One Set Of Rules

The Politico tells us that at least ten states are considering "birther" bills obliging Presidential candidates to establish their Constitutional eligibility.  Geez, we are only talking about the highest office in the land - it's not like we are trying to get a kid into Little League.

Team Obama's early approach to this amounted to "Screw you, our guy has a 65% approval rating and you're a racist".  Now the approval rating is gone, the racist argument is played out, and people still seem to wonder why the normal rules don't apply to Obama. 

Obama could ask for his full birth file from the State of Hawaii and have it by the weekend - instead of saving the material for his eventual big book deal, maybe he ought to show that even he has to play by the rules.

FWIW: My Official Editorial Prediction is that the full file will be uninteresting and probably conclusive.  But there may be surprises!  One notion is that Obama was originally named "Barry" and legally chaged his name to "Barack" later; the omission of that detail from "Dreams From My Father" might be embarrasing.

Or, the file may inform us that Baby Barack was legally adopted by his mother's second husband, which may (or may not) cloud his citizenship status, which would be another forgotten tidbit from the Obama biography - sooo suspenseful!

THOSE WHO DO NOT REMEMBER THE PAST... Paul Waldman of TAP is outraged that House Speaker Jhn Boehner won't stand up to those crazy birthers, and closes with this:

The next time you hear someone say that both parties have their crazies, ask whether the highest-ranking elected official in the Democratic party ever went on television and said of those who believe George W. Bush had advance knowledge of the September 11 attacks, "It's not my job to tell the American people what to think."

I guess he is serious, and that "highest-ranking elected official" gives him a bit if wiggle room.  Back when he was the Dem front-runner for the Presidential nomination in 2003, Howard Dean said this:

DEAN: There is a report, which the president is suppressing evidence for, which is a thorough investigation of 9/11.

REHM: Why do you think he's suppressing that report?

DEAN: I don't know. There are many theories about it. The most interesting theory that I've heard so far, which is nothing more than a theory, I can't -- think it can't be proved, is that he was warned ahead of time by the Saudis. Now, who knows what the real situation is, but the trouble is by suppressing that kind of information, you lead to those kinds of theories, whether they have any truth to them or not, and then eventually they get repeated as fact. So I think the president is taking a great risk by suppressing the clear -- the key information that needs to go to the Kean commission.

Dean was not the highest elected Democrat (although he eventually chaired the DNC), and that was on a NPR radio show, so maybe Waldman will claim a pass.

And here is John Edwards, the 2004 VP pick running in 2007 and promising to "look into" Bush's role in the 9/11 plot.  Again, not on national television, not the "top elected" Dem.  Still, let's not pretend that the Dems colected profiles in courage while standing up to Michael Moore and the truthers.

Sigh.

Comments

[Boatbuilder]

Hey, BobS--never mind the BC, why don't they ask OBAMA about smoking?

[clarice]

Sara, legacy students get less of a boost every year, but in his case I doubt he got much at all if any because his dad did not go to HLS. I would not be surprised, however, if he got into Columbia and perhaps even HLS as a foreign student, for which the standards are low. And a black (even half is black to an admissions officer) foreign student from Indonesia is even more exotic and therefore a better catch for the admissions office.

Foreign students, of course, are excused their poor scores on the English part of the SATs for example, and we all know BO cannot speak our native tongue.

[clarice]

maryrose, HLS is a private institution which can admit whomever they choose. She got into Princeton when even under the generous standards afforded black students she would not have qualified. Her brother was a star athlete there and she piggybacked on their need for him to get in there.

As for HLS she never would have been admitted under normal standards applicable to whites or Asians--read her senior essay at Princeton to see how semi literate she was--but they wanted black women and one who graduated from Princeton was another admissions office find.

[Geek, Esq.]

What's hilarious is that the COLB Obama's campaign provided would satisfy each and every one of those state birther bills. As an official record of the state of Hawaii, it is per se legal proof in every court in this country that Obama was born in Hawaii. I know the birthers and Teahadists are all into nullification, but the Full Faith and Credit clause trumps misinformed distrust of the COLB. If Hawaii says it's proof, it's proof.

So, the long form stuff is pure nonsense. Someone could bet $1 Million that there's no evidence Obama was born in the US, and someone could take that COLB into court and say "pay up."

P.S. To the morons who talk about him spending millions of dollars to defend against the birfers, please be advised that this is a lie that was debunked two years ago. Those cases were handled by his lawyer buddies pro bono.

[BobS]

Narisco:

Tell me more about your LUN.

[BobS]

Rathke made a presentation in Egypt? You have anymore details? I've been writing about this in my blog. Joh Rees has shuffled back and forth to Egyot since the protest began. A sociaist blogger is doing alot right now to organize labor unions in the protests of the last 48 hours

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Drudge is now running this headline on report from DUBAI (AlArabiya.net)

"Mubarak falls into coma after final speech: report"

[narciso]

As you see here, the groundwork was layed months ago, in the LUN

[Janet]

What is frustrating too is that David Gregory calls Americans ignorant, but I bet most JOMers & most of those ol' Freepers know more about Obama's background than David Gregory does.

[MarkO]

Following another long period of study, which involved 3 minutes reading the above entries, I've concluded that there is no certificate, only affidavits.

That argument draws from all parts of the record and explains all behavior.

If you have other unanswerable questions, I'll be available.

It would be interesting to know the history of all of this, though. Wouldn't it?

[Extraneus]

As for Barbour, am I the only one who's seen at least four of five different negative MSM stories on him over the past few weeks? I'm starting to think he's a real threat. The latest one, earlier today, was something about him refusing to comment on somebody's application for a KKK personalized license plate.

They seem more worried about Haley than Mitt.

[Jane (get off the couch - come save the country)]

So I'm wondering, is David Gregory a puppet, a fool or both.

I've never had any interest in the birther thing, (ask threadkiller) but now I really want to know what he is hiding. So am I being set up or is Gregory a moron?

[Ranger]

So am I being set up or is Gregory a moron?

The two are not mutually exclusive.

[BobS]

Narisco: I think I found it in the New Zeal post LUN

[glasater]

This fellow went to school with Obama and the last conversation they had was in 1981:

Dr Drew

The title of the article is "If You Listen to Only One Interview in Your Entire Lifetime About this President..."

[Jim Ryan]

Possibly born girl, adadictomy performed after birth?

[Threadkiller]

Jane, do you really want to know?

[Mad Monica]

Look, let's face it, the left NEVER abides by the rules they set for others. They demand the right to see everyone's everything in the name of the "people's right to know" yet they can't stand it when people ask the president to show he's eligible birth-wise for the job. (We all know he's not eligible experience and/or policy creating-wise.)

They have no problem crawling up the backside of anyone they don't like (*cough cough* Sarah Palin *cough cough*) in order to find something, ANYTHING they can use to destroy their careers and/or lives. It's very typical, this double standard. After all, look at what happens when a libbie gets caught doing naughty things.

When a conservative or republican gets caught doing something bad, they generally resign pretty quickly. When it's a libbie, they usually have to be forced out and in some cases they never DO quit. In some ways, we do ourselves great harm by playing by the rules while the other guys cheat/lie/steal/whatever they need to do to win. On the other hand, I'd rather lose and play by the rules and have some integrity, than win like the left does.

[matt]

speaking of rules, California is rapidly turning into a state of the rulers and the ruled.

The same trend is occurring nationally, but it especially bad here. LUN

[Danube of Thought]

Article 1, Section 6 you have mentioned before. The use of a masculine pronoun can also be found in Article 2, Section 1.

I mentioned it because it provides that "No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time." Hillary was a Senator when appointed, and during her time in that office the Emoluments of the SecState had been increased.

The English Language lacks a gender neutral pronoun so your rational would have only men in goverment.

"He" and its derivations are gender-neutral when used as synecdoches, as they are in the Constitution.

[Danube of Thought]

I see that Geek, Esq. has appropriated the argument I made earlier in this same thread, although he managed to make a bumptious lout of himself in the process.

[MarkO]

Long live synecdoches.

[Boatbuilder]

Geek--I agree.

So why is the media so timid about asking to see what's there? We all know there's something else there because the State of Hawaii said so.

I am mightily curious, and I have every right to say so, publicly or otherwise. And to criticise the President for so obviously hiding something and his supporters for disingenuously pretending that there is no issue here.

Who are David Gregory, you, and, for that matter, John Boehner to tell me to stuff my natural curiosity? Not to mention my natural concern that the Constitution has been wilfully and knowingly ignored? And what the hell is wrong with trying to make sure that this sort of issue is dealt with in advance of the next election?

[Boatbuilder]

DoT--This seems to be the one issue on which you are perfectly happy to be told "Move on, nothing to see here." That you agree with Geek should give pause.

As a lawyer, you are obviously aware that the law says a lot of things, which does not necessarily make them true. While we must perhaps learn to live with and accept legal findings as binding, we would be fools to accept them as statements of truth.

[Rick Ballard]

The Kendonesian commie bastard can cure his bleeding hemorrhoid whenever he cares to do so. It isn't a legal or constitutional issue (IMO) any more than the contents of Ryan's sealed divorce records were legal or constitutional issues when Obama supporters forced their disclosure.

The President has chosen to let this bleed and I hope he sticks to his guns right through his defeat in '12. It's not a deciding issue - just another indication of the fact that he's not too bright and lies rather frequently.

[Danube of Thought]

"This seems to be the one issue on which you are perfectly happy to be told 'Move on, nothing to see here."'

Not really. I think there might be a great deal of interesting and important material to see in his long-form certificate, his SAT's, his LSAT's, and his transcripts from Occidental, Columbia and Harvard, and I would like very much to see it. I just don't think that questioning whether he was eligible to seek the presidency is a smart or productive way to go about getting any of it.

And I don't know of any way of getting any of it, unless Wikileaks can rise to the occasion.

[Boatbuilder]

I don't understand your position, DoT. What's wrong with asking why he's hiding this, when it is absolutely legitimate to do so, whether as a constitutional matter or as a purely political issue? I don't consider "but smart people might think we're yahoos" to be anything but playing the game the way the media and Obama's supporters want us to. If we roll on this, there's no way we're ever seeing the grades.

[Threadkiller]

Good gravy DoT! For some reason, almost 1 year ago, I totally misunderstood when you mentioned Hillary and Article 1, sec 6. I took what you said and remembered it completely different from the context you presented it. I am sorry.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Ugh!

Sen. John Kerry heads to Pakistan to calm diplomatic tensions

[Rocco]

Cashill argues...The Real 'Birther' Conspiracy Theory

First, there is no political advantage in attacking birthers. After two years of “having a ball” with them, the Democrats lost 63 seats in the House this past November.

Happy Valentines Day Ladies! <3

[glasater]

OT but regarding Mubarak's monies:

Egypt's Military may have control of Mubarak's money

[Danube of Thought]

"What's wrong with asking why he's hiding this, when it is absolutely legitimate to do so, whether as a constitutional matter or as a purely political issue?"

I think it's great to ask for all of it, and to ask why he's hiding it. I think couching the birth certificate part of it as a constitutional matter is silly, because it necessarily begins with asserting that there is a basis for believing he wasn't born in Hawaii.

[Frau Fritten]

Don't the Egyptians have enough trouble without an invasion of American community organizers? I imagine that the young men in Tahiri square did not know they were protesting for the freedom to organize. They don't need Ole Wade and his merry unionizers.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Frau-

Whom, do you think, the Sandmonkey and his firm support?

[Danube of Thought]

Did Sandmonkey turn out to be the Google guy?

[narciso]

No, he's a different person, Mahmoud Salem.

[MayBee]

DoT: I think couching the birth certificate part of it as a constitutional matter is silly, because it necessarily begins with asserting that there is a basis for believing he wasn't born in Hawaii.

What if you separate Obama from it? Place/status/date of birth is most certainly a constitutional matter.

[Melinda Romanoff]

DoT-

Just working together now. Wael Ghonim, of Google, is working inside things, now.

[Threadkiller]

From Rocco's link

"The more these alleged conspirators talk about Obama’s origins the more attention they focus on that story.”

Again the BC is always a part of the left’s narrative.

”This attention is inspiring state legislatures to demand proof of citizenship before it puts candidates on the ballot. Even if Obama does eventually produce a birth certificate that squares with his origins story, critics can credibly ask why did he not produce it years earlier.

That is, if he can produce a birth certificate that squares with his origins story. "

The BC will show he is a dual citizen. He has already said he was born a dual citizen. Origins will square.
Chester Arthur, the ONLY other dual citizen President, went to great lengths to hide his dual nationality, including burning his personal records. Obama took a different tactic; put the deficiency in the open but make a person look for a secret that is hidden.

[Danube of Thought]

"Place/status/date of birth is most certainly a constitutional matter."

As far as i am concerned his place, status and date of birth are all settled as a matter of law by the certificate the State of Hawaii has produced. And I promise this is my last word on the subject.

[maryrose]

Gregory and Matthews have a recurring mantra. They are mad as hell that the American people see Barack Obama as "different from us". or the "other" Matthews is scared to death that Obama is going to lose Ohio,Pennsylvania, Indiana and Florida in 2012. That's why the blatant attacks on all repub potential candidates and a fierce defense of whatever the "one" does.

[maryrose]

Obama at risk in North Carolina and Virginia as well. Do the math-he can't win and they are frantic about anything that can marginalize him further. Like his joke of a budget. Why have a commission if you are going to totally ignore its findings. Ryan is right-Obama is punting on this 2012 budget.

[MayBee]

As far as i am concerned his place, status and date of birth are all settled as a matter of law by the certificate the State of Hawaii has produced. And I promise this is my last word on the subject.

No, but take Obama out of it. For a Presidential candidate, the above is true.

[MayBee]

To be more clear: I think laws like this are good laws as we go forward, considering how mobile people are now. It should never be ridiculous to ask if candidates now and of the future are actually eligible to run for the office. If we are to consider the constitutional requirement, that is.

It irks me that anyone would paint them as "birther" laws or say it requires conspiratorial thinking to support them.

If we consider the constitutional requirement unimportant, then perhaps we should remove it via the proper mechanisms. But to have something remain in the constitution only to ignore it (and belittle those who don't want to ignore it) seems ridiculous.

[Ignatz]

--Nothing the AZ legislature says about the 14th amendment can change its meaning in any way. If the final quoted sentence differs from the amendment, including judicial interpretations of it, it is without effect. Nothing AZ says about who is or isn't a natural born citizens matters at all.--

If it differs wildly then yes I agree in mnost cases, except for outliers like Roe v Wade. And of course they can't directly effect those things, but that's one of the things lawsuits and legislation are for.
Aren't closely worded, well reasoned and argued interpretations from states and individuals how most new precedents are set?
In addition there are plenty of plainly unconstitutional laws such as sanctuary cities which are still "of effect" because the Feds don't enforce their jurisdiction.

[MarkO]

"And I promise this is my last word on the subject."

Okay, but only on the legal effect, which on this record is indiputable. But, conspire away with us. The legal standard is one thing. Entertainment is another.

[Qwinn]

My theory is, the long form lists his father's race as "Arab". Which would effectively make Barry's connections to his strongest voting bloc null and void (though really, it should have always been so, even if his father is listed as "Black" he's got absolutely nothing in common with the descendants of slaves).

[clarice]

I the Pakistanis hold Kerry hostage I may change my bad opinion of them.

[narciso]

He is strange, alienated from his countrymen,
but it has little to do with his birth in Hawaii. It's this milieu of influences, too
long to repeat here, you all know the names.

[Danube of Thought]

"If we consider the constitutional requirement unimportant, then perhaps we should remove it via the proper mechanisms."

Or maybe let it lapse into desuetude, which appears to have happened with the provision about congresspeople moving into jobs whos pay has been increased.

I wish I were as confident as others about O's chances in 2012. He seems to be polling pretty well (winning, in fact) against all of the current crop of aspirants.

[RichatUF]

TK-

And what British citizenship law would extend to the shores of Hawaii?

[Ignatz]

I'm seriously considering whether to ask TM to ban DoT for that 7:44PM picture post.
Posting an obscenity like that is beyond the pale. That guys bare ass was pretty bad too.

[clarice]

**IF the Pakistanis***

[narciso]

You're right Ignatz, 'these goggles they do nothin'

[Threadkiller]

RichatUF, from Obama's site.

“When Barack Obama Jr. was born on Aug. 4,1961, in Honolulu, Kenya was a British colony, still part of the United Kingdom’s dwindling empire. As a Kenyan native, Barack Obama Sr. was a British subject whose citizenship status was governed by The British Nationality Act of 1948. That same act governed the status of Obama Sr.‘s children.

Since Sen. Obama has neither renounced his U.S. citizenship nor sworn an oath of allegiance to Kenya, his Kenyan citizenship automatically expired on Aug. 4,1982.”

The same as our citizenship laws, that extended to the shores of Panama, for McCain.

[clarice]

I hope you are wrong DoT, Even if O loses both Houses having him in the WH for another 4 years would be a pure disaster.

[RichatUF]

And when Kenya became independent the British subjects there became citizens of Kenya. Kenya doesn't recognize dual citizenship. And have at it-the 48 Act has been highly modified.

[Danube of Thought]

I think it would be an undiluted disaster for many, many reasons, C. I hope our champion will emerge.

[bgates]

Here's something interesting: I took a look at the 10-year projections of federal revenue and spending the CBO generates by analyzing Presidential budget requests, for each year since 1998. It's shocking to compare the 1999 predictions for 2009 revenue and outlay with what actually happened.
$2,727B predicted for revenue, $2,105 collected;
$2,346 predicted for spending, $3,518 spent.

For more grim amusement, compare Obama's spending requests from last year vs the new, fiscally conservative, belt-tightening, just like a family at a kitchen table Obama:
(amount in $B)
______last yr__this yr request for:
2011____3650____3708
2012____3613____3655
2013____3756____3794
2014____3940____3975
2015____4105____4202
2016____4335____4491
2017____4521____4691
2018____4712____4885
2019____5000____5185
2020____5250____5451

-yes, his budget anticipates more spending over the next decade than his last ruinous budget. Yet thanks to the 1.4% decrease from '11-'12, his plan to reach 2020 with spending 47% higher than where it is today - when it's already 40% higher than it was in 2006 (when the Dems got power on a fiscal responsibility platform) and 107% higher than it was in 2000 - is being reported as a "cut".

[Threadkiller]

You do realize that you are telling Obama to "have at it." It was his election website that trumpeted that quote.

He says he was born subject to British rule and I am supposed to prove him wrong to prove myself wrong?

[RichatUF]

TK-

They were wrong.

[Threadkiller]

Kenya became independent on December 12, 1963 and on December 12, 1964 the Republic of Kenya was proclaimed.

The quote from Obama’s website:

”“When Barack Obama Jr. was born on Aug. 4,1961, in Honolulu, Kenya was a British colony, still part of the United Kingdom’s dwindling empire.

It is “Natural Born Citizen” not “Natural 28-38 months after you were born Kenya decided to no longer recognize something you admit you were born with Citizen.” Conditions are met at birth or they are not met at all.

[MayBee]

Or maybe let it lapse into desuetude, which appears to have happened with the provision about congresspeople moving into jobs whos pay has been increased.

That's a tad more obscure than the qualification to be President.
Either way, having the conversation shouldn't be labeled as nutty.

I am sure Obama will be re-elected. Today the "news" was full of Michelle Obama's Valentines Day advice and CNN anchor women talking about Obama's inner zen and coolness.

[Danube of Thought]

"He says he was born subject to British rule"

No he doesn't. He says only that he was born a British subject under British law, which has no bearing on his status under American law today (or in 1961) any more than it did when the Royal Navy was impressing American seamen in the early 19th century. We look to our own laws, and no others, where matters of citizenship (and many other matters) are concerned.

[Danube of Thought]

Good night all.

[PD]

P.S. To the morons who talk about him spending millions of dollars to defend against the birfers, please be advised that this is a lie that was debunked two years ago. Those cases were handled by his lawyer buddies pro bono.

You might be right, but this is actually the first time I have heard that. In contrast to the reports of the amount the coverup was costing, with the figures rising over time. I certainly doubt that a figure of "millions" (plural) was debunked two years ago, because I don't recall the figure rising about one million (singular) until less than two years ago.

Even if your claim about the pro bono nature of defense be granted, it's still darned odd that Obama would bother with the coverup in the first place. So it's still perfectly reasonable to wonder what his motive is and what he's hiding.

[Threadkiller]

">http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html"> US State Department Services Dual Nationality

"The U.S. Government recognizes that dual nationality exists but does not encourage it as a matter of policy because of the problems it may cause. Claims of other countries on dual national U.S. citizens may conflict with U.S. law, and dual nationality may limit U.S. Government efforts to assist citizens abroad. The country where a dual national is located generally has a stronger claim to that person's allegiance. However, dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country."

The British are wrong to have their citizenship laws.

Obama was wrong in his own quote.

And when "We look to our own laws, and no others, where matters of citizenship (and many other matters) are concerned” we find The U.S. Department of State seems to be wrong too.

[glasater]

Heh!

Rush:If GOP can't repeal/defund Obamacare "Then we go Egypt on Obama..."

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

This is beyond the pale. More at the link, but here is a bitter taste:

Liberals launch anti-Darrell Issa crusade

But a handful of liberal political operatives in California — including a former Hillary Clinton hand — are taking their anti-Issa passion to a whole new level, launching a nonprofit group, a website and even paid media advertisements aimed at undermining and investigating the rabble-rousing chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

They say they’re leaving no stone unturned in digging into Issa’s personal and business history. This week, the group will reveal more than 100 pages about an investigation into a fire that burned down a building that housed his business in the early 1980s.

The launch of this group — which calls itself The Third Lantern, and is naming the website the Issa Files — is remarkable because it’s wholly focused on the activities of one lawmaker who has no immediate plans to run for higher office. The purpose of this new group is to make public documents more public, make life difficult for Issa and sow seeds of doubt on his investigations.

They plan to run TV advertisements and other paid media in the future, saying they already have a “significant commitment” of cash. A spokesman for Issa, Kurt Bardella, dismissed the effort as a “misguided and distasteful smear campaign against Chairman Issa.”

[narciso]

Sounds like the Wasilla Project, in spades

[narciso]

For those who need a refresher course, in the LUN

[Jack is Back!]

Nearing the end of our little journey to South American via the good ship S.S. Veendam. Yesterday it was Puerto Montt and an excursion to Petrohue Cascade, Lake Llanquihue and Puerto Varas. The kid has it all at the LUN.

Hard to believe I have spent the last 2 weeks away from politics, fiscal sanity, Egyptian liberation or folly (whichever it ends up being), birther and thruther theories, CPAC, CSPAN and C++. But we will soon be back and in the swing of things.

We know have some Marine SatComm minutes to waste and what better place to do that than here at JOM.

/snark

[Janet]

Here is a new website by Jack Cashill - Deconstructing Obama.

His new book of the same name is out now.

[Janet]

The other frustrating thing about being called ignorant for questioning Obama's background....is that I can't know the answers with the info that has been given. But I CAN know that we've been lied to & that there are giant holes in the official narrative.

Calling me a name doesn't answer the questions.

[Pagar]

IMO, the Obama official version of where he can from, what he did to get where he is today,etc, reads a lot like the MERS BS.

"This Court does not accept the argument that because MERS may be involved with 50% of all residential mortgages in the country, that is reason enough for this Court to turn a blind eye to the fact that this process does not comply with the law."

LUN

[Pagar]

The LUN for my 08:45 AM post.

http://4closurefraud.org/2011/02/13/in-re-ferrel-l-agard-time-to-put-a-fork-in-mers/

[Joanna]

I vaguely remember that a bunch of democrats went to the opening of Farenheit 911 and said what great film it was? Am I right?

[Joanna]

Found it. Daschle was there! http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/0604/062504-moore.htm

[Rick Ballard]

Janet,

The questions concerning Bartholomew Duncan's base origin aren't particularly pressing to you, are they? Black Bart's shame regarding the circumstances of his birth and lack of ability wrt educational achievement is undeniable. We are free to speculate concerning his rationale for attempting to hide details but his inability to utter anything resembling the truth means that any "answer" which he provides will have to receive rather intense scrutiny in order to be accepted.

It really doesn't matter what his sycophants spout - the cheap veneer is peeling off the rotten wood and the process is irreversible.

[maryrose]

You are right Joanna. Daschle was one of them and we all know what happened to him .

[matt]

A good morning to you all. As a Man U fan, I think the only people who won't like this video are City fans. LUN

[Porchlight]

Good catch, Joanna. I'd forgotten about that.

[maryrose]

I disagree about Obama being re-elected. They may like him personally but they hate his policies. Today he has to have a press conference to say he didn't punt on the 2012 budget. In other words his roll-out was a flop and today he wants a do-over. The Mulligan presidency. Everything he does is a flop. He has the opposite of the Midas touch.

[Thomas Collins]

Boatbuilder, I won't purport to speak for DoT, but I am very concerned that continued questioning of Obama's qualifications to be President could help him win a close election in 2012. I think it is an issue that could push persuadable voters in close states against the GOP candidate.

On the legal aspect of it, I am firmly convinced that federal courts have no business second guessing the decision of the Electoral College. So I have no doubt that we have a duly elected POTUS.

[Janet]

I guess they are not pressing for me, but it bothers me that non-newsjunkie Americans are lied to & are being led to believe that those questioning Obama's narrative are the ignorant ones.

I felt the same with the Libby scam. He was portrayed as a liar & hiding info while it was Armitage, Russert, Mitchell, Gregory, Woodward,... that were the liars & were hiding info.
It is the same with AGW too....and questioning evolution.

[Captain Hate]

LUN for why a big Issa destruction push is on.

[Thomas Collins]

As a policy matter, I would amend the Constitution to eliminate the natural born requirement. Any constitutional provision that disqualifies Vaclav Havel to be my POTUS but doesn't disqualify the likes of Bill Ayres I find to be inherently suspect. Whatever may have been the soundness of the natural born requirement in the 18th century, it now disqualifies energetic first generation immigrants who would make far better POTUSes than our natural born effete elites. If a Vaclav Havel type came to the US and became a citizen, it would seem to me to be difficult to argue that such a type wouldn't make a fine, loyal to the US POTUS.

[Janet]

To this day I cringe when I hear Tim Russert praised....or Powell. I can't stand them.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

I guess they are not pressing for me, but it bothers me that non-newsjunkie Americans are lied to & are being led to believe that those questioning Obama's narrative are the ignorant ones.

There appears to be 2 distinct constituents - voters who pay attention and voters who don't. Our job is to get more people to pay attention.

[Janet]

Thanks for the Rooney link Matt...forwarded it to my son.
& the Insider link is interesting too Captain.

from the Insider link on Obama's smoking - "..there is an ongoing dispute between the First Lady and the president over his “habits”, and she put out that public statement as some kind of passive aggressive power play."

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Capn'

That was a disappointing "Insider". I want juice!

[Captain Hate]

LUN for further evidence that MessNBC's crazy Larry's been drinking Keef's bathwater.

Dear God I wish Laura Ingraham would stop giving Pat Buchanan a forum

[Captain Hate]

LOL Jane; you've got a show today, no? You should play Niall's clip for Dick and get his response.

[Threadkiller]

Issa is a perfect tie in to this thread. In 2004 he co-sponsored a bill to change the presidential requirements to allow any citizen, who has lived in this country for 35 years, to be eligible for POTUS. It failed. This was an attempt to make Arnold a contender.

What they will find on Issa will come from his relentless pursuit of Toyota in the wake of the driver error crashes. He had a financial tie to a company that was in direct competition with Audiovox. Audiovox won a bid that Issa's company, after it's purchase of Sirius, was in the running for.

Directed Electronics (Sirius' parent company) lost 90 million in one year.

Toyota was the largest purchaser of Audiovox satellite and electronic equipment and Issa had a personal interest in a competitor. This will be a problem if they pursue Issa enough.

[Captain Hate]

Jugears McSandtrap has his own Toyota problem so I don't see that as a fruitful line of attack.

[Pagar]

TK, is there a link to your 09:46?

[Rick Ballard]

"Our job is to get more people to pay attention."

Jane,

You don't really want the feelers in the Muddle paying more attention to Bart's shame issues, do you? TC makes a very valid point regarding feelers - they respond in defense of whoever they feel is the underdog. They would give the "benefit of the doubt" to Lizzy Borden on the basis of her being an orphan.

I'd much rather have the feelers concerned with gas, groceries and jobs than with Bart's shame regarding his pathetic performance on the SAT or LSAT.

[Rick Ballard]

CH,

With a little effort someone might win the gold doubloon that Captain Ahab nailed to the mast. The heavy mist of specious twaddle filling the air reeks of the briny deep.

[Threadkiller]

TC, we are finding out multiculturalism does not work in the 21st century. I assume they had already figured that out in the 18th century and wanted to spare us the harm that could be caused by a dual citizen POTUS. You were either a citizen at the creation of this country or you were descended from people who felt it necessary to disavow any foreign ties and dedicate themselves solely to this nation. Seems like a good rule to me.

I wonder how many 20 year olds are deprived of POTUS by requirement. If the 20 year old was given 10 years to live, and was the most devoted citizen possible, shouldn’t we destroy that 18th century requirement too? That would be fair. I would take a 20 year old, cancer cursed, devoted citizen over a 70 year old Laurence Tribe any day.

[fdcol63]

"On the legal aspect of it, I am firmly convinced that federal courts have no business second guessing the decision of the Electoral College. So I have no doubt that we have a duly elected POTUS."

Well, I think this has some important caveats, like if the Electoral College made its decision based on evidence (i.e., documents like a birth certificate) that were later found to be forged or fallacious).

In this case, who else is going to rectify the matter if NOT a federal court?