Recent comments
ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World
Thom Hartmann has written a dozen books covering ADD / ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
Join Thom for his new twice-weekly email newsletters on ADHD, whether it affects you or a member of your family.
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.
When I was born, the state of New York didn't give parents original birth certificates. They gave my parents a photocopy which was a negative print. When I needed a passport, the Dept of State wanted a positive print, so we had to write to the state of NY to get another copy, positive print that time.
My son was born in Maryland. The hospital has the original records. Maryland issues a birth certificate that looks like a driver's license. My husband doesn't have his original birth certificate either.
My father was born in Panama and lived in Cuba. He went to college at Georgia Tech for two years and was drafted during WWII. He doesn't have a birth certificate or naturalization papers to prove who he is and that he's a US citizen. He was advised to use his discharge papers from the US military for ID to get his US passport. When his wallet was stolen a few years ago, he was living in NJ. He tried to get a replacement license using his passport and his Army discharge papers. Motor Vehicles refused until he contacted his representative to demand that they reissue his license.
There are probably many more people who don't have birth certificates issued by hospitals, especially the many who were born at home. Does Rep. Hatfield, members of his family, friends and colleagues have their original birth certificates? This is a straw man which could easily backfire on Republicons.
Xenophobia is never a good reason to do anything.
While there was certainly some animus between then candidate Hillary Clinton and then candidate Barack Obama, I think they are both above such non-sense. IMHO, there was far more reason to question John McCain's 'Murican-ness.
My mom gave me my baby book which had my original birth certificate (with my footprints). I tried to use that to get a passport but was told to get the one from the state I was born in. The original was just formality I was told.
Here's a thought...if there was any question regarding the Presidents place of birth the Clintons would have exposed that information. It's a non issue.
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.
Alito's dissent corresponds with the pro-corporatist concept of treehuggers and animal lovers as domestic terrorists.
I found out I actually never had the original copy when I applied for my passport. The copy my mother got from the Hospital, I found out from the State, was known as the mother's copy. This was not an offical document - even though it was a stamped and signed document. The state of New Jersey, where I was born, stated they never provided an "original copy" to the parents. So, if you were born in New Jersey, the only way to get a copy is to ask - but it won't be an original.
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?
I don't ever remember having an original...have no idea what ever happened to it. When I got my drivers permit @ 15, I took in, and have used every time I ever was asked for a Birth Certificate (I thought it was actually my original) a birth certificate issued by the hospital provided courtesy of some dairy company. It used to be accepted, but no more.
Because of federal rules for more secure licenses, I found out this "birth certificate" is not valid. I had to apply for a certified copy (cost me $35.00) as well as providing a "paper trail" encompassing any name changes...can be especially burdensome if you're a woman who has been married, divorced or widowed. You have to have certified or original documentation showing each change of name.
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.
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!
i suppose if any non-white US natural born citizen run for president in the future will have to have their original birth certificate. this is a scandalous way to keep democrats out of any office. since republicans cant win with actually plans and solutions they want to lie continuously. i am so sick of of people fighting against there own best interest. corporate welfare at its finest and the party that supports there every move.
There should be some mechanism to measure the tax dollars wasted by these right wing NUTS ( I admit they are dangerous nuts) as they make numerous challenges in courts throughout the nation with the sole purpose of throwing obstacles in the way of President Obama's reelection. They do not practice conservative government, only obstructionists issue rants that spend your and my tax dollars indiscriminately for the purpose of their POLITICAL ENDS! These Sick obstructionists are driving our country to ruin. THEY ARE HATEFUL AND DANGEROUS.
I believe the birthers are a disgrace. They are all terrorists that want us to be afraid of the President of the United States. It is disgraceful and untrue, AMAZING!
Thom,
Yes, I still have my original birth certificate as does my wife. However, a few months ago we went to the Washington State Department of Licensing to get our Enhanced Driver's Licenses so we could travel back and forth to Canada with ease. We took our original birth certificates with us, and the Department of Licensing would not accept it. I tried to calmly explain to the woman at DOL to look at the raised seal, the signatures, but she would have none of it.
Go figure.
Ken Grubb
Puyallup, WA
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.
Moved here from india many years ago. birth certificates in india when i was born did not carry your name, because tradition required a naming ceremony.You had to go back and get it named and many didnt bother. So I had a copy of the original which didnt go over well with USCIS
I guess I can forget public office since I no longer have my original birth certificate.
Who knows where my original birth cirtificate is. A copy has always been good enough. The President should not respond to these disrespectful distraction techniques of the manipulative, small minded.
Original Birth Certificate?!?!?!?
Of course, I keep my Articles of Incorporation in my sock drawer.
Well, for what it's worth.
The shoes were delivered today. To the mail room.
We can only hope they are actually delivered to him.
Eleven states are requiring for Obama to produce his original birth certificate or he cannot have his name on the ballot for 2012. The Supreme Court will also back up the eleven states and so Obama will lose and be off the ballot in these states.
Hopefully, Obama will declare martial law and cancel the 2012 election to complete four more years in office.
I am also a fan of Thomas Merton. My dad and I went on a a retreat to the Abbey of Gethsemane in central Kentucky. The abbey was Thomas Merton's residence.
Merton"s Famous Prayer
My Lord God
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really understand myself.
And the fact that I think I am following
Your will does not mean I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
Does in fact please you.
And I hope I have the desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the
right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may
seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear for you are ever with me and
you will never leave me to face my troubles alone.
Thomas Merton
And the parlour games continue. A confirmed "hell no" vote from Republican Senator Karen Gilmour was flipped to a hell yes today when she replaced the chairman of the committee. That's two additional "Yes" votes, giving a 7-5 majority to pass the bill out of committee. The kicker is committee chairs receive additional compensation beyond their normal pay.
While Wisconsin gets the majority of coverage in the War on Labor, Ohio's Republican controlled Senate is playing games with committee oppointments to secure enough votes to pass SB5 (John Kasich's union-busting budget solution). When the President of the Senate discovered he did not have enough support within his own party to pass SB5 out of the committee, he replaced a no-voting Republican with a yes-voting Republican. Talk about playground rules.