| AFP | 0 | |
| B’berg | 0 | |
| Plain Dealer | Tri-C students recruited to fill the seats for Obama’s appearance |
0 |
| WSJ | 0 | |
| NYT | 0 |
Audacity of Truth
Kruggie to Fibbs:
"Rudeness at the proper moment can serve a purpose — as I hope I’ve demonstrated over the years. But if you vent for the sake of venting; if you alienate people you’re going to need; then you’re just being stupid."
-Paul Krugman, NYT columnist & Nobel prize winner - 8/11/10
Velvet Lair- My “sinful” little cosmetics kit August 12, 2010
- Redemption July 1, 2010
- Preparing for the premiere of Eclipse June 27, 2010
Island of Misfit Bloggers
Why did you have to go there, Sarah?
The divine Ms. Sarah has stepped into a minefield, thanks to remarks she made yesterday to conservative radio talk show host Rusty Humphries regarding the “Birther” issue (transcript via AJ Strata):
Would you make the birth certificate an issue if you ran?
I think the public, rightfully, is still making it an issue. I don’t have a problem with that. I don’t know if I would have to bother to make it an issue ’cause I think there are enough members of the electorate who still want answers.
Do you think it’s a fair question to be looking at?
I think it’s a fair question, just like I think past associations and past voting record — all of that is fair game. You know, I’ve got to tell you, too: I think our campaign, the McCain/Palin campaign didn’t do a good enough job in that area. We didn’t call out Obama and some of his associates on their records and what their beliefs were and perhaps what their future plans were. And I don’t think that that was fair to voters to not have done our jobs as candidates and as a campaign to bring to light a lot of the things that now we’re seeing made manifest in the administration.
I mean, truly, if your past is fair game and your kids are fair game, certainly Obama’s past should be. I mean, we want to treat men and women equally, right?
Hey, you know, that’s a great point, in that weird conspiracy-theory freaky thing that people talk about that Trig isn’t my real son. And a lot of people say, “Well you need to produce his birth certificate! You need to prove that he’s your kid!” Which we have done. But yeah, so maybe we could reverse that and use the same [unintelligible]-type thinking on them.
A couple of things: First, I don’t subscribe to the “Birther” belief about Obama not being legitimately eligible to be President, but at the same time, I’m as mystified as a lot of people – and not just the “Birthers” – as to why he hasn’t produced his actual bc. This become a minor isssue last year with McCain, too, and he promptly took care of it without making a fuss. That Obama has not and, in actuality, refuses to, only adds to the suspicions by some that he’s not Constitutionally eligible to be President. He’s either not doing so because he wants people on the right to look like the fringe “Truthers” do on the left, or he’s doing it because what the “Birthers” are saying about his bc is true. Either way, it’s troubling.
Secondly, Sarah Palin is right in that this is a “legitimate issue” to raise – but because the left crucifies her for every statement she makes and how her statements get magnified to the nth degree by the left’s associates in the mainstream media (as is happening now), a better way for her to have put it is that it is a legitimate issue for others to pursue, but that she’s “not interested in doing so and instead desires to remain focused on the things he’s doing as President that are destroying America’s fundamental ideals.” In fact, she said as much in her follow-up statement to her remarks, but of course follow-up statements look like “clean-up” after the fact, and no one but loyal supporters will care. Handling it in this manner would have put her “above the fray” and given the left less to no ammo, while at the same time, she would still be holding true to her correct standard that the issue is “fair game.”
Re: Humphries’ assertion that if Sarah Palin’s family and past was fair game, then so was Barack Obama’s, I disagree. It’s one thing to talk about the respective pasts of the candidates, but it’s another thing to hurl bogus accusations, especially about family members, as the far left shamelessly did with Palin’s family – mostly regarding Trig. Trig wasn’t running for office, so there should have been no “issue” about his birth certificate. Are you listening, Andrew Sullivan?
In the end, Sarah is who she is, and as AJ Strata noted in his post, she is not a polished politician who puts on airs and rehearses everything, which is one of the things that endears her to a lot of us. That said, I still think she could have handled this answer better. It would have saved her a lot of headaches and having to backtrack and clarify.
Your thoughts?
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Trackbacks
53 Responses to “Why did you have to go there, Sarah?”
Comments
Blogads
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of ST's advertisers, nor do their opinions necessarily reflect ST's. Stats
Agreed that Palin is given unusually intense scrutiny. Agreed that this is unfair to her and that the focus of that scrutiny has been even more vicious than that given to other political figures, male or female, liberal or conservative.
Agreed that “birtherism” lacks factual merit.
Disagree that Obama hasn’t “taken care of it” in that the best available birth certificate has been circulated. Hawaii doesn’t release original birth certificates, and the original has been made available to press scrutiny and found to be genuine.
Disagree that Palin’s flirtation with “birtherism” is endearing or adds luster to her political profile. If it lacks merit, then it lacks merit and she should say so. One of the good things about Palin is that she is plain-spoken. But it does one no good to be both plain-spoken and wrong at the same time.
Or at minimum, she should say that she thinks it’s more productive to focus on how Obama is running the country rather than to speculate about the accident of his birth. So finally, agreed that critics of Obama are best-off criticizing his policies and political actions as President. The other stuff (like whining about birth certificates) is distracting, petty, and ultimately stupid.
forgive me if I fail to trust the press to be honest or objective at this point.
Obama has NOT released his long-form birth certificate. If he had, there would be no controversy, and hence there wouldn’t be people being derided as birthers.
There is absolutely nothing insane about wanting to get to the bottom of this entire fiasco.
We need to know much more about Obama than we currently do. The man is obviously intent on wrecking the economy and reshaping America. Why wouldn’t we want to know what he’s spent $2M to hide (including making an executive order classifying his personal records as secrets).
If some people have a problem with others demanding to see Obama’s birth certificate, that is their problem. Conservatives calling other Conservatives “loons” because of the issue is exactly what the libs want.
What I want is that the constitutionality of Obama’s eligibility be determined and officially certified. I could care less where he was born.
Our Constitution was written in conjunction with established Common Law. Common Law states it is the father who determines whether a citizen is natural born.
Obama’s father was not an American citizen. Hence, it should be obvious that Obama is ineligible. Congress had a hearing to determine whether McCain was eligible. No such hearing, to my knowledge, was held for Obama.
It really doesn’t matter what Sarah says or does. She will be castigated by the MSM no matter what, just like whatever Duh-1 does is lionized by the media.
Same media, different microscopes, different results. To the MSM, looking at Duh-1 is similar to AGW “scientists” looking at raw data, changing what doesn’t fit their pet theory, and publishing the “revised” look. Nothing adds up, but they’re convinced whatever he does has godly intentions.
And to the MSM, whatever Sarah does they are convinced the genesis is satanic. Again, different microscope, different result.
What is interesting to me about the Sarah phenomenon is how the onion that is the GOP media is peeling layer by layer. By that I am alluding to the many wannabes who blog (not this blog) and who are finding themselves being knocked out of their own personal pro-GOP narrative by Sarah’s persistent popularity.
There are many closet Republican-Uber-Alles among these blogs who, while appearing to be gleefully indulging in torturing the GOP in hopes of carving a niche for themselves, nevertheless cling to the GOP as their security blanket. They can’t see life without a GOP.
Much of Palin’s problems are coming from the GOP, particularly from the “Gangs of McCain” camp, even more (for now) than from the left. We need to “out” these people so we can finally get them out of our faces and get a good read on Sarah.
There are too many among us who are “throwing grenades over the wall” at Sarah trying to kill the baby in the crib. If nothing else, Sarah deserves a chance to prove herself. Even if she turns out to not be good presidential material, she is in great position to help our side a great deal next year. Let’s see how effective she is in her promise to campaign for true conservatives of any party.
If she gels the conservative base into a solid major voting bloc and the GOP does not relent, she threatens to make a new party possible for someone. She may not be the candidate of that party but it would be a good thing for us even if it means the end of the GOP (the current 3rd party) as a national party.
Let’s give her a chance.
TL,
Two things:
1) I didn’t say her “flirtation” with “Birtherism” adds luster to her political profile. Here’s what I said:
2) The “original” has not been made available to press scrutiny – only to higher up “officials” in Hawaii, because President Obama – who is the only person who can request the original be released, IIRC, has not made a request to do so. And, assuming for the sake of argument that the press did see the original and “found it to be genuine,” the press did an incredibly lousy job of critical reporting on Barack Obama last year. Whose to say they did a thorough job of “inspecting” the original? What are their credentials to do so?
My first reaction on reading this last night at Hot Air was “Argh….” Having slept on it, my reaction this morning is still “argh,” but not as loudly and without my face hitting my palm. :”>
Her statement on Facebook was what I suspected she meant in the original answer, but I still wish she hadn’t gone there. The way I would have put it is something like this:
I know she has a (justified) disdain for the media and anonymous bloggers who’ve attacked her and done their level-best to destroy her, but she needs to be more careful with how she answers certain minefield questions. If she keeps handing them clubs, they’re going to use them. And the need to correct and clarify will only distract from the message she wants to get across.
Oh and, for the record, I think birtherism is utter … a word I can’t use here. I have no patience for it. Obama was born in Hawaii and there are no “legitimate questions” to the contrary. Believing in it is in the same intellectual gutter as 9-11 or Trig trutherism, or that Roosevelt let the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, or that the Catholic Church had Lincoln assassinated. To dive into birtherism is to give the Obamatons a wonderful weapon with which to discredit any legitimate criticism from the Right.
Like I said, I wish Sarah had avoided the question altogether.
NO ONE has seen the original, Long Form certificate – the state bureacrat (and the word of one of these is not enough for me) has said that the document they’ve produced is legetimate. It’s a CERTIFICATION of Live Birth , not a birth certificate, and a document that for decades anyone could obtain in Hawaii, citizen or not. Many organizations in Hawaii won’t accept it as ID. Obama’s Kenyan born sister has the same thing.
There are a number of documents related to his citizenship like the passport he traveled to Pakistan under when it was illegal for US citizens to do so, his college records which might indicate citizenship status, etc. that he’s gone to great lengths and expense to hide.
It’s amazing how the media get’s away with this by restating the issue incorrectly – by saying that republicans ridiculously claim the CERTIFICATION posted on line is a fake, by saying that Obama’s dad wasn’t a US citizen so Obama isn’t natural born – anything to obscure the real issue. If Obama’s mother had him outside the US she was not old enough or in the US consecutively enough to confer citizenship to him by any tortured definition of natural born citizen. And Obama’s lawyers are not longer arguing the merits (they never have), they’re arguing that the court’s can remove a sitting president, only Congress can now through impeachment.
Obama can get the Long Form Birth Certificate for about $15, but only if he has one. Much like with stolen election after stolen election, Republicans will roll over for this one too.
American Power tracked-back with, ‘Sarah Palin on Barack Obama’s Presidential Eligibility’.
Let me get his straight:
Being a birther is “rightful” and “fair,” but Palin herself hasn’t made an issue of this “rightful” and “fair” matter?
Forgive me if I look askance.
roger, Roger!
To Transplanted Lawyer
The old leftism claim of the “science has been settled” argument… hows that global warming working out for you.
First there is no such thing as “Birthers/Birtherism”. This much like calling ppl who want proof of global warming are called holocaust deniers is a normal smear tactic of the left when they are asked to back up they’re “science” with facts.
The proper term for ppl who question obama’s legal right to hold office is Constitutionalists. Now we well know how the left feels about the US Constitution… as obama displayed with Honduras and leftists have displayed throughout US history.
To them the US Constitution is but a minor set of guidelines that when democracy wills it that they are not required to follow. They the leaders “elected” by the “smart elite” are the highest law of the land and what they say is the law.
Obama has NEVER released his long form birth cert to anyone.(He could if he choose too) The only “media” outlet to see his short form birth cert which can be legally altered to change age, DOB, POB, Name, etc was seen by Factcheck.org…. who had it reviewed by a Joe Miller who has a Ph. D. in Political Philosophy and Jess Henig who has a M.A. in English Literature…
They’re OPINION of obama birth cert is about as legally valid as walking up to any person or even homeless bum on the street and asking them if they think the birth cert your holding is real.
Much as with global warming, ppl have refused to even question the basic facts and those that do are labeled as deniers, racist, etc, etc, etc.
One can pretty much interchange any global warming shrill against its detractors to the same shrill against those ppl who demand facts about obama… almost the exact same language, deflection, refusal to present facts expect through “approved” media sources, insulting and attacking anyone that dare question they’re authority.
Other facts remains… such as hawaii claiming obama is a natural born citizen… this is a legal ruling which has been make PUBLIC by a PUBLIC official and in many respects holds the weight of LAW.
The problem comes in is that the official in question does not have LEGAL training or authority to make this LEGAL ruling. Next comes in that all LEGAL PUBLIC RULING ARE TO BE MADE PUBLIC. Many FOIA requests have been filed to ask both the hawaii official who made the statement and the hawaii AG(which would have to be part of the process) as to what LEGAL process they used to make this LEGAL ruling.
Both have refused to say how, why, on what evidence, etc they have based this statement on.
To sum up what they are doing is they are writing laws and then saying the public has no right to see what the: Law says, How/why the law became, what evidence support this ruling, or anything else.
To sum it up even simpler they are saying that you have no legal right to see the laws you are governed by until such time as they arrest you for breaking the law… which you aren’t allowed to know about.
This is once again just like in the case of global warming… same tactics. To believe blindly that obama is legally able to be president is to believe that global warming is real and that 9/11 was an inside job by the evil bush. It is also an insult to the US Constitution.
While I tend to believe (but am not 100% sure) that birtherism is nonsense, I would hope that in the future we have a federal law that requires all candidates for federal office (Congress and executive branches) to provide formal proof (to whom I’m not sure) that they meet the constitutional requirements of the offices they seek. This is simply pure common sense, and I was shocked to discover that no such requirement exists today.
She “went there” because, to any reasonable thinking person, there is no innocuous explanation for why this President has now spent millions of dollars in multiple federal courts concealing the most fundamental of documents of his life (his Certificate of Live Birth, his Indonesia citizen status, his Indonesia citizen status upon reentering the United States, and his college/law school applications) that would validate his natural born citizen status. As a result, we likely know less about this President’s early life than any in American history, including (in the minds of many millions of Americans) whether or not he is a natural born citizen of this nation.
I have rarely seen such a sensible issue so mishandled by us conservatives. Where did we go wrong? I think we went wrong in jumping to unproven conclusions about what these documents will reveal. It is entirely conceivable that they would reveal nothing that contradicts the conventional wisdom of BHO’s birthplace and early life, and that would reassuring. But it only enforces the case for his releasing them.
We are right to ask: With these extensive legal efforts to conceal release of these documents, what exactly is he hiding? Governor Palin was right to state that this President, who promised to be the most transparent in American history, has an obligation to cease blocking release of the most basic information about his birthplace and early life. His concealment of this information is suggestive, and it certainly has now become harmful to our nation, where many millions of Americans–rightly or wrongly–now have concluded that we have a President who does not meet, and is concealing, the fact that he is not Constitutionally eligible for the position to which he was elected.
The conservative position on this, as I argue in my article below, should be to insist that these documents be released immediately, and we can insist on this (as liberals did with George W. Bush’s Selective Service records) without jumping to any conclusions about what they will reveal. Hopefully, they reveal nothing of note, but this has gone on too long, this President has been permitted to respond too defensively, and the nation should not be left to speculate:
LINK
On a final note, while I disagree with you on this one issue and believe Governor Palin was right in her response, thanks for an otherwise exceptional blog. Your contributions are valued and hugely constructive for our cause. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
It is a sign of a lack of leadership and vision.
I like Mrs. Palin.
But I feel this is simply a focus on populist fashion.
It reflects a tunnel vision, which is dependent upon saying “conservative principles” every two minutes.
It wreaks of not being prepared, not doing one’s homework, failing to understand the consequences of one’s Celebrity, etc.
But it fails to lead beyond. Reagan, GW Bush, etc., would rise above, and all would find their leadership admirable.
This is second rate, amateur, etc.
In this step, Mrs. Palin encourages wild speculation on conspiracy theories, which is simply far from Presidential. Also, she confirms her role in the McCain Campaign, which was a disaster, taking ownership – not blaming everyone else for the mistakes as she has most recently.
The big failures of the McCain–Palin Campaign were far worse than not focusing on a Birth Certificate. The failure to strongly defend the admirable endeavors to make the USA safe after 9-11, the wonderful endeavors to fight for the Liberation and Freedom of Others in the World, etc., were foolishly ceded by the McCain-Palin Campaign. Mrs. Palin’s own famous remark was the weak “all Administrations make mistakes”. It was a disaster, as so many positives were surrendered to the RUN AWAY Democratic Party disaster we see today.
Sorry, as much as Mrs. Palin is a fine American, and I am a fan, the evidence shows the political instincts are rather stuck on an amateur fashion.
She can grow, but this is not impressive.
Far from the next Reagan.
Basis and reason are essential, and some again, just as in the case of FRED, are losing themselves in fashion and imagery.
Like her enabling the foolish 3rd Party hype at times, Mrs. Palin can and should, be doing a better job in handling the most simplistic populist fashion.
1. Hawaii issued a statement which incidicated they have his “birth records” on file in accordance with state law. They did not say “birth certificate”.
2. Hawaii’s laws are a bit loose, to say the least.
3. Hawaii will NOT certify that the COLB shown online and pointed to by the MSM (when they even acknowledged the issue) is authentic. They won’t even say that they printed it!
While it may BE fact that Barack Obama Jr. was born in Hawaii, it REMAINS FACT that no one has seen his long-form, doctor-signed, notarized birth certificate. It REMAINS FACT that no hospital is willing to claim that a “Barack Obmam Jr.” was born there. Think of the missed opportunity to milk dollars as the “hospital where Obama was born”! Think any administrator in his or her right mind would want to turn that down.
It also remains fact that the “natural born citizen” clause of the US Constitution does not apply to him, as he was born of one foreign-citizen parent and held dual-allegiance to another country.
It also REMAINS a fact that we know NOTHING about his school and college records, which could lead to a criminal investigation of financial fraud if he claimed to be a “foreign exchange student” in order to receive aid.
Three weeks ago it was claimed as “fact” that the temperature data pointed towards global warming too…and we’ve seen far more of this global-warming data over the last two year than we have of Obama’s birth certificate. There’s a a very old saying; “The truth will out…”
I know it’s difficult for some people to think rationally about Obama’s birth certificate but… you or I could not get a passport without a birth certificate.
I have heard, through a law enforcement source which I trust with my life, that the FBI was forbidden to investigate Barack Obama Jr. Forbidden. And they weren’t very happy about it either. They were told at a very high level, “He’s been vetted.”. I think that is a little disconcerting actually. Granted, the FBI is not the agency charged with vetting candidates, but… what was it about Obama which caused the FBI to take an interest in investigating him? What do, or what did they know about him which has been withheld from us?
You know that makes you now, de facto, a “birther” too. See how the slimy Alinsky tactics work? You are no more a “birther” than Sarah Palin is! She answered a question – and clarified it on Facebook that she has NEVER questioned BO’s citizenship. Case closed? Of course not!! It is EVIL Sarah Palin – who must be destroyed at any cost!
Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals – you play into their hands by making this “say it aint so” moment.
Something is going down. Rupert Murdoch has muzzled Hannity, O’Reilly and even Beck. Limbaugh just barely nibbles around the edges. Coulter calls her long-time friend a “fruit loop”. Savage interviewed Taitz, then suddenly he’s jerked from the air in Calif. Crowley alluded to it. She’s gone too. Now, it appears this Friday a.m., they’ve “talked” to Sarah. I have a number of theories about what’s going down and none are pretty. God save the Republic.
Try and get a social security card without your “real, original” birth certificate.
Just try it. You have to mail the original birth certificate to the Social Security Administration, then they will provide a replacement SS #. Now talk about high risk, US post office, social security, (trust them, they never loose anything, you bet ya) So why not for a top position.
Actually, I think its the media who tries to give her headaches over her statements, not the general public. I personally don’t think she needs to handle anything better as I prefer to hear raw, straight-from-the-heart, comments from politicians as opposed to the endless prepackaged, cookie-cutter, politically correct dribble from the mouths of most politicians, which tell you nothing about what they really think or how they really handle things.
And if I don’t understand why Obama doesn’t just produce his BC to shut up his critics, as did everyone else who had their legitimacy questioned. Why make life more difficult than it has to be……unless you are trying to hide something? I thought he was supposed to be the President of “Transparency and Open Government”.
To be honest, I don’t believe for a moment that Obama isn’t hiding something in his background because he is so determined to keep information from being released that can be the ONLY conclusion. When it comes to the birth certificate, well, it’s a moot point. Not because there aren’t questions, but because even if it turned out he wasn’t a citizen, this Congress would do whatever it takes to make it so he could serve anyway. It’s pointless.
However irritating it was that Palin brought up the birther thing, I have to agree with her. If it was ok for the press and the Obama gang to try to get their hands on her OB records, it certainly isn’t wrong for the people of this country to ask to see Obama’s birth certificate or health records or papers he wrote during college. After all, everyone ELSE has had to release the same things, why is this man suddenly exempt?
There are far too many double standards being abused by this administration for me to knock Palin for commenting on yet another example. The only reason people are sensitive to this is because the left has succeeded in making anyone who questions anything about this president into a kook, a loon or a wingnut.
And THAT is exactly why I’m not all that convinced we’re home free in 2010. The left is STILL calling the shots as to what is discussed, what questions are asked and what makes news. Until we keep this country focused on the issues that Obama and the Gang do not want the people to see, we’re not going to succeed in anything.
Is ACORN still top news? Nope. In fact, ACORN is real close to getting their funding back because people have stopped looking at the issue. Did the “safe schools” czar resign? Nope. Because the lefty press headed off that issue. Are we still hammering Obama for his limp noodle Afghan plans? Nope. He gave a crappy speech and now everyone is off and running on how great it is he gave us troops. Never mind that he waited THREE MONTHS and allowed many soldiers to die while he dithered, only making a decision when he absolutely HAD to. Is anyone focusing on the fact that Iran ignored yet another deadline and is now forging ahead with even greater speed on its nukes? Nope. The papers are all looking for scapegoats in the state dinner crasher scandal, even though it’s clear this was a screw up that lies at the feet of the Obama staff.
Over and over again we’ve allowed the left to steer the people away from the real issues onto subjects it feels comfortable discussing. That has got to stop. And I believe Palin is one of the people who is going to help with that, whether the moderate Republicans like it or not. SOMEONE has to talk about things and she seems to be the only one willing to do so quite often.
By repeating the tag “Birther,” you are playing into the Left’s hands. How about instead of denigrating people as conspiracy theorists on par with 9/11 “Truthers” (which is what “Birthers” is mimicking), you call them Constitutionalists?
Why did Sarah go where, exactly ?
All she did was answer a question, and then answer the follow up questions.
How is better that she evade and avoid a question ? Wouldn’t she then just place herself in the same vein as all other politicians ?
Moreover, all she did was affirm that all voters have a right to make it an issue.
What is wrong with that ?
As has already been pointed out by other commenters, the left/press will attack her no matter what, so why stay silent when asked the question ? Isn’t one of her strong suits her frank manner ?
A 2004 article written before Obama was elected Senator:
LINK
from the replies it appears that the BC thing is not settled and a great many people think Obama is hiding something. Has anyone thought maybe with all the people Palin is seeing every day on the book tour they are talking about it to her. Maybe she, unlike 99.9% of the elite DC set, is the only one that has first hand knowledge of what the avg american on her book tour wants to be addressed
So what you are saying is that Sarah Palin should be like all politicians and say whatever people want to hear not what their true thoughts are?
I was born on 10/02/54. My NYC birth certificate gives my parent’s places of birth, my dad’s occupation and place of business, attending doctor, name of previous child and their residence down to the apartment number. There has to be something Barack Hussein Obama is hiding. He is a public servant, he should be required to release his records.
The “birther” issue is one of the main things Lou Dobbs quit CNN over. CNN’s boss Jeff(?) Klein told Dobbs to stop reporting on it as the issue was settled – that CNN investigated and that the birth certificate had been destroyed when records were being moved. Turns out that this was a complete lie and yet no one has ever called him on it or made him publicly explain – which reporter investigated, who they talked to, was teh story published or broadcast, etc.
If you want to really know about the birth certificate issue you need to go to wnd.com – it’s truly amazing what the media’s been able to get away with.
Either the Constitution matters, or it doesn’t. This could well be the biggest story of our time.
So we blame Sarah for stating a fact and the one again gets a free pass. I am so tired of people disecting everything she says- THAT IS WHY WE ADMIRE HER, she does not bulls**t around.
You do not need to subscribe to the birther belief for it to have an effect on the public. The reality is that anyone who is willing to go to the lengths he has to HIDE the birth certificate alone would give a huge pause to many Americans and that information should be made public. Sunlight disinfects, and this man is nothing but the workings in shadow for his entire life.
She “went there”, scored her points, and returned with a smile.
Palin has a preternatural skill at exposing the fear many on the Right have for “trespassing” into places that liberals have conditioned them to dread, and where no other GOP prospect will dare go. She’s like Reagan in this way. It’s one of the secrets to her appeal.
Nothing she said wasn’t just common sense or unreasonable, especially given her experience.
I think the question most (reasonable) people have about this is, why is this still an issue? Who in the Congress or Supreme Court, as equal powered offices, should have already vetted the candidate before he was allowed to take the oath? And why would ANY American president allow this to still be an issue, considering it is a constitutional requirement? Doesn’t he owe it to the people he serves to say, “Look, let’s put this issue to rest; Here is my birth certificate. Now, let’s get to work solving the real problems.” IMHO that would make him look much more presidential. Plus, how could he be trusted to defend the constitution if he has such disdain for ensuring its limitations are met?
I’m not seeing what’s so bad about what Sarah Palin said. It’s not as if she’s just outed herself as another Orly Taitz here. People ought to be able to ask questions about their leaders, and if people have a problem with how the whole birth-certificate issue was handled, people have a right to say so. And President Obama seems to have made a fetish of hiding a number of things that we the people ought to be able to see without having to be called obsessed lunatics for our troubles. People sense that there is something fishy somewhere, somehow, about his birth certificate (along with his college transcripts and his medical records).
Sarah is right.
Re: “Obama has NOT released his long-form birth certificate. If he had, there would be no controversy, and hence there wouldn’t be people being derided as birthers. ”
Obama cannot release his long-form birth certificate because he does not have it. Like many people, he lost the original that his family once had, or his mother lost it.
In any case, in 2007 he asked Hawaii to send him a copy of his birth certificate, and Hawaii send the Certification of Live Birth. That is now the official birth certificate of Hawaii. It is not the long-form birth certificate, but Hawaii does not send it out, so Obama can’t show it.
Hawaii has it and could show it, but no one seems to be making the logical step of asking them to change the regulations. In any case, Obama cannot show the original.
However, the Certification–even if it is short-form-clearly says that Obama was born in Hawaii, and the facts on that document were repeatedly confirmed by the officials in Hawaii (LINK)
The Wall Street Journal commented: “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.”
What she said made total sense, but she could have tweaked it a little more (especially for people who don’t know where she’s coming from and make stupid soundbites out of her comments) and her follow-up on Facebook was much clearer and carefully weighed.
This is textbook Sarah. Or soon to be textbook, as I guess the book hasn’t been published yet.
smrstrauss, Barack Obama could ORDER the State of Hawaii to surrender HIS records, and release them to the public. He is hiding something. My guess is that his mother checked the race-box that marked him as “white”.
The press has seen the COLB (certificate of live birth) not the birth certificate (sometimes referred to as the “long form”).
A COLB will prove that you are a citizen, but it does nothing to prove “natural born” citizenship status. Only the original birth certificate (“long form”) can prove “natural born” status.
The Obama campaign has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend their right not to show the document, which seems a bit odd when the whole matter could be disposed of in minutes for next to nothing by simply showing the “long form” document to the press.
I personally would be satisfied if it were shown to John McCain and he said it looked “perfectly legal.”
I’m waiting for some state to require proof of “natural born” status prior to putting a name on the ballot to put this to rest.
To rotarymunkey and steve
The problem with both those arguments is that hawaii(like many states) issue a wide range of documents that fall under whats called a “birth cert”.
Hawaii has about 8 different kinds of birth certs alone.
Then you get into the amended vs original. Obama can have his short form birth cert amended to say any number of things. His mother who married many times and traveled alot could have had it amended for her many marriages.
For a Passport, driver license, SSN card an amended or short form birth cert is all you need. Plus you don’t need to be born inside the US to get any of those things… and in fact many illegal aliens have valid birth certs, drivers licenses, passports and SSN cards.
Many non-US born citizens have had the short form birth certs amended to say they were born in the US… its not really uncommon, many times to due with adoption… of which obama was adopted.
The problem also comes in just because he was indeed born in hawaii still doesn’t mean he meets the requirements to be president. The “Natural Born Citizen” clause is the US Constitution was basically and almost SOLELY written for one reason…
To keep british subjects, citizens, ppl from being elected(or buying an election) to the office of president and thus turning the US back over to england.
The irony of this whole debate is that obama is/was a british subject/citizen…
Which means that the “Natural Born Citizen” clause was expressly written to prevent him from being elected.
Obama is the text book definition of what the founding fathers wanted to prevent from happening when they wrote that requirement.
So in the end run his place of birth isn’t the biggest issue. The problem is that once again obama been adopted, his mom has married a number of time, and a host of other issues mean that his short form what ever it says is completely useless in either proving that he is or is not legal to be president.
Even if his short form said he was born in another country thats not proof that he was really born in another country. The same with his parents… they may not be his real parents… many adoption cases legally change the names of the birth parents on the short form birth cert.
In the end the short form birth cert proves nothing for anyone on either side of the debate.
Only his Long Form Birth Certificate (NOT a Certification of Live Birth) can prove his citizenship. It is ridiculous to say that a hospital (of course, two hospitals have claimed Obama was born there then both rescinded – so he must have been born in the cab…) record is locked up by the state and a certified copy cannot be obtained by anyone, even the President of the United States. And you cannot amend the Hospital, Doctor’s signatures, etc. on a Birth Certificate which is why the useless for purposes of proving citizenship Short Form Certfication of Live Birth is amendable – it doesn’t include any of those fields which would prove citizenship.
If Obama was born in Hawaii case closed, he’s a citizen. But he’s gone to extraordinary lengths and expense (now using taxpayer funded lawyers) to avoid disclosing any number of documents and paper trails that would reveal the truth, whatever it might be. There’s no way this won’t be an issue IF he decides to run again in 2012, assuming he hasn’t destroyed the constitution by then – but it’s amazing how much we let him get away with already.
“Death Panels” … She shoots, she scores!
The One’s BC?
Deja vous all over again!
Aww – my feelings are so hurt! Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out. –ST
BO can produce the birth certificate and end all of this. When you don’t release college transcripts and graduate school thesis or grades you create all this speculation . The media never vetted this man. I don’t consider myself a “birther” because I would like to see all these documents that are normally released so the public can evaluate all aspects of a candidate. He chose to be a public figure which basically puts you under public scrutiny. What is he hiding???
I suspect that one of the reasons he has not released his birth certificate, along with a variety of other things, is that there is something in it that would be embarrassing. I have no reason to believe that he was not born in Hawaii, but to not release the long form is suspicious. What bothers me more is the way the whole picture pans out. No one remembers him at Columbia; There were no writings during his days as editor of the Harvard Law Review. He seems to have no friends from his days in Hawaii, or later from his days in College. The associations, and friendships that he did manage, and we know about are guys like Ayers, Dorne, Wright, Flugar, etc. My problem is that the man is a shadow, and we know little to nothing about who he is or where he came from.
arcman, Duh-1 can’t be a shadow – he would have to have substance to cast a shadow and he has none. No history, no records, no nothing.
Carlos, True.
Very good reflections on this. I would add that every candidate, like every human being, has both good and bad elements that they trail behind them into whatever venue they enter. A person’s past ought not to be an issue for their present intent UNLESS it has direct bearing on their ability to perform the job (i.e. alcoholic past may impede operating heavy machinery in the present; felony in the past may impede handling sensitive documents in the present). Consequently, having a daughter who has an out of wedlock son may be seen as a negative mark but not as an impediment to performing the office. Being born in a foreign country is a direct impediment to assuming the presidency and could involve “foreign entanglements” as Washington said.
Just to add my two cents…..just a reflection on the response to this snippet of an interview. Sarah has made a bit of a stumble in some folks eyes because she brought up an issue that they haven’t quite come to terms with in my opinion. They are searching for reasons to qualify the fact that what we really KNOW about Obama’s birth records. Lou Dobbs got in trouble for this, too, and all he did was say to the Obama people…if you have nothing to hide why not show the records and put this baby to bed!
What we got was not just silence, but an expensive bit of lawyer-ing to keep things quiet.
That is a red flag to me….if it doesn’t make you the tiniest bit curious I would question the critical thinking part of your brain.
But what we have here is a modern-day rendition of the Emperor’s New Clothes. Sarah Palin, felt to be a rank beginner and political unknown has the audacity to say that Obama has no cover. No wonder the press wants to muzzle her.
Her statement on this shows she is not going to go along with the collective MSM-think. The media doesn’t want to report on anything that might make Chairman Bao look bad so they ignore these stories and attack anyone that tries to make an issue out of it. Palin is saying she doesn’t care what the media says. People can ask questions of elected officials and they need to respond instead of attacking the person asking the question. There are a lot questions Bao doesn’t want asked.
I don’t see the problem. She didn’t say she bought into it or would pursue it; she just said it’s a fair question to ask — and it is. I mean, notwithstanding the Supreme Court telling us that nobody has standing on the matter, surely someone – everyone – must.
I’m all for Sarah choosing how to frame the debate than letting the Left control the debate by controlling what we are and aren’t allowed to say. We’re all so very sensitive about such things because the Left has long ago won that battle. If we call Obama “Barack Hussein Obama” it’s instantly used against us, as if we were racists for using his entire name. It’s silly to let them continue to get away with this, and if we won’t take a stand now — in 2009! — when will we?
So, I’m all for letting Sarah say whatever she wants, however she wants, so long as the content is on message. And, from what I’ve seen, she is always on message. That’s one smart lady. Period.