Justices to make this go away, they only need one. Anthony Kennedy.

But, bottom line, this needs to go away. It’s a non-issue. The only sardonic giggle I personally get from the whole thing is that the same bunch who ran 911 Truth are lining up for this one. Heh.

But the birth certificate stuff is a total distraction.

That pretty much sums it up.

I personally wish this issue was over so we can go on. If Obama has nothing to hide why is he being so defiante about presenting his Birth Certificate? Its hard to support a President that won’t get himself qualified and end this mess. You would think he is a little sick of it. Another reason that this is important is that it is a Constitutional Law that only “natural citizen” can be President. Oddly enough Al quida thinks he is Muslim, and are mad at him already. Obamas grd. mother on his fathers side, swears he was born in Kenya, till they shut her and the rest of the family up. I just think it tooo odd that he is refusing to produce one. What’s he got to hide?

Erick

I agree 100 percent, and on top of all the points you make, it’s a distraction from getting in gear to deal with real issues.

If “this” is all conservatives have to worry about, then there is something seriously wrong. Throw in some what the heck does this tell the American people about how serious or not Republicans are, and this issue is a total looser.

And it validates why I continue to participate here.

That and, I suspect, the fact that Moe Lane will be quite useful in whatever distopian ‘mecha future that awaits us.

about your post.
“And this is my biggest one: let’s say it is all true. Let’s say Obama really is from Kenya. Let’s say the birth certificate, despite being validated by a Republican administration in Hawaii and despite a birth announcement in a Hawaiian newspaper — let’s say it’s all a fraud. So what? Does anyone really, really think five justices of the United States Supreme Court are going to throw him out of office or deny him the right to run again? Seriously? After over 50% of the nation voted to elect him? That will not happen. And if it did, there’d be a greater percentage of people up in arms over than voted for the guy”

If all this were true and we ignored it, then the Constitution of the U.S. is officially Null and Void! That realization would disturb me in all get out. Then the U.S. Government has been officialy overthrown by ignoring the idea of the Amendment process.

Regardless, I do agree this is a non-starter and should be abandoned; however, I can not let your 4th comment go without stating the implications of that condition, many people (not me) would take up arms against the regime.

Look at Canada and the suspension of Parliament and the related constitutional crises in the last 10-12 years, I would not be surprised to see the SCOTUS invalidate the Obama win.

Whether or not this would be a good thing, I think not, but hey, I like to see the Constitution in action so why not.

I have a different theory. Obama’s lawyers are probably sitting on an appropriate instrument proving Obama is indeed a natural-born citizen of the USA. However, the Obama campaign, which pays them, still has millions to spend. Therefore, this case which should have been heard and dispatched in court in 15 minutes is being stretched out for the billable hours.

chsw

First, as to Neil’s comment about a constitutional flaw in requiring something and not providing a method of verification. Constitutions aren’t for defining every “i” and “t”, that’s what statures are for. Furthermore, the Founders assumed that men running for these offices were honorable and that placing that impediment would prevent an unqualified yet honorable man from seeking the office. Their assumption is undoubtedly inoperative in the modern world.

Second I must take exception to my friend Erick’s position. I think it matters and I think it matters a lot.If so simple a part of the Constitution cannot command our respect and observation then the liberals are right and the document is alive and there is no basic truth to be observed in the conduct of our nation.

Third, being born of an American mother or father overseas does not necessarily make one a natural born citizen. The citizenship laws of this country have changed a number of times over the years and what is true today was not necessarily true at the time of Obama’s birth. It was not true for American soldiers overseas at the end of WWII and had to be addressed by Congress — which accounts for why I am a citizen by birth. Yet I know people only a few years younger than me born to American servicemen overseas who are naturalized citizens. Like most things involving our laws, it is not as simple, obvious and straightforward as it sounds.

That said I am disturbed by Obama’s attitude. He would be President but feels no obligation to satisfy the perfectly reasonable, and legitimate, concern of those he would lead. Personally I think he is a citizen by birth but I also think a resonable, honorable man would not object to clarifying the matter.

I have no idea if Senator Obama was born in the United States or Kenya. Until this year it had never occurred to me there would be no system in place to verify if a presidential candidate meets the constitutional requirement to hold the office. If this is what it takes to finally get one then I support this lawsuit.

As for whether he should be removed from office, if he is not qualified per the requirements of our constitution, I would support whatever efforts are required to uphold it. Including taking up arms.

I am tired of watching our government at every level disregard it.

Article II Section 1 clause 5
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article02/03.html#1

“the Naturalization act of 1790 ‘”the children of citizens of the United States, that may be born beyond the sea, . . shall be considered as natural born citizens. . .””

Is that the folks who insist on believing this have constructed several different and indeed contradictory theories. This means they made their conclusion (that Obama is either not eligible to serve, or isn’t even a citizen at all) and THEN have constructed whatever rationale needed ex post facto.

He was born where, now? Kenya….no, wait, Indonesia! No, wait, it was Hawaii, but his father renounced his son’s American citizenship. No, wait, it was because one of his parents wasn’t a citizen!

Seriously, I’ve read each of those theories at different times. Can’t we just admit that some people choose to believe that he is their existential “other” and they’ll convince themselves of pretty much whatever it takes to sustain that?

Let us just say the Constitution were amended to require Candidates file additional documents which demonstrate they “qualify” for an office they are running for prior to being allowed on the ballot… Would that really change anything in this case!??!?!?

Obama would have filed what he has already put forth… FEC may have glossed over it… Someone would still be challenging it on the same grounds/complaints/concerns about the legitimacy of the originally filed documents, any potentially contradicting documents, etc….

SCOTUS always has to have final say in these matters, even if it seems somewhat trivial to some. The Constitution and whether someone is even close to actually being QUESTIONABLY QUALIFIED is not a small matter… IMO

I agree with a couple posters who state that there is no means of enforcing verification of natural-born citizenship in the US Constitution. I’m not a Constitutional scholar, but I am not aware of any enforcement mechanisms of anything within the Constitution.

That said, the primary (if not sole) means of verification rests with each state’s election process which requires that each candidate confirm their eligibility. This is why Dr. Keyes and others have filed suits against the various Secretaries of State (CA for Keyes). That is where the failure really rests — allowing someone to simply attest to being qualified.

I suppose there is the potential that if it comes to pass that Obama is not a natural born citizen, in addition to being denied the presidency he could be held for perjury in each of the states (or at least those requiring the attestation under penalty of perjury as I understand California does).

For our countries sake I hope this is a non-issue and I considered it such until recently. For Obama to sic lawyers on a case to have it dismissed on technical grounds (standing of the plaintiff) rather than simply provide a full “vault” copy is alarming. Either he is more arrogant than original known (which would be saying something!) or he is hiding something or he is simply hoping to distract people. Given that most people don’t even know about the issue — or have only recently come to know — the last option seems unlikely.

For overwhelming your story with all of the comments, but I am really enjoying myself here. I probably could have took this discussion over to the open thread, but I thought I would not be engaged there.

Does anyone honestly think this will get a cert grant? At a time when they don’t take enough cases to justify their existence?

I don’t know what the comment about Thomas means. I thought cert votes were handled by the clerks (with the exception of Stevens and Alito) without disclosure.

I suspect they get all sorts of nutty cases. They don’t take them anymore though. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this case granted cert by a pre-Reagan era court,

Remember the old Democrat plea…. doesn’t matter the merit, “it is the seriousness of the charge” thereby warranting Congressional investigation (or, by extension in this case, by the SCOTUS). Yep, a stretch… but good excuse to throw back out a dumb Democrat line… lol You know, just another “double standards” reminder! If they could go at a Republican on any of this… they would!

He could have made this all go away by turning over a simple document that all of us have to provide throughout our lives. Instead of doing that he and the DNC hired lawyers to fight it.
This makes the whole thing take on a life of its own and the subject will never go away.
Now if I was a betting man and because of how BO has responded to this I would have to bet that there is something on the document he doesn’t want people to see.
Now what that something is, is anyones guess.

since he did go on that Grand Tour last summer. Unless he was “special,” they make you produce a true, State certified copy of your birth certificate to get a Passport.

You can use any old copy, even fraudulent ones, for most things, e.g., I-9s, but I had to write the State of Georgia to get the certified copy for my Passport application.