Will Republicans kick President Obama off the ballot in several states?
By louisehartmann
Republicans have a new tactic to try to win back the White House in 2012 – and that’s to kick President Obama off the ballot in several states. 11 states in our nation are currently considering legislation that would require President Obama to prove he was born in the United States in order to have his name placed on the state’s presidential ballot. Of course – President Obama has already proven he was born in Hawaii – and that state has repeatedly confirmed it by releasing his birth certificate. But still – the birthers aren’t satisfied. Georgia is the latest state to introduce similar legislation – as Republican state lawmaker Mark Hatfield puts it: “It is, in a sense, a response to ... the sitting president and his inability or unwillingness to release his original birth certificate." What it’s actually in response to though is the Republican Party playing to the racism inherent in it’s voting base. Rather than correcting those who think the President was born in Kenya – the GOP wants to exploit them for political gain.
Comments
#2
I don't have my original birth certificate. It was lost years ago and replaced. I was able to apply for a new social security card which was also lost And a passport. I'm legal!
#3
Can't find the question about birth certificates so I'll post here - I NEVER had an original birth certificate. What we got way back then was a "negative" copy - black and white, but the whole paper was black and the text was white.
#4
This is discriminatory against adoptees. I was adopted and my birth certificate was altered to show my adoptive parents as my birth parents. I have never had an original copy of my birth certificate due to privacy issues around adoption. Does that mean that no adoptee could ever run for President?
#5
I couldn't find the question about the birth certificate, either. I DO have my original birth certificate. However, Social Security would not accept it, because it was not certified by the state. Had to get a "Certificate of Live Birth" from the state of Washington.
#6
Seven Presidents with at least one Foreign born parent:
Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) is the only president born of two immigrants, both Irish. Presidents with one immigrant parent are Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), whose mother was born in England, James Buchanan (1857-1861) and Chester Arthur (1881-1885), both of whom had Irish fathers, and Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) and Herbert Hoover (1929-1933), whose mothers were born respectively in England and Canada.
http://community.myvoa.com/_The-Seventh-US-President-with-a-Foreign-Born...
#7
Funny, the birthers never had a problem with a candidate having BOTH parents born outside the U.S., as was the case with Michael Dukakis.
#8
I feel compelled to comment on the original birth certificate question. First of all, no my original birth certificate, as it was, was lost many years ago, in fact before I was 5 years old. When my mother got a certified copy, when I was a child, they gave her one that had the wrong brithdate on it (I was born after midnight and they had already made it out for April 4 as the next day was Easter and they all wanted to go home. This was in 1953. When she went to the orginal court house and said they had the wrong day, I was really born on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1953. They gave her a corrected Birth Certificate. It now (the certified copy) says April 4 which has an / through it and then a 5, 1953. I am in my 50's and have had to explain this birth certificate every time I'm asked for it, such as when I got my latest passport. So people, cut President Obama a break. If they have a certified copy, which they do, he is for sure a citizen. Are you going to kick us all out who don't have originals or what about those of us whose originals were WRONG?? Does this make me not a citizen? I don't think so.
#9
Your guest on the radio, Andy Martin, backtracked all over the place. It was interesting to me that he said as one of the last things in this interview that you, Thom are a natural born citizen because both your parents were born in the USA. That does not make you more of a natural born citizen than any other person born in the USA, whether or not their parents were born here. He needs to do more to educate himself on this if he's going to talk about it.
#10
My husband works for the State of NM and does work with a National Lab that required him to have a pretty high level of security clearance. The FBI did his background check and they talked to many people, found out everywhere he had ever lived and did a pretty extensive search on him. Do you really think that a person wanting to be the President of the United States wouldn't need a background check? I'm guessing the president has the highest security level of anyone in the US. Do you really think that during this check the FBI or whoever wouldn't have found out if he was not indeed born in the US? Do you really think just anyone can get on the ballot? He probably had to have the same or similar background check done to run for the Senate. Do we really think that the FBI would just forget to find this out? I can deal with a thinly disguised reason for not wanting him on the ballot, but what I can’t tolerate is letting this silliness continue. The background check would have already uncovered this; it didn’t; get over it.
#11
NO Obama will be on ballot in ALL states GOP liars-birthres-Kenyan BS is baaack That proves GOP is desperate Ruuning out ofl ies-smears about Obama. If GOP voters are that dumb- and gullible they deserve to be duped again. From Reaganomics 1980 - Bush Cheney- Goldman Fed boys 2008 global crash TARP GOP mission has been to give more& more tax cuts, lie- smear- wage long wars for profits, use fear to manipulate us - to bust unions, crush Obama- at ANY cost. God voters are so ill informed- unable to think logically And thats being kind
#12
We are currently getting passport cards because I have to get a hysterectomy in Mexico (since I'm uninsurable in the US - self-employed and a pre-existing condition).
I have an original birth certificate for myself - I've had it for close to thirty years and just kept it filed away in a box with all my other Important Stuff. My husband had to send away for his. The difference in thirty years' worth of birth certificate-producing is amazing. Mine has tons and tons of information - my moment of entry into this once-glorious nation, my delivery doctor's name, my father's occupation, my mother's maiden name, my length and weight, etc.
My husband's copy goes like this - name, DOB, mother's name, father's name, county recorded. PERIOD. I suppose he shan't be able to run for President, either.
But I could. ;)
#13
I hope so. But you never know with Fox spreading all the lies about Obama. I'm 66 years old and for the first time in my life I'm worried about where the Country is going. If the people in this country don't wake up we are headed for distaster.
#14
This is just sad. The racism is extends beyond the intended victim, the president, to
those of us who are not racists. As a 62 year old veteran I find it hard to believe we have regressed
so significantly as a society since the 70's.
#15
As long as there are politicians able to even consider seriously doing this, they obviously believe they have a chance to continue to confuse the average american citizen, who, let's face it. after Reagan has had an education lower than 38 countries in the world and is incapable to think for itself.
The fact that there is no end to this blatant evidence of racism illustrates my point.
#16
President Obama probably doesn't have the original of his birth certificate, but Hawaii's Dept. of Health does and has responded to this cynical query hundreds of time. Not only is his birth certificate on file, but a newspaper article in a Hawaiian newspaper announcing his birth has been republished.
This is just, as Thom says, a cynical distraction.
#17
Adopted people, in most states, are not allowed access to their original birth certificates. Those records are sealed. So, according to this proposed legislation, adopted people would be prohibited from running for president. Yeah, that sounds fair.
#18
It's all to frickin too much isn't it? When our news networks have been taken over by corporate brain thought, and the poor Morons who believe what the news spew is fact, we're going to splinter big time... hey I know let's couple poor Charlie Sheen and Randy Quaid to take up more press, so Wisconsin, Ohio and the rest of our country is taken over by big biz... while the country snoozes and looses.
#19
There are so many ways to challenge any legislation like this. It might be a speed bump on the way to 2012, but I'm sure there will be injunctions filed. The adoption issue alone should be enough to block this.
#20
Back in December Raw Story posted an interesting article about the Conservatives having a larger 'fear center' in their brain. It's called amygdalas (uh-mig-duh-luh). They also have a smaller anterior cingulate than the liberals, it's the part of the brain that is responsible for optimism and courage.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/conservatives-fear-center-brain/
Looks like when I stated that the gop is brain damaged, I wasn't making a joke.
#21
I seriously doubt anyone has their original birth certificate. Those are always held in the files of the State in which a person is born. If you need a copy for any reason, they will issued a "certified copy" of the original. Didn't Obama have to show proof when he registered to run for President? As former military with a TS clearance, I can guarantee the FBI does a thorough background check and I'm sure one was completed on Obama, both as a senatorial candidate and as a presidential candidate. And how could you prevent him from being on a ballot for an office he has already served in for four years? Seriously, aren't there far more important issues facing this country that these politicans should be focusing on? The answer is YES!
#22
IF IT ISN'T HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE
IT WILL BE HIS BLOOD TYPE
IF NOT HIS BLOOD TYPE
IT WILL BE HIS DNA
THATS IT!!!!!!!!!!!
HIS DNA INCLUDES BLACK
#23
Thanks for being honest and up front jkh6148 for saying simply as it is! I grew up in the south and I can assure you that this is a racial issue from the word go...I just wish they would man up, take the hit and addmit it and let's move on. Mr. Obama is the best thing to come along for this country in the 40 odd years I have been voting and we need another 4 years for sure!
#24
I AM THINKING THE VERY SAME BIRTHER STATES THAT ARE CONSIDERING THIS LEGISLATION - ISSUE THE SAME TYPE OF COMPUTER GENERATED CERTIFICATES OF LIVE BIRTH ISSUED BY HAWAII.
THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND SHOVED IN THEIR FACES.
#25
Racism – YES. Confined to the South – NO! Maine of all states is in the process of attempting the same thing. Being a former Catholic I do know that even in areas where white folk have never seen a “black person”, or a “Yellow one”, they are still quite racist!
I just wish that the tea-baggers, repugs and all those miffed righties would “Man-Up” and simply state that they are all racist instead of all this backdoor malarkey they are trying to sell to the American people.
They are all COWARDS! They can’t govern worth a spit! And they want us all to return to the 1900 century when WASPs ran everything.
I believe that was has transpired in Wisconsin in the last couple weeks is a wakeup call for all intelligent Americans that our Democracy is being threated and that we all need to return to our Democratic values. The repugs have crossed the line here and they need to be stopped pronto!
#26
They know exactly what they're doing and they have for a long time.....it's the lowest of low, the worst kind of dirty trick, but they'll use it to try and get him off the ballot in as many states as they can. The sad thing, the most frightening thing, is that since the numbers are now in their favor, that they just might be able to pull it off. As a Georgia native, I know just how virulent the hatred for President Obama is in a large portion of that state, as well as several others in the south and many in other conservative strongholds. I don't know if there is anything that the Federal Gov't can do in this situation, but what I really want to know is, would it be legal to hold an election with the absence of a party's candidate on the ballot?
#27
No. And if they insist we'll fight the Civil War all over again. Simple solution to all this is that all these racist voters exercise their democratic freedom - don't vote if you don't like the guy! Those with saner cerebral matter will.
But this gets us back to the certainty here that Obama will win in a re-election - and that is totally unacceptable to the racist who doesn't want him re-elected.
#28
I think it's time for actual Americans to realize that this new Republican Party is an anti-christian, self serving, un-educated group of people that serve their multi-billionaire masters that have the agenda of turning this country into an Oligarchy. Think of no unions for workers, no EPA or FDA for public health and safety, no education needed for the poor (98% of the population) and no need to apply for any college or university as that kind of education will be reserved for the elite ruling class only. It seems we are back fighting the revolutionary war all over again. All we need now is for all those people that didn't bother to vote during the last election, to actually vote in 2012 and perhaps we will get America back again. Of course the Democrats will have to develope a spinal column and intestinal fortitude and actually fight the Republicans just as hard as they fight the Democrats!!
#29
I really don't understand the controversy. He just has to be a natural born citizen to be president. Which would mean that his mother or father needs to be a citizen of the United States. Where he was born is a none issue. It's a fact the John McCain was not born in the United State. His mother and father were stationed in another part of the world. If I'm confused by what constitutes an eligible presidential candidate or active president, would someone please correct me.
#30
No one asks the obvious questions:
Anderson Cooper really nailed a birther Congressman on air but never asked him the obvious questions: "Can you, sir, produce an official record of your own birth? If so, what documents did you use to do it and how can you prove they're legitimate? You've asked the President to produce these records and the State of Hawaii has produced them. What evidence do you have to believe the State of Hawaii has forged this document?" and finaly "Why does the President need more proof of his birth than you do?" Cooper does actually do a pretty good job of showing this guy up for the fool he is and it's definitely worth a look.
Whatever criteria they set up for Obama to prove his citizenship should apply to all candidates, meaning the Tea Party Republican candidates would also need to produce birth certificates that meets the same criteria.
It's really sad that so many people have lost their ability to actually think for themselves. It's not only sad, it could be the demise of American democracy as we know it.
#31
Which 11 states? Is Obama likely to win them anyway?
#32
Our President's birthcertificate is easily available on the web. http://images.dailykos.com/images/user/3/BO_Birth_Certificate.jpg
#33
the other 98 wrote 2 hours 12 min ago
I really don't understand the controversy. He just has to be a natural born citizen to be president. Which would mean that his mother or father needs to be a citizen of the United States. Where he was born is a none issue. It's a fact the John McCain was not born in the United State. His mother and father were stationed in another part of the world. If I'm confused by what constitutes an eligible presidential candidate or active president, would someone please correct me.
Google for Natural Born citizen. you specifically want section 1401.
In McCain's case, his father was on military duty in the Canal, making him a natural born citizen. If this wasn't the law that children of military and other government employees or citizens working off-shore with their families with them, wouldn't be having children overseas. Military, governement workers, and Americans working off-shore are allowed to take their families to non-war areas.
In Obama's case, his mother was a citizen, his father was a foreign national, and he was born in Hawaii... That makes him natural born. Even if he had been born in Kenya, his mother was STILL a citizen and he would still be natural born.
Do you really think that Anne Dunham was farsighted enough back in 1961 to have planned this massive conspiracy to coverup his birth?
One issue that hasn't been brought up, probably because it hasn't happened yet... But Senators and Congress do not have to be natural born, but can be naturalized. However, Speaker of the House in 3rd in line should tragedy befall the President and Vice President simultanously. The SOH would have to step up in the interim term.
#34
The 'brithers have something. I don't believe that the Kocke brothers are rich because they can not produce original documents substantiating their funds. I want to see the original dollar bills and the original stock certificates. Bank records can be forged.
#35
This means every member of congress should have to produce their birth certificate. Anyone who is elected will have to be reconfirmed. Everyone both Federal and State. How much will that cost I wonder?
#36
@jkh6148, Thank you for the home run!!!!!
#37
Sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick ( people who refuse to accept reason ( proof ) in any form ).... and we voted for them! Need I say more?
#38
I've managed to find out what 7 of the states are: Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Arizona.
#39
What difference does it make if he is on the ballot or not? If he is our candidate, who cares who is elected. Obama is just as much of a Republican as a Republican who is honest about what party he's with. It is no coincidence that the Koch brothers are coming out of the shadows and bearing down hard on the middle class during Obama's administration. He is much more useful to the billionaires as a Democrat because Liberals like Thom will not criticise him in the same way they would if he admited to being a right-winger. I just heard that the USDA was willing to stand up to Monsanto and their cronies and regulate GMO's. However, Obama heavily pressured the USDA into giving in to Monsanto and deregulating. And, oh, yeah, a Monsanto Vice President is now Obama's agricultural consultant. When are Liberals going to admit they made a horrible mistake? What Obama is doing is clever, deceitful and sickening. If he gets re-elected, God help us.
#40
Shows that republicans do not have the courage of their convictions, nor do they have faith in America, our people, government, or God and they will subvert law, obstruct justice, & go to any extreme to rig elections!
These are not good citizens nor good or trustworthy politicians!
#41
My birth certificate was the same as yours (detailed). My son's birth certificate was the same as you decribed for your husband. I was shocked when I originally saw his. I thought it wasn't finished or something...
#42
Yes, it may in fact be discriminatory against adoptees but Gerald Ford was adopted without question. In 2004 Bill S.2128 was proposed to allow citizen parents who adopt a foreign child at birth to be able to grant them the hope of one day becoming President so the Bill's purpose was to REDEFINE AND AMEND the term "Natural Born Citizen" as it applies to the qualification of the POTUS in ARTICLE II, SECTION I of the Constitution. A Committee was set up to study what if anything could be done to amend this old law. The Bill never passed. Therefore, the term Natural Born Citizen as it applies to the President of the United States has the same specifications and definition as it had in 1787 when a married woman derived her citizenship from the husband only regardless of where she was born or lived ...she could not stand alone and moreover, Vattel's Law of Nations describes "the land of the father is the land of the child". Woman at that time could not even vote. No did any woman have a right to take away a child's inherited rights under the law of the land in which the husband could bestow upon a child. It was already argued on the floor of Congress in 2004 by none other than Barbara Boxer that all laws on citizenship are moot and or conflicting and sets precedence all over the place but none so name this Article and Section number to Amend the term Natural Born Citizen when it comes to the qualification of the POTUS.
The term Natural Born Citizen as it is meant to be defined in 1787 has never been amended or redefined...therefore, when it says citizen parents...that's both parents...Obama's father is the only father of a President in history that was not an American citizen nor ever intended to be one. (that is not including those exempt at the time of the signing of the Constitution). Obama knew his father makes him ineligible, the DNC knew he did not meet this qualification yet they counted on the ignorance of everyone and uses race baiting to challenge anyone smart enough to know this. More importantly, if you look at the INTENT of the law and all the letters to and from the founding fathers on this subject you would know that the founders of the Constitution intended never to have someone of such foreign influence and conflicting allegiance as Obama sitting in the highest office of the land.
It is not a racial issue but a Constitutional issue. For most birthers this may be an anti-Obama thing but not a racial thing because they would vote for Herman Cain or Allen West in a heart beat if either of them became the Presidential GOP candidate.
#43
Please read the Constitution Article II Section I and then please tell me where in the 14th Amendment or any amendment or redefinition does it name this Article and Section number in the Amendment...Where is is Redefined to mean anything other than what it meant in 1787??? Anyone?? Anyone?? Sorry but the DNC are counting on your race baiting and ignorance of the Constitution to defend Obama against the Truth starring straight at you! You have willingly been bamboozled by the Great Bamboozler!
#44
Sorry...but the DNC is counting on your ignorance and the leftist leaning loonies in the MSM to push these totally irrelevant documents as proof ....they are in fact, if authentic, proof of citizenship (not the proof of the required "Natural Born Citizen" status) as the office of Vital Statistics does produce the COLB AND also sends a list to newspapers of all births REGISTERED in a state and the address of the COLB and the birth announcements only reflect the mother of the child's permanent address as REPORTED .. Neither are proofs of being a natural born citizen and does not reflect where a child was born unless it is documentation from a hospital. So in other words Obama's mother could have telegramed from Kenya birth data to the grandmother and the grandmother went down to fill out the registration forms. This is why only scraps of paper were found where the long form birth certificate should be found.You have come to the party a little late to pull this one over on those who read and saw articles written in foreign countries declaring with such pride that Obama was born in Kenya. The first birther was in fact a black man, Alan Keyes, and a law suit was brought by him with Phllip Berg (A Hillary supporter) as his attorney. It may be a anti-Obama debate but there exists absolutely no racist comment ever in birther arguments. As for me with a grandmother listed as mulatto I doubt I would pass a 5% rule. Besides I am a strong supporter of Allen West for POTUS....now that is what I call an All American black and blue blood.
#45
""I couldn't find the question about the birth certificate, either. I DO have my original birth certificate. However, Social Security would not accept it, because it was not certified by the state. Had to get a "Certificate of Live Birth" from the state of Washington.""
Different documents for different things. When a state "registers" a birth it is entered into all kinds of books and records and yes, a list is sent to local newspapers...like a public announcement of divorce. Yet since the proof needed is not for citizenship nor for naturalization proof of citizenship but in fact "natural born citizenship" this is something states are deciding how best to vet for the same documents that can prove citizenship reflect place of mother's residence ...and not where the child was born. ...and a natural born citizen must be born "of the soil". of America...but also the part Obama does not qualify is the definition that stands as unamended in 1787 "a soil born child of citizen parents"...that's both parents...Moreover, Vattel's Law of Nations also says "the land of the fathers is the land of the child"...and for Obama that would be Kenya.
#46
Fortunately the loonies asking for things like this aren't a very large voting block. What's more is, these people wouldn't vote for Obama any how as they tend to be far off into the right and often times their political POV is grounded in good ol boy (extreme) Republican racism.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
From Screwed:
"I think many of us recognize that for all but the wealthiest, life in America is getting increasingly hard. Screwed explores why, showing how this is no accidental process, but rather the product of conscious political choices, choices we can change with enough courage and commitment. Like all of Thom’s great work, it helps show us the way forward."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"With the ever-growing influence of corporate CEOs and their right-wing allies in all aspects of American life, Hartmann’s work is more relevant than ever. Throughout his career, Hartmann has spoken compellingly about the value of people-centered democracy and the challenges that millions of ordinary Americans face today as a result of a dogma dedicated to putting profit above all else. This collection is a rousing call for Americans to work together and put people first again."
From Screwed:
"Hartmann speaks with the straight talking clarity and brilliance of a modern day Tom Paine as he exposes the intentional and systematic destruction of America’s middle class by an alliance of political con artists and outlines a program to restore it. This is Hartmann at his best. Essential reading for those interested in restoring the institution that made America the envy of the world."
Obama will be unable to produce his original birth certificate. No one will be able to vote until they can produce their original birth certificate. The fascist Republicans will never lose another election until the second coming of Jesus.