House 'Birther Bill' Up to Nine Co-Sponsors

[brooklynite]

Source: The Washington Independent

Rep. Bill Posey’s (R-Fla.) bill that would change campaign law to demand proof of citizenship from presidential candidates is up to nine co-sponsors. Since June, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas), and Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) have added their names to the list.

Burton is an ironic recruit to the cause. In the 1990s, he earned the nickname “Watermelon Dan” for his innumerable conspiracy theories about President Bill Clinton; he once ushered reporters into his backyard to watch him shoot a watermelon as a way of proving that Vince Foster’s death could not have been a suicide. And with the addition of the new Texas co-sponsors, a full quarter of the state’s 20-member Republican delegation to Congress is now backing the Posey bill.

Read more: http://washingtonindependent.com/51057/house-birther-bill-up-to-nine-co-sponsors

---

Nice to see that even Republican Elected Officials are willing to lead the Party over a cliff in support of their dwindling base.

[UP_4012]

1. Pathetic.

Just absolutely pathetic, it is almost too bad for words.

[Mz Pip]

2. What???

Michelle Bachmann hasn't signed on yet?? Where has she been?

Come on Michelle, do you due diligence and jump on the idiot bandwagon where you belong.

[Turbineguy]

4. Her anser would probably be:

"Even I am not THAT crazy!"

[sinkingfeeling]

3. So, what does the bill say constitutes 'proof of citizenship'? You're required to have a

certified copy of your state birth certificate to obtain an U.S. Passport. And President Obama has both.

[dflprincess]

16. Before I say any more I know Obama is a citizen by birth so I'm not implying anything about him,

just clarifying passport rules.

Citizens by birth need to present their certified birth certificate (again, which Obama has) and a picture ID to get a passport. Naturalized citizens need to show proof of naturalization (and the id). Possession of a passport proves citizenship, not how it was obtained.

[cosmicone]

5. This is just a show to reinforce in the mind of the freeper-types

that Obama is not really a US Citizen. It simply keeps the tinfoil hats warm.

[Cha]

10. Exactly, and clumps together the

republicons who have nothing but idiocy to show for their life's work.

Of course, there's more but, that's a nasty little roundup.

[cosmicone]

12. Come on .... not just idiocy ..

they also have beer bellies and hypocrisy!!

[HopeHoops]

6. Yeah, that should REALLY help fix the economy! Good work, fuckwads.

:mad:

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

7. I love the part about shooting watermelons. How do these people get elected...

[Winterblues]

8. Be curious to see McCain's birth certificate

Wasn't he born in Panama?

[madamesilverspurs]

9. Doesn't matter.

He was born on a US military base, which is the same as being born within our borders. He could have been born on the dark side of the moon, the only relevance is that McCain is white, and that's the only thing this whole 'birther' thing is about.

[No Elephants]

18. IMO, McCain is a "natural born citizen" within the meaning of Article II of the Constituion and the

SCOTUS would no doubt so decided, when and if called upon to decide. It would be awful if being born out of the country because a parent was on active duty would disqualify you from the Presidency. However, the SCOTUS has not yet held that being born on a US military base is the same as being born within one of the fifty states.

[msanthrope]

22. He wasn't born on base. In fact, he was born in Colon, as the

base's military hospital had not even been built.

In 1937, Title 8, section 1403, retroactively confirmed his citizenship, however.

"Any person born in the Canal Zone on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this chapter, whose father or mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States, is declared to be a citizen of the United States."

One can make the argument that McCain is naturalized.

[Mike Daniels]

11. I have to imagine that the co-sponsors are all in districts that are solidly Republican

I can't imagine anyone signing on to this idiocy if there existed the slightest possibility that a Democratic candidate could win an election.

[Myrina]

13. ... so then does that automatically disqualify AHNULD?

Or has he been green-carded by marrying into the Kennedy/Shriver clan? :shrug:

It would be funny as hell if the GOP's own 'future star' (Reagan v2.0) couldn't run for Prez as a result of their vendetta against Obama.

[Rebubula]

15. Arnold disqualified long ago

He is not eligible to run for President. You must be a natural-born citizen of the US to be President.

So...no...this would not effect him in the least.

[No Elephants]

20. Article II of the Constitution of tthe United States, combined with Ahnuld's birth overseas dis-

qualified Ahunuld.

Shortly after Tim Russert died, Arnold claimed on Meet the Press that Russert had told him that Russert would take care of getting the Constitution amended if Arnold would take care of getting himself elected Governor. Arnold said that he had gotten elected Governor, but Russert had not taken any action to get the Constitution amended.

As eulogies go, that was pure Arnold. In other words, it sucked, much like Arnold's steroid body building, his acting and his stint as Governor.

[Critters2]

26. He can't run for Prez. Never has been able to.

He's naturalized, which makes him unqualified. It's why Kissinger couldn't be considered for the job either.

[hatrack]

14. How strange - Steve King hasn't signed up as a co-sponsor yet . . .

Still, maybe he's been busy, sniffing out witches and detecting heresy in the wilds of western Iowa . . .

[Critters2]

27. It is a surprise. I'd expect him to hop onboard any time now. nt

[auburngrad82]

17. that's what, about 2% of the House?

If the GOP can depend on drawing 2% of the electorate every election they'll guarantee themselves a permanent minority, which is fitting for these batshit crazy assholes.

[SteveM]

19. Should be "Breather Bill." Mouth-breather (nt)

[No Elephants]

21. Subject to checking exact wording, I have no problem with the concept of this bill.

The Constitution specifies that the President mus be a "natural born citizen." In fairness to the nation, each poliical party should have been determining this anyway, before it ran a candidate in a primary.

These days, anything that indicates knowledge of, respect for, and obedience to, the Constitution of the United States is most welcome.

[pdefalla]

23. How in the world

does being a "natural born citizen" indicate knowledge, respect or obedience to the Constitution? Or am I missing your point?

[No Elephants]

40. Let me give it another try.

It's not about any person, but about the bill itself.

The bill says, "Hey, America, The Constitution says the President must be a natural born citizen of this country. Since the Constitution says that, it's important that we make sure, before primary time, that the candidates are in fact natural born citizens of this country."

The bill will also require that candidates show they actually do meet that Constitutional requirement. So, the bill itself will reflect knowledge of, and respect for, the Constitutional requirement. And, as people comply with the statute election after election, all of us will be in obedience to that Constitutitonal requirement.

[brooklynite]

24. Bearing in mind, this bill would do nothing to resolve the "controversy"

since the Birthers dispute the validity of the Birth Certificate that the Republican Governor of Hawaii has said is legitimate.

[PatGund]

25. That and....

Their belief that "Natural Born" = "Both parents are US Citizens". Which isn't supported by the Constitution or US case law, but the birthers believe it to be true.

[brooklynite]

28. Not entirely...

The Keyes faction believes you need two Citizen parents; the Berg faction believes he was born outside the US and the "evidence" to the contrary is all trumped up.

[PatGund]

29. Problem is....

That both sides (the Orly/Keyes side and the Berg side) tend to cross-pollinate. Most of Orly's arguements are a mix of Berg, Donofrio, with a mix of others. And lately the fall back position on all sides has been the blind citation of de Vattel.

Anti-semite Andy Martin is the only one who doesn't mix his theories up. Then again, since Taitz and Berg are Jewish, he may just be dismissing them out of hand.

[No Elephants]

39. IMO, there is no controversy and never was. It was bs, stoked by that

some cesspool websites like No Quarter and FREEP. It was on a par with the slop about the non-existent "Whitey tape."

My post had nothing to do with Obama's Hawaiian birth, only with the Constitutional requirement and the mess it would be if someone slipped up (or tried to pull a fast one, noticing that no one seems to have checked in a while before Obama).

[Arkana]

30. Nine birthers who will find themselves out of a job in 2010.

Also--Dan Burton? The watermelon guy?

[dysfunctional press]

34. why?

if they represent rabidly right-wing districts- how will this hurt them?

[FLAprogressive]

31. surprised that Ron Paul hasn't joined the Birther Choo-Choo Express.

[PatGund]

36. It's not that the birthers haven't tried.....

Many of them were lobbying his office to try and get him to raise an objection when the electoral votes were confirmed, and there's still a heavy birther presence at Ron Paul supporter sites.

[BlueIris]

32. You have got to be kidding me.

And how embarrassing would it be to have the nickname "Watermelon Dan"? Is there a good explanation for that nickname?

[Zynx]

33. They gave it there. He shot a watermelon to "prove" that Vince Foster's death could

not have been a suicide.

[BlueIris]

35. Yeah, I read the article. But I was referring to the probable reactions of people not

"in the know" re: his conspiratorial beliefs. "Watermelon Dan...(uncomfortable stare)...So, why do they call you that?"

[MGKrebs]

37. Just fyi, I think that even if the birthers were right that Obama wasn't born in the US,

it doesn't even matter. Here's the relevant US code:

The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:
(g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years"

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode08/usc_sec_08_00001401----000-.html

[RobertSeattle]

38. You are using facts and logic - that doesn't work on the Birthers

They "believe" Obama is not supposed to President so they discard all facts to the contrary.