amazing thing is that these so-called "attorneys" really seem to think that the President was commanded to appear, show his happens, and dance a jig for the gather birtherstani.

He wasn't. The only "command" came from a subpoena that wasn't valid outside of that state.

"Charles Kerchner, on whose behalf one of the cases went to the Supreme Court, said, “Obama thinks he is a king and thus not subject to the election laws of Georgia and the United States Constitution. He will soon learn otherwise.”

He continued, “As the Georgia secretary of state said in warning Obama and his attorney if they did not show.up for the court hearing today … if they do that, they will do so at their own peril.”

Kreep said a ruling that would remove Obama’s name from the Georgia ballot would be a “tremendous victory for … America.”

Yes, I'm sure the appearance of a Southern, GOP-dominated state removing the first African-American president from the ballot because he didn't "show his papers" is going to be a great victory……

……for the Democrats

Oh, and it's funny, but no interview with Dr. Orly…..

27 January - Crooks and Liars does an piece on the Birther Ballot Jihad hearing in Georgia.

"It's almost unbelievable to me that we've got a court in Georgia actually willing to give credence to Taitz and her ilk, but sadly this is one of the places we're at in American politics today with a Republican Party that's desperate to hold onto power no matter what it takes and that have little use for democracy or winning elections by means other than cheating and rigging the system and with buffoons like Taitz willing to help them along . It's just shameful and that's the nicest thing I can think of to say about Taitz's case, the idiotic judge, or the state of Georgia for allowing some wing nut like this judge to ever be allowed to hold public office.

It's bad enough we've got to worry about electronic voting machines and whether votes will be counted or not in the upcoming election, but we get to add this sort of nonsense to the mix as well. It's nothing short of disgusting and shameless and destructive to what's left of our democracy. A fraud like Taitz should not be allowed to affect whether Americans can vote to reelect the legitimately previously elected President of the United States."

27 January - It seems the word from the Judge in the Georgia Birther Ballot Jihad is:

(Scribd link here)

"Order: The parties may file any post hearing pleadings by Wednesday, February 1, 2012. The Court will issue a recommendation to the Secretary of State shortly thereafter. The Court has reviewed the motion by Plaintiffs, Farrar, Lax, Judy, Malaren, and Roth, to direct and/or request the Court in Hawaii to order the release of certain Hawaii documents to the Plaintiffs. This Court lacks jurisdiction or authority to direct or request documents from Hawaii. Plaintiffs' motion is denied.

SO ORDERED, this the 27th day of January, 2012. "

So, no decision, oh, and Dr. Orly, no, you can't have letters rogatory, not yours.

And how interesting. It's addressed to all the parties, not just the plaintiffs or parties-plaintiff.......

27 January - As well they should.

"The US Secret Service is investigating an Arizona cop after he posted a photo online showing several teenagers with guns posing next to a bullet-ridden Barack Obama T-shirt.

Sgt. Pat Shearer also is being probed by Peoria Police Department after posting the photo of seven young men, four with guns, holding up a gunshot-marked T-shirt featuring an image of the US president above the word "hope," on Facebook.

The picture was posted Jan. 20, the week before the president's visit to Arizona, The Arizona Republic reported.

The Secret Service confirmed it was looking into the photo Thursday, with a spokesman telling KNXV-TV that although the individuals involved have a right to free speech, the agency also has a right to question them."

The police officer doesn't understand what all the fuss is about.

"I don't think that the shooting of that T-shirt is that big of a deal," he told the station. "It was more of a political statement … It's not like they were going to go out and shoot the president."

He admitted he was embarrassed by the photo and added he would risk his own life for the president's."

27 January - Over at Dr. Orly's (malware and redirect warning)

"Judge Malihi shortened the time to file any post trial trial pleadings. He moved the date from February 5th to February 1. He will issue his ruling shortly thereafter. I believe, he will issue his ruling by the end of the day on February 1 or on February 2 at the latest. I believe Brian Kemp, the Secretary of State of GA, will announce on February 2 or 3rd whether Barack Hussein Obama’s name will be allowed on the ballot in the state of GA as an eligible Presidential candidate."

Well, since 5 February is a sunday, it's not surprising they would shift the date a bit.

And, amazingly enough, no comment on the "No, you can't have letters rogatory, not yours" part.

27 January - The Columbus, Georgia Ledger-Enquirer comments on the Georgia Birther Ballot Jihad.

"You almost have to laugh at this latest chapter in the seemingly endless “birther” saga, because about the only alternatives at this point are tears and/or nausea.

It was embarrassing enough when members of the Georgia legislature -- including, to Columbus’ acute humiliation, two members of the local delegation -- drafted a “Presidential Eligibility Assurance Act” in the last legislative session.

Now Georgians get to enjoy the added spectacle of their secretary of state, Brian Kemp, warning the president (let that sink in -- warning the president) through a White House attorney that failure to appear in a Georgia court would be “at your own peril.” Really, Mr. Secretary? Is that a threat?"

And ends with

"Georgia, no thanks to some judgment-impaired officials and certainly without the consent of the governed, has been slumming in the Orly Taitz nuttery neighborhood way too long. Please, for the sake of the state’s already battered image, let’s just quietly tiptoe out of this putrid political ghetto and back to the daylight side of town before we attract any more ridicule.

Move along, folks. Nothing to see here."

27 January - At he currently Gulag Bound Pest and eFail, professional seditionist Sharon Rondeau gives Dr. Orly's spin on things.

"This evening Taitz told The Post & Email that she and the other two attorneys conferred with Judge Malihi in his chambers prior to the hearing, during which Malihi said that since Obama’s attorney was not in attendance, he could issue a default judgment. Alternatively, the attorneys would be allowed to argue their cases if they wished. All three chose to “present their case on the merits.”"

I'm still fairly certain he didn't mean "default judgement" in the way the birthers seem to have heard, but this seems to imply they were offered the chance….and turned it down.

And since, as we know, none of their claims HAVE any merits…..

"Another attorney accompanied Taitz from California to review the testimony and act as an observer during the hearing. He reviewed the testimony of four of the six witnesses on the evening of January 25, 2012."

Oh gee. Wonder who she got to come along with. Her friend (and fellow Taft Skool o' Law and Stuff grad) Jonathan Levy??

"Altogether, Taitz stated that the Georgia trip cost her $11,000, and she has spent over $6,000 traveling back and forth to Hawaii five times for hearings to procure the release of the original birth certificate allegedly held by the Hawaii Department of Health."

Time to raid the cushions of the Tesla for pocket change again.

"At the end of the hearing, Taitz had asked Judge Malihi to hold Obama in contempt of court for failing to appear. We asked Taitz the judge’s response, and she said, “He took it under consideration.”

No, he didn't. He said "thank you", and gaveled the hearing closed. As the Pest and eFail reported the day beforehand.

Wow. Sharon Rondeau can't keep her lies straight. Or maybe she fears crossing The Orly.

"Taitz said that a video clip of a Fox television station depicts her saying, “Anybody with half a brain” could recognize Obama’s “forged birth certificate.” She said she was the “only person” interviewed afterward by the major media. According to Taitz, news reports were made by Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS."

Well of course. They ALL recognized the media and attention whore.

"Taitz said she is in need of more donations to continue the cases against Obama."

"IT'S ALL ABOUT MEEEE!!!! SEND YOUR MONEY TO MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"

27 January - At Birther Report, someone is a bit upset at Carl Swensson calling Dr. Orly an "embarrassment"

"Commykiller said…[Reply] -Both Van Irion and My lawyer, Mark Hatfield made certain that our cases and evidence in those two cases would be closed so as not to be affiliated, in any way, with “Birther” Orly Taitz. As expected, she was an embarrassment.

“Birther” Orly Taitz. With all due respect to Mr. Carl, Just what the F$%CK does that mean..?

Orly is the reason that S.O.B. is in DEFAULT. It was HER supposedly FAKE subpoena that STUCK. Additionaly she presented no less than SIX powerful witnesses, who at their own PERSONAL risk, each gave CRUSHING EXPERT TESTIMONY, that at the very least TEARS A NEW ASSHOLE in Bozos FACE. And she did it all with (according to some here) an ONLINE DEGREE. Meanwhile the other 2 more professional assholes who DON'T WHANT TO BE ASSOSIATED, wrapped their cases up in what, 10-15 min. a piece. And yet it's Orly we're EMBARRASSED about..!

Well Mr. Carl and all who simpathise, YOU may be embarrassed by Orly and that's OK. But I have never been PROUDER of a fellow patriot IN MY LIFE..! I "LOVED IT" WHEN SHE TOOK THE STAND..! YOU GO GIRL..! And with all due respect and in all honesty, it is your NEEDLESS and POINTLESS attack on Orly that embarrasses ME.

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN..!
January 27, 2012 9:05 AM"

Someone wants his ride in the Dental Chair o' Luv.

Comments

[Patrick McKinnion]

obsolete - Not surprising. I would say that, for a good chunk of the birthers, it's all about willful ignorance. They believe because they WANT to believe it, and facts or reality be damned.

The lie supports his need to believe, therefore he sees it as true. If facts or reality contradict the lie, then in his mind, the facts or reality are incorrect.