Why do Birthers Wig Out The Left?

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Forget [ignore] for a moment that Democrats have a supermajority in Congress, control the White House, and that most of the media directly parrots their message without apprehension (I actually saw Howard Dean HOSTING a show the other day on a cable “NEWS” network). Forget [ignore] that with total unchecked power Democrats are responsible for changing/fixing/screwing-up anything and everything in DC now. Instead, let’s focus on the mating call of the Australian Lady Gouldian grass finch…or the rantings of people on the political right of the spectrum…both of which are equally important to today’s political success/failure in DC.

There’s been huge amounts of attention from the left given to so called, “Birthers”; people who want to see documentation about President Obama’s birth. Why? Who cares? It’s completely irrelevant to what gets done or doesn’t by Democrats in DC with a supermajority. So…what’s the objective in focusing on the Birthers? There can be no other objective than to distract from what’s going on in DC, and what succeeds/fails in DC is completely up to the Democrats with their supermajority-period.

Then why do the Birthers make the left wig out so much if they’re so irrelevant? I believe it’s because it reminds the left that their entire political motivation for the past 11 yrs has been based on conspiracy theories that were as weak or infinitely more weak than that of the Birthers’.

It reminds them of all the conspiracy theories they’ve bought since 98;

the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (not a bj from an intern)
the election stolen by Fox News and big oil payoffs to Supreme Court
Bush was AWOL and Dan Rather has docs to prove it
Bush wasted a govt surplus when he took office
911-inside job to provide excuse for invading Iraq
911-Bush Knew and let it happen
911-no plane hit Pentagon
911-explosives not fire melting steel
911-the Joos did it
911-Building 7 was blown up to cover up the evidence of the U.S. attack on the U.S.
Bush LET Osama get away in Tora Bora
Iraq- 17-month Rush to war
Iraq-never a WMD threat
Iraq-Bush knew there were no stockpiles of WMD
Iraq-Bush wanted to avenge daddy
Iraq-Bush was told by God to invade Iraq
Iraq-3million civilians killed; mostly by trigger happy, racist, redneck grunts who cling to guns and God when they get home
Iraq-no ties at all to AQ
Iraq-nothing to do w War on Terror
Iraq just blood for Daddy’s oil friends
Iraq-a Dick Cheney/Haliburton retirement fund gimmick
Iraq-gonna draft if Bush is re-elected in 04
Iran-Bush is gonna bomb Iran in June 05 if re-elected (thank you Scott Ritter)
Iran-has a right to nukes, doesn’t have nukes, doesn’t want nukes, and could be trusted w nukes
Iran-Bush will invade because Joos control him and want to use him to takeover the world
2004 Bush refused to sign Kyoto so 4 hurricanes in 1yr are his fault (saw a billboard of this one in Fla)
2005 Bush did nothing for New Orleans when Katrina hit because he hates black people
2006 Democrats will end the war in Iraq
2006 Democrats will end deficit spending
2006 Democrats will balance budget
2006 Democrats will fix healthcare
2006 Democrats will lower gas prices
2007-2009 everything is Bush’s fault even though he’s a lame duck

All of those conspiracy theories require the fitting of a tight tinfoil hat, and yet they’re not only permitted more than the Birthers’ conspiracy theory, no, they’re ADVOCATED by the Democratic Party, its leaders, and leading members of Congress, Presidents, Presidential candidates, and of course entire news networks (NBC, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, CNN), newspapers (New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Trib, etc), and magazines (TIME, NEWSWEEK, MOTHER JONES). To believe the history that the DNC has created as a means to gaining the total, unchecked power they have today, we are told that this long list of conspiracy theories has merit-no matter how insane, and yet…the Birthers (wacko or not) are to be flogged, mocked, ridiculed ad nauseum.

Ironic, sad, but it does serve its purpose: to distract from the Democratic Party’s latest round of broken promises and political duplicity. That’s all the discussion about Birthers is in the end: a distraction as substantive and worthy as a debate about the Australian Lady Gouldian grass finch’s mating call (whether it tucks its beak in and hops or hops, and then tucks its beak in); totally moot.

Look, I’m not a Birther. All I’m saying is they shouldn’t be mocked by people who have so heartily and deeply embraced so many debunked conspiracy theories themselves. That’s all.

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“Bush LET Obama get away in Tora Bora”

Damn.

Ahh, memories of the Bush years.

Democrats were also going to “drain the swamp” and be transparent. Lack of transparency is what keeps the “birthers” doing. Instead of wasting a million dollars to prevent them from seeing the bc, just show it and end it, I’m tired of hearing about it. As for draining the swamp, those bottom feeders are way to big, they love the swamp.

I also remember the vicious personal attacks against President Bush and his family, that never stopped either, just warming up for Sarah Palin.

@chipset:

“Bush LET Obama get away in Tora Bora”

Damn.

Roflmao!

The title of the post looks to be a typo as well.

Not enough coffee this morning, Scott?

The other great myth ..
2007-2008 Democrats powerless with majorities in House and Senate
… which continues today

funny, world net daily has a “copy” of a kenyan birth cert online. could be a fake, who knows. obama should just show his original and be done with it.

It is far past time to figth fire with fire – so to the extent that the birthers are a tremendous nuisance to the dems, I say, keep it up. That is only 1/4 as bad as the stuff they put Bush and other Republicans through – and the worst treatment by far has been that unfairly doled out to Sarah Palin.

Your “conspiracy” list has major problems.

First, some of the items (such as the 9/11 attack conspiracies) are believed only by a tiny nutty fringe — much like the crazy birthers. The VAST majority of liberals do NOT believe 9/11 was an inside job, that Bush knew it was coming, etc. Also, there are conservatives who believe some of this.

Second, other items are, quite simply, true. For instance, George Bush himself says it turns out there weren’t enough WMDs in Iraq to be a threat.

Third, others were NEVER a theory among any liberals I know of. There are too many of these to list them all, but here are a few:
2006 Democrats will end the war in Iraq (some hoped they would; most knew it wasn’t possible)
2006 Democrats will end deficit spending (no way, not after Bush and co. pushed it out of control)
2006 Democrats will balance budget (same as above)
2006 Democrats will lower gas prices

Fourth, some are just reaching big-time:
“2004 Bush refused to sign Kyoto so 4 hurricanes in 1yr are his fault (saw a billboard of this one in Fla)”
Uh yeah, wow, one billboard (if you really DID see it) proves the left as a whole believes this. Boy, you nailed them on that one.

gdad, please re-read the piece. I didn’t say someone has to believe each and every one of these conspiracy theories to be a leftist.

Also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE show me where Bush said there was no WMD threat from Iraq. I know he said there wasn’t a WMD threat in the form of stockpiles, but there was a WMD threat

“It was reasonable to conclude that Iraq posed an imminent threat. What we learned during the inspection made Iraq a more dangerous place potentially than, in fact, we thought it was even before the war,”
-1/28/04 Dr. David Kay testimony to Sen. Intel. Committee

If the Kenyan would just present the Original it would be settled now.
That would clear that issue. What is He hiding and Why?

The VAST majority of liberals do NOT believe 9/11 was an inside job, that Bush knew it was coming, etc.

Yeah. Only 34% of Democrats believe that “Bush knew it was coming”. Compare that to 28% of Republicans (in the South) who believe “Obama not natural born”, and I think the point of this post holds.

This is about transparency, so lets not forget about this little diddy:

May 29, 2008

WASHINGTON–Likely Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is in “excellent health,” according to a summary of Obama medical records released on Thursday. The 276-word summary was written by Dr. David L. Scheiner, the Chicago doctor who has been Obama’s personal physician since March, 1987.

DAVID L. SCHEINER, M.D.
Hyde Park Associates in Medicine, Ltd.
1515 East 52nd Place, Chicago, IL 60615

To Whom It May Concern:

I am David L. Scheiner, a board certified general internist licensed to practice in the State of Illinois. I am on staff at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Rush University Medical Center. I have been Senator Barack Obama’s primary care physician since March 23, 1987. The following is a summary of his medical records for the past 21 years.

During that period of time, Senator Obama has been in excellent health. He has been seen regularly for medical checkups and various minor problems such as upper respiratory infections, skin rashes and minor injuries.

His family history is pertinent for his mother’s death from ovarian cancer and grandfather who died of prostate cancer. His own history included intermittent cigarette smoking. He has quit this practice on several occasions and is currently using Nicorette gum with success.

Senator Obama’s last medical checkup was on January 15, 2007; he had no complaints. He exercised regularly often jogging three miles. His diet was balanced with good intake of roughage and fluids. A complete review of systems was unremarkable. On physical examination, his blood pressure was 90/60 and pulse 60/minute. His build was lean and muscular with no excess body fat. His physical examination was completely normal.

Laboratory studies included triglycerides of 44(normal under 150), cholesterol 173 (normal under 200), HDL 68 (normal over 40), and LDL 96 (normal under 130). Chem 24, urinalysis and CBC were normal, PSA was 0.6, very good. An EKG was normal.

In short, his examination showed him to be in excellent health. Senator Barack Obama is in overall good physical and mental health needed to maintain the resiliency required in the Office of President.

Sincerely,
David L. Scheiner, M.D.

He had his doctor write an undated letter…how forthcoming.

Barack Obama stands alone in the last three elections as the only candidate to not release medical records to the public.

Actually Larry Johnson has a couple of posts over at No Quarter INRE the COLB, the birthers, and his idea as to why “Barry” keeps silent.

First, his most recent post on July 26th sums it up as the Big Zero being caught in a politically touchy lie that will regurgitate rumours about his Muslim status. Or, as LJ’s final sentence states:

The real reason Barack Obama is evasive about his original birth certificate is that he wants people to forget he once was an Indonesian muslim boy named Barry Soetoro. It is that simple.

He has a background post a year earlier that goes thru the life of Barry Soetoro, and how the adoption and name changes affect the birth certificate details. LJ is quite “clear” that he believes the Big Zero fits the criteria as a POTUS.

I agree with everything LJ says, but I come to a different conclusion as to why Obama fights proving his birth as opposed to clearing the air… and it hasn’t anything to do with perceptions of him as a son of an Indonesian Muslim.

It’s this simple… why throw a perfectly good screwdriver out of the Alinsky toolbox?

As I pointed out in my NQ personality:

Obama has no desire, and sees no benefit to put the birther bit to rest. At some point American moderates will be increasingly unhappy with the results of the terrible trio of spending/control, and Bush can no longer be the convenient demonizer. Other generic fodder is needed discredit the GOP as lunatics & saboteurs.

Most conservatives are as quick to distance themselves from the birthers as many liberals do with the Trig Truthers or the Code Pink types. Yet notice when the going gets tough on selling the latest nanny spending issue, the birther subject manages to find it’s way into the media?

i.e.: after a particularly bad couple of weeks for the Big Zero, requests to Hawaii officials mysteriously increases without reason. By whom? Genuine “birthers” from out of the blue just asking one more time and expecting a different result? Or was it a coordinated effort to revive it at a convenient moment in time?

To give the controversy yet another boost in the media, two days ago Harry Reid stood on the Senate floor accusing the GOP members of being birthers, effectively hanging that albatross around the GOPs neck for the media to spread.

Yet that same day, a unanimous House vote (read GOP included) on a resolution to mark Hawaii’s 50th anniversary as a state, also included a clause about the state being the 44th President’s birth place was thrown in for good measure.

Did I mention no GOP member opposed it with that clause lending a bit more support to Obama’s birth status? Bears repeating.

When the going gets rough, the birther issue bubbles to the surface to distract. Any good Alinsky student knows keeping this screwdriver in your toolbox for multipurpose use is invaluable.

Some of the reasons they’re pushing this are: it’s a distraction; it’s an attempt to paint the GOP in a bad light; and, they’re worried that there’s something BHO didn’t tell them. The latter might not be about where he was born but something else in his past.

And, it’s not just the Dems who are engaging in Soviet-style attempts to put their enemies in mental hospitals: it’s nearly the entire Beltway establishment.

The question this site might want to ask is why are GOP/conservative leaders helping the Dems and the MSM smear the GOP and ignoring a golden opportunity to discredit the MSM:

http://24ahead.com/obama-opponents-still-helping-him

@gdad:

2006 Democrats will end deficit spending (no way, not after Bush and co. pushed it out of control)
2006 Democrats will balance budget (same as above)

Ah, yes. “Bush and co.” another version of everything for the next 200 years is all Bushes’ fault, mantra. When in fact, what we are seeing is that liberal Obama/democrats make the Bush budgets resemble the spending of a depression era granny. And no, this crowd will not balance any budgets or end deficit spending, that’s not what they do. They are wild eyed, out of control and totally corrupted by their “temporary” power. We can only hope to be able to dig our way out of the damage they are causing, “for the children,” words, just words democrats are known to preach without really meaning it. Pfft!

Wondering if folks on your side of the aisle can ever bring themselves to take responsibility for the known problems they have caused, are now causing and will without a doubt cause for this country, as they can only be themselves. All generated by their lust for power and control.

Getting through the Bush years were a walk in the park compared to what these clowns are going to put us through.

BTW, all this birther crap started in the democratic primaries by democrats.

I don’t believe in any of these conspiracies. I’m not sure if Bush lied us into war but I do believe some of the evidence in support of the war was “manipulated” in the best light to support Bush’s claim.
As for the birthers… I think it’s good summer entertainment in watching the KKK march through Harlem type of way. It’s a way for racist to cover their bigotry under the guise of “he’s not American (i.e. he’s not one of us)”. But overall, it allows the rest of us confirmation of our sanity.
The difference with Democrats and Republicans is that we generally keep our nutcases tied up or chasing the WTO meeting around the world while the GOP let theirs run wild. But admittedly, some of the folks on the right that I consider crazy are actually coming out against the birthers so that an interesting part of the story.
Eventually the policies is all that matters. Either you agree or disagree.
 
 

james manning: The difference with Democrats and Republicans is that we generally keep our nutcases tied up or chasing the WTO meeting around the world while the GOP let theirs run wild.

First, this isn’t true, James Manning. And, in fact, Code Pink and ACORN – well known parts of your fringe – are not only not tied up, but rewarded with power, government grants, and ample media coverage. They just aren’t portrayed as the nuts they are.

Secondly, even if what you way were true, there is nothing that portrays the liberal/progressive ruling class designs more accurately than what you *wish* were happening…. a lock up of dissenting opinion and 1st Amendment rights. Conversely, it shows that the conservatives have strong beliefs in the 1st Amendment… even when it has the possibility of damage.

Congrats… you’ve done your side of the aisle no favors with that comment.

I’m not sure if Bush lied us into war but I do believe some of the evidence in support of the war was “manipulated” in the best light to support Bush’s claim.

Why would you think that?  It’s not true at all.  There’ve been over a dozen independent and/or bi-partisan investigations looking at that idea, and all found that there was no manipulation or pressure on the intel.

… I had innumerable analysts who came to me in apology that the world that we were finding was not the world that they had thought existed and that they had estimated. Reality on the ground differed in advance. And never — not in a single case — was the explanation, “I was pressured to do this.” The explanation was, very often, “The limited data we had led one to reasonably conclude this. I now see that there’s another explanation for it.”
And each case was different, but the conversations were sufficiently in depth and our relationship was sufficiently frank that I’m convinced that, at least to the analysts I dealt with, I did not come across a single one that felt it had been, in the military term, “inappropriate command influence” that led them to take that position.

-1/28/04 Dr. David Kay testimony to Sen. Intel. Committee

Committee staff did interview five individuals who had come to the Committee’s attention as possibly having information that intelligence analysts’ assessments had been influenced by policymakers. None of these individuals provided any information to the Committee which showed that policymakers had attempted to coerce, influence or pressure analysts to change their analysis or that any intelligence analysts changed their intelligence judgments as a result of political pressure.

-REPORT ON THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY’S PREWAR INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS ON IRAQ ;Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Conclusion 102, The Committee found that none of the analysts or other people interviewed by the Committee said that they were pressured to change their conclusions related to Iraq’s links to terrorism.

-REPORT ON THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY’S PREWAR INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS ON IRAQ ;Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Conclusion 26: The Intelligence Community did not make or change any analytic judgments in response to political pressure to reach a particular conclusion, but the pervasive conventional wisdom that Saddam retained WMD affected the analytic process.

-The Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction

22. We found no evidence of JIC assessments and the judgements inside them being pulled in any particular direction to meet the policy concerns of senior officials on the JIC.

-Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction; British Butler Report

4.28 The Foreign Affairs Committee, which reported on 3 July 2003, made 33 conclusions and recommendations….In the absence of specific complaints from intelligence staff, the committee did not accept allegations of politically inspired meddling.41 It cleared Alistair Campbell of inserting the 45 minute claim into the dossier and of exerting improper influence on its drafting;

-bi-partisan Australian Parliament investigation into pre-war intel on Iraq

4.29 The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), reported in September 2003. Unlike the Foreign Affairs Committee, this committee had access to and reviewed all the JIC assessments produced from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 onwards. It accepted the assurance of the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee that ‘he did not at any time feel under pressure, nor was he asked to include material that he did not believe ought to be included in the dossier.’ The ISC concluded that the ‘independence and impartiality [of the JIC] has not been compromised in any way.’ [and] ‘The dossier was not ‘sexed up’ by Alistair Campbell or anyone else.’

-bi-partisan Australian Parliament investigation into pre-war intel on Iraq

“Read the report. I do not think there is any evidence of undue pressure on any analyst. Repeatedly, I asked as chairman in public and in the committee if anybody felt pressured, more especially in terms of politics, let me know. Only one individual ever raised his hand and it was about Cuba and it was a completely different kind of thing. So if you think that repetitive questions by policy-makers and those of us in the Congress — I must say that some of the people who are complaining about pressure who serve on our committee and the Armed Services Committee and every committee, you’ve seen us ask all sorts of witnesses various questions. Sometimes we don’t even give them an opportunity to respond. Most of them, you know, perform very well. That’s the job of a policy-maker and most analysts — all analysts know that. So from my standpoint, I do not believe think there was any political pressure.”

-Sen Pat Roberts 070904 SIC Release of WMD investigation report
Press Conference transcript

@ scott… either that looked at the data with rose-colored glasses (mobile labs, WMD’s is a slam dunk, yellow cake from Niger) or they were incompetent in analyzing the data. Either way, something went wrong and now we have Iraq.

Mata…

Secondly, even if what you way were true, there is nothing that portrays the liberal/progressive rule class designs more accurately than what you *wish* were happening…. a lock up of dissenting opinion and 1st Amendment rights.

What does that mean?
 

What does that mean, James? That you believe, and evidently support (correct me if I’m wrong) your nut cases should be kept “locked up” and controlled. Hardly the bastion of 1st Amendment rights, guy.

ok. No, I think nutcases should be recognized for what they are and not encouraged to binge on their own insanity. So tied up is another way of saying ignored. I never game a dimes worth of attention to those that believed the US government was behind 9/11. That’s insanity. Bush allowed the attack to take place? Again, insanity. Obama is not a US citizen? Insanity… but a bit more entertaining to watch than the truthers.
In Chicago we have a large black nationalist movement who belive we should have an independent black state. My response… whatever, dude. I’m just not into conspiracies, racial, gender or sexual intollerance/hatred. Bush I viewed as an idiot but I didn’t hate him.
I’m not sure why every debate and disagreement turns into a zero-sum game where there can only be one right answer. I don’t know what motivates people to get so passionately behind these conspiracies to the point where they are making fools of themselves on television or throwing bottles through the window of a bank. Environmentalist burn down homes and abortion foes assasinating doctors. It’s madness.  Hell, I won’t even attend marches. I got an email in January about attending a march to show support for Obama… whatever, dude.  I voted for him and I’m on his facebook what the hell am I going to do at a march?
I don’t delve into madness unless I’m writing a skit.

So you see, James… even tho we differ on many issues, we meet in the middle. That would be left or right of center with varying degrees.

Ignored would be nice, but right now the birthers are not being ignored for a political agenda. Add to that, too many so called conservative leaning media are too dumb to know they are being played. So the events taking place right now are many, including Harry Reid standing on the Senate floor, to the media and bloggers, attempting to portray the entire conservative movement and any Republican Congressman as a “birther”. This, I’m sure you can agree, is malarky. But truth has a way of getting in the way of political distraction and ways to tear down opposition.

Tho I believe Obama meets the criteria, based on what we do know, I also find it odd that you have to give your social security number and drivers license to get a job as a janitor, but those who hold the highest office in the world are not vetted with original documents prior to nomination as candidates. Obama’s particulars aside, don’t you think that is a reasonable requirement for any elected official at all levels?

And thank you for clearing up your misspeak on 1st Amendment rights.

As for the birthers… I think it’s good summer entertainment in watching the KKK march through Harlem type of way. It’s a way for racist to cover their bigotry under the guise of “he’s not American (i.e. he’s not one of us)”

What I’d like to know is why it’s OK for you to label as “racist” anyone who dares to dissent or question Obie?

How is that OK James?

The last I checked dissent was patriotic, at least that’s what your side of the aisle told us for the last eight years.

Now, if one dares question Obie’s most basic Constitutional qualification, that person is automatically, immediately, and without proof or authentication, marked with the “racist” label.

You said just a few minutes ago on another thread that you thought Bush was an idiot…perhaps, since you dared to dissent, you should be painted with your own broad brush, eh?

Scott #5:

definitely not enough coffee
what typo?
out of Coca-Cola too

Still missed one.

 

mata #13:

but I come to a different conclusion as to why Obama fights proving his birth as opposed to clearing the air… and it hasn’t anything to do with perceptions of him as a son of an Indonesian Muslim.

It’s this simple… why throw a perfectly good screwdriver out of the Alinsky toolbox?

As I pointed out in my NQ personality:

Obama has no desire, and sees no benefit to put the birther bit to rest. At some point American moderates will be increasingly unhappy with the results of the terrible trio of spending/control, and Bush can no longer be the convenient demonizer. Other generic fodder is needed discredit the GOP as lunatics & saboteurs.

Most conservatives are as quick to distance themselves from the birthers as many liberals do with the Trig Truthers or the Code Pink types. Yet notice when the going gets tough on selling the latest nanny spending issue, the birther subject manages to find it’s way into the media?

 

Which, in itself is a conspiracy theory.   😀  But one I agree with.

james manning #16:

It’s a way or racist to cover their bigotry under the guise of “he’s not American (i.e. he’s not one of us)”

You’re not accusing all birthers of being motivated by racism, are you?

The difference with Democrats and Republicans is that we generally keep our nutcases tied up or chasing the WTO meeting around the world while the GOP let theirs run wild. But admittedly, some of the folks on the right that I consider crazy are actually coming out against the birthers so that an interesting part of the story.

 

How do you reconcile those two sentences without looking like you just contradicted your claim?

James Manning #18:

yellow cake from Niger

Saddam didn’t seek yellow cake from  Africa?  Guess I learn something new every day.

 

 

 

Aye, when did I say you can’t disagree with Obama? I see nothing wrong with disagreeing with his policies. But I take the birther movement for what it is… a source of bigotry. Now, you can say his healthcare policy sucks and will destroy the country… nothing racist about that. You can say his national security policy will allow our enemies to destroy us… ok. But certain things are propelled by certain motivations and the birther movement in my opinion is thinly veiled racism.
And if I recall, you labeled dissenters of Bush as unpatriotic and terrorist sympothizers.

James, to assume every birther is a bigot is an example of bigotry in itself. Some are simply incensed that the Big Zero refuses to provide original documentation to substantiate his eligibility… and that is driven by the fact his socialist remaking of America is unacceptable to them… not necessarily because he’s black, but because he’s a radical leftist in the model of Chavez and Zelaya.

I also refuse to accept Obama’s vision of America. I am not a bigot. I’d feel the same way about an red headed Irishman with the same agenda. I just don’t go the battle of the birthers in order to stop his quest.

My guess is that the reason our intel ops were so bad was because despite winning the cold war, politically and fiscally it was advantageous to continue with the policy.

Mata… I do agree with your conclusion that the birthers are being used to paint the entire Republican Party. But as far as politics in concerned, that seems like a logical move – maybe not a fair potrait of the Party but this isn’t skip rope.  By next year it will be over and we’ll have another conspiracy to play out over the blog. Still, I have to admit that watching Orly Taitz is almost as much fun as watching House Hunters or Design Star on HGTV (hey, it’s summer and football season hasn’t started).
I do believe that if the GOP had stronger leadership the birther movement would have died several months ago. My only fear is that there is a racial component to this and that is always a dangerous because if that genie gets out of the bottle then it’s open season for the wackos. My gut tells me it won’t get that far and it’ll die on the vine once everyone starts concentrating on their fantasy draft.

And if I recall, you labeled dissenters of Bush as unpatriotic and terrorist sympothizers.

You might want to start digging up some proof of that accusation because that is not something that I ever did.

But I take the birther movement for what it is… a source of bigotry.

But certain things are propelled by certain motivations and the birther movement in my opinion is thinly veiled racism.

I see…so anyone who has the cajones to dare ask if Obie meets the Constitutional qualifications to serve is automatically a racist and a bigot.

Thank you for that clarification.

Was it also racism and bigotry when the same questions were asked of McCain?  You cannot have it both ways you know.

Now, let me tell you something James.  You have some nerve coming here and making such a baseless accusation against people that you know nothing about.

You make the presumptuous assumption that anyone who dares to want the US Constitution followed and enforced is a racist/bigot.  Judging everyone in a specific group by the actions/characteristics of some.

Isn’t that a prime example of bigotry?

How dare you!

Have you no shame whatsoever?

You most likely want us to judge you by Dr. Kings’ “content of character” standard yet you immediately default to the “color of skin” standard instead.

This isn’t the first time you’ve shown your tendency to do this and I, personally, find it both repulsive and disgusting.

 

 

 

Aye… why are you always so uptight? YES, I do think there is a racial component to the birther movement.
Along with attempting to do the same thing to McCain, they also put out that he fathered a black child… I’d say there is a racial component to that.
And every time I disagree with you about something you racial, you make me out to be the racist… I find that funny. All I do is bring a perspective and at no point have I have called YOU or anyone else on the board a racist. I don’t make that assumption and I’ve read nothing here that would make me conclude that you or anyone else is a racist. However, I’ve lived long enough to trust my instincts when it comes to race. And the birther movement (not everyone who believe there is something to the birther movement) has a component of race to it. I would say the same thing about wanting to hang fly Confederate flag on a state building. Maybe not everyone who agrees with the act is a racist, but the act has a racial component to it.

Seriously, Aye, I’m unmoved by your feigned outrage. My purpose for being on this board is to debate and discuss and not insult anyone. So please stop and take my post for what they are… my perspective.

James,

You need to go back and re-read what you posted and then address the questions that I asked of you.

You have dashed in and made broad sweeping accusations that you cannot support based on preconceived, baseless, unsupported notions.

That’s a prime example of bigotry and prejudice.

You just don’t wish to accept it.

 

Aye… I made this statement: It’s a way for racist to cover their bigotry under the guise of “he’s not American (i.e. he’s not one of us)”
In that statement in no way did I say that all birthers are racist. I did not say if you are a birther then you are a racist. I do say that racist will use their birther movement as a means to conceal their own racism. Two very distinct points. If I didn’t make that clear then I do apologize.  I have no idea what Orly Taitz view on race is but from all accounts, she’s nuts.
And believe me, I see the emails and the images that float around the Internet from SOME birthers and they are without a doubt racist in nature. Of course, even without the birther movement those individuals would still think like that but they latch on to the birther movement and when this is gone, they’ll latch on to another.
I stated before, I think the Confederate flag has a racial component to it. However, I do not believe that everyone that flies the Confederate flag is a racist. I won’t make that distinction with someone burning a cross or sporting a white hood.
So let me make it VERY CLEAR…
1) the birther movement IMHO… has a racial component to it
2) not everyone who is a birther is a racist
3) Orly Taitz is nuts
4) i am not making an equivalent relationship between birthers and racism
 
 

Scott: […we are told that this long list of conspiracy theories has merit-no matter how insane, and yet…the Birthers (wacko or not) are to be flogged, mocked, ridiculed ad nauseum.]

I don’t know exactly what qualifies one as a “birther”, but it seems that it’s a creation of the left to label anyone, no matter how well balanced an individual they are, as an extreme wack job if they even have one iota of a question about the lack of transparency on the part of the current POTUS. I don’t plan on personally spending much energy on the issue, simply because it could be a less successful path to go down right now than others like healthcare, national security, the economy, etc. But, it reminds me of when the Dept. of Homeland Security suddenly labelled anyone who is patriotic and believes in the freedoms our country was founded on, as “Right Wing Extremists.” As Scott mentioned, it’s a bullying tactic to mock anyone who might have a legitimate question on the issue.

Well James, with your latest post you seem to have begun a much needed walk back on some of your earlier comments.

Now let’s address some others:

And every time I disagree with you about something you racial, you make me out to be the racist…

Every time?  What?

You have me confused with someone else.  Do we all look alike to you?

I cannot recall a time prior to today where I have pointed out racism or bigotry on your part.

If I am wrong, show me, please.

All I do is bring a perspective and at no point have I have called YOU or anyone else on the board a racist. I don’t make that assumption and I’ve read nothing here that would make me conclude that you or anyone else is a racist.

Hmmmmm:

Personally, I’ve seen many comments where I am quite convinced that some of you are racist.

Hmmmmm:

The silver lining in this race is that it is evident that “most” Americans have evolved beyond the level of hatred and racist ideology that some of you display.

Gosh, it looks like you have reached those conclusions and made those accusations outright here before.

Like I said earlier, this thread isn’t the first time that you have gone to the race card.  There were other instances as well but the ones I posted show what needs to be shown.

Now, let’s get back to the original point of our conversation.

I don’t know exactly what to believe about Obie and his birth certificate.

I find it more than a little strange that he would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars prior to the election battling lawsuits and then continue to do the same following his Inauguration in January.

I find it rather disturbing that the Dims, who crowed about the Constitution and the rule of law incessantly for the past eight years, would suddenly go limp in their conviction that the requirements of that document be met.

I find it disconcerting that we, as Americans of all colors, creeds, and political parties, cannot come to the basic agreement that the rule of law and the requirements of the Constitution should be met without equivocation.

Instead of a resounding call for transparency from all quarters, the argument gets tainted with false accusations of racism, bigotry, etc.

What do we really know about Obie?  We know only what he has told us.  We only know the closely tailored, well rehearsed, polished version of the steaming pile of dog squeeze that has been presented to us and there is no background documentation or paper trail at all to support what was sold to the American people.

We’ve never seen any of his college records.  We’ve never seen any of his transcripts.  We’ve never seen any of his writings, with the exception of two books he purportedly authored.  We’ve never seen anything about him.  We don’t even know, with any certainty, where the guy was born and that’s a basic requirement established by the Constitution.

We don’t really know anything.  We only have what he has told us.

He is, in every since of the word, a  riddle inside a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

This secrecy, and the outright refusal to be transparent, sends up all sorts of red flags to me.  It tells me that there are things that Obie doesn’t want us to know and that he’ll do whatever the hell it takes for us to never find out the answers.

Yeah, Aye… I mean. Was his mother really from Kansas? How do we know if he was raised in Hawaii and not Guam? I’ve never seen his transcript either. Maybe he didn’t go to Harvard. Maybe he didn’t even finish high school. In fact, maybe he doesn’t even know how to speak English. There could be a microchip in his head that translates the language for him… In fact, that transformer could be beaming top secrets to another planet where a fiendish alien race is now plotting an invasion of the earth so they can harvest our organs and set up a new colony right here in the good old US of A. And that’s probably why his mother birthed him in Kenya because that is where the secret spaceship is at. And it was the aliens who mastered the double-birth to make it seem as though he were born in Hawaii when he was really born in a cave hidden by a waterfall in Africa.
They knew he could fool Americans because no one would check his birth certificate over the 47 years of his life and it would be too late once he became president.  Oh and Hillary Clinton is really a Cylon sent to protect him which is why she pretended to run against him when in reality she was watching over him and lost the election on purpose so she could become Secretary of State and have the means to travel the globe and coordinate the invasion while Obama kept the masses occupied.
And now, the only way to save the planet is to get the real birth certificate that shows he is of alien origins, impeach him and create a weapon that will stop the aliens from sucking our brains through our ears.
Yeah… that’s the ticket.

Aye, for what it’s worth, as much as I believe that Obama was “groomed” for the POTUS, I DON’T think he was picked at birth. For the record, his birth announcement is recorded in two different Oahu newspapers. That was 48 years ago today! I’m sure at that time, he was just another kid in an incubator.

As Andrew Sullivan said, show us for the simple reason:

“Because it would make it go away and it’s easily done.” Here’s the link to the Sullivan post.

http://frankwarner.typepad.com/free_frank_warner/2009/07/andrew-sullivan-agrees-show-us-the-1961-obama-birth-certificate.html

So much for our “transparent” president.

So, in other words, you don’t know and you don’t care.

You don’t have any answers to the questions and you’re more than willing to blindly believe whatever is shoveled toward you without casting a critical glance toward any of it.

I understand more clearly now.

Personally, I believe in the Constitution and the laws of the United States.  I believe that the person who occupies the highest office in the land and, arguably, the most powerful position in the world should be qualified, competent, and transparent.

YMMV

 

@james manning:
Wow, James. If you aren’t already, you should be writing Sci Fi movie scripts! That was pretty darn creative! I wonder if birth certificates from Mars are green? Hmmm, now there’s something to think about!

But, exaggerating the point (very illustriously, I might add) doesn’t answer the simple point of lack of transparency on BO’s part in the many areas Aye mentioned, not just his birth certificate.

@pdill: The appearance of a birth announcement doesn’t really carry any weight.

Dunham’s parents lived in Hawaii and most likely just called in the birth announcement like someone would call in a classified ad or lost and found.

lol – funny how the right complain about comparisions during Bush’s time and now UNLESS it suits them. Birthers and 9/11 conspiracy theorists are all whackos as far as I can see although I don’t think all your items you list can be considered conspiracies…e.g. how is ‘2006 Democrats will end deficit spending’ a conspiracy? That’s just the typical election promise bs.

I do know and I still don’t care.  Do you actually think someone could become the POTUS and not be a citizen? Are Republican investigators that incompetent that they would not have found anything? McCain folks looked. Nothing. ABC, NBC, Fox News, CBS all looked… nada.
In fact, I believe my theory that he’s an alien has just as much credibility as the birther’s. Althoug I believe mine would make for a better movie. In fact, I want royalites if anyone of you ever use it for a book or movie script.

@SoCal Chris
glad you enjoyed. i may actually have to write that into a skit and youtube it.

@james manning #16:

The difference with Democrats and Republicans is that we generally keep our nutcases tied up or chasing the WTO meeting around the world while the GOP let theirs run wild.

Really?

*ahem*

Birthers? Why didn’t the Truthers get all this attention?
By: David Freddoso
Commentary Staff Writer
07/31/09 7:09 PM EDT

Twenty-eight percent of Republicans believe President Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States, and 30 percent are “not sure,” according to this poll.

But before liberals begin to smirk, here’s a poll from 2007, in which 35 percent of Democrats said that President Bush knew in advance about the 9/11 attacks, and 26 percent were not sure.

So if 58 percent of Republicans are living in a delusional fantasy world because they are out of power, then 61 percent of Democrats were doing the same thing until just recently (perhaps they still are). It’s a clean, apples-to-apples comparison with a clear lesson: People get a bit kooky when they’re out of power, Democrats about 3 points kookier — which is probably within the margin of error.

I bring this up because I did a short mid-afternoon segment today on MSNBC with Tamryn Hall and Donnie Deutsch, in which I was asked about the Birther poll. I brought up the Truther poll and wondered aloud whether MSNBC had ever brought as much attention to the Truthers.

The Birthers are getting an awful lot of coverage right now, and that’s great news for a White House desperate for distractions. President Obama is losing the public opinion battle over health care and putting his foot in his mouth over Henry Gates. His only major legislative accomplishment so far — the stimulus package — is widely perceived as a costly and ineffective boondoggle.

I was also asked about a video shot by the thoroughly disreputable Mike Stark, whose selective editing and misidentification of members of Congress contributes to the appearance, at least, that a significant number of Republican members of Congress are “Birthers” — or at least that they won’t say they’re not Birthers. Stark, you may recall, is the man who made a scene during a 2006 Senate race by shouting repeatedly while cameras were rolling in order to start an unsubstantiated rumor that then-Sen. George Allen, R-Va., spat on his first wife.

Tamryn then asked a good question: Back in the Bush Era, did any Democratic members of Congress avoid questions about whether “Bush Knew?” On the spot, I couldn’t remember. But the truth is, they didn’t just avoid the question — they stoked the flames of conspiracy theories and in some cases embraced them.

A few names: Hillary Clinton (the famous Bush Knew” speech of May 16, 2002), Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and then-Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D, Ga.). When I covered Congress for Human Events, I asked Rep. William Lacy Clay, D,Mo., about McKinney’s suggestion that Bush might have withheld knowledge of the attack. His reply: “I’m curious as to whether it will reveal what Congresswoman McKinney has stated. I’m interested. I’m interested in an investigation.”

So who’s kooky now?

I also recall presidential candidate Howard Dean pondering “It’s an interesting theory”, when asked some question…I think in regards to whether or not President Bush had foreknowledge of 9/11.

Here it is:

The “interesting theory” about Bush and Sept. 11

Dean’s statement suggesting Bush had advance warning of the Sept. 11 attacks came during a Dec. 1 appearance on National Public Radio’s “The Diane Rehm Show.” During the interview, Dean discussed Bush’s interactions with an independent commission headed by former New Jersey governor Thomas H. Kean that is investigating the attacks [Real Player audio – 42:50 in clip]:

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.

In this statement, Dean tried to have it both ways, promulgating an unknown and unproven theory while not taking responsibility for it. Indeed, he blamed Bush for the emergence of such theories even as he repeats one himself.

On December 7, “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace asked Dean about this “theory”:

WALLACE: The most interesting theory is that the president was warned ahead of time by the Saudis. Why would you say that, Governor?

DEAN: Because there are people who believe that. We don’t know what happened in 9/11. Tom Kean is trying to get some information from the president…

WALLACE: Do you believe that?

DEAN: … which doesn’t — no, I don’t believe that. I can’t imagine the president of the United States doing that. But we don’t know, and it’d be a nice thing to know.

WALLACE: I’m just curious why you would call that the most interesting theory.

DEAN: Because it’s a pretty odd theory. What we do believe is that there was a lot of chatter that somehow was missed by the CIA and the FBI about this, and that for some reason we were unable to decide and get clear indications of what the attacks what were going to be. Because the president won’t give the information to the Kean commission we really don’t know what the explanation is.

Again, Dean claimed that Bush’s failure to fully cooperate with the commission justifies his repetition of an unproven rumor, which he elevated to the status of something “we don’t know” that would be “a nice thing to know.”

Then, during the Democratic debate in Durham, NH on December 9, Dean was again asked about the remark, and blatantly dissembled about what he had said:

SCOTT SPRADLING, WMUR-TV: Governor Dean, you had once stated that you thought it was possible that the president of the United States had been forewarned about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. You later said that you didn’t really know.

A statement like that, don’t you see the possibility of some Democrats being nervous about statements like that leading them to the conclusion that you are not right for being the next commander in chief?

DEAN: Well, in all due respect, I did not exactly state that. I was asked on Fox fair and balanced news that… (laughter) I was asked why I thought the president was withholding information, I think it was, or 9/11 or something like that. And I said, well, the most interesting theory that I heard, which I did not believe, was that the Saudis had tipped him off.

We don’t know why the president is not giving information to the Kean commission. I think that is supposed to be investigated by Congress. I think it’s a serious matter. I agree with Wes Clark, the president is not fighting terrorism. And we need to know what went wrong before 9/11.

I did not believe, and I made it clear on the Fox News show that I didn’t believe that theory, but I had heard that. And there are going to be a lot of crazy theories that come out if the information is not given to the Kean commission as it should be.

Spradling was obviously asking Dean about his comments on “The Diane Rehm Show,” not Fox News, yet Dean referred to his comments on Fox (again disavowing the rumor while repeating it and blaming Bush for its existence). Most importantly, as Noah points out, this mischaracterization allowed Dean to say “I made it clear on the Fox News show that I didn’t believe that theory.” However, he did not include such an explicit caveat during his original appearance on Rehm’s show.

Finally, in a story in the Washington Times today, Dean spokesperson Jay Carson continued to disingenuously spin the issue:

“Governor Dean has been very clear that he doesn’t believe in or subscribe to that theory,” said Dean spokesman Jay Carson. “He simply pointed out the need for the Bush administration to be more cooperative with the 9/11 commission so that theories like that could be put to rest.

“The irony here is that the Republicans are trafficking this supposed claim all over the place, thereby pushing it in a way that it never would have been possible,” he said. “Governor Dean was clear that he didn’t actually believe it.”

@james manning: ” The difference with Democrats and Republicans is that we generally keep our nutcases tied up “

Michael Moore sits with Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter in the Presidential Box at the Dem Convention in 2004.

Nice job of keeping that fat loon “tied up” James!

Mata is right about the left throwing gas on the birther fire. A dead birther movement would leave them with very little cover for their actions. As it is now they can say, “Socialized health care? Higher taxes? Look! A birther!!11!!”

To me, the whole issue of no birth certificate, no college records, no medical records, denial of his pastor, his socialist mentors, and his pretenses to moderation are all of a piece. Bammy is a fraud. The missing birth certificate is a symptom, not the disease.

How could there NOT be a so-called birther movement? Obama came from pretty much nowhere, it is a fact that most of his records, school admssion records, immigation records, passport records, various law papers and other records, along with his long form birth certificate are locked-up and protected by DOJ lawyers at a great expense.

It’s also true that it is a given in Kenya and surrounding countries that Obama was born in Kenya. Many references from Kenya and other African news sources are still available that refer to Obama as “Kenyan born”. These are dated from around the time of his Senate race, (2004), up until late ’08.

Even if he was born in Hawaii, the issue of him being a “natural born citizen” is anything but clear. His Dad was a citizen of both Britain and Kenya, Obama himself went under the name Barry Soetoro for a while, and a school record that is available has him identified as a citizen of Indonesia.

At the very least there is enough uncertainty to have an independent investigation into the issue.

To call people who doubt his eligibility “racist” or “bigots” is just plain dumb. To do so is playing right into the hands of the Alinsky playbook, first isolate them, call them a derogatory name and make them out as “crazy”. The left fears the birthers and that it why they get so bent out of shape when this issue is discussed. They KNOW Obama is not eligible per the US Constitution to be POTUS.

If you will spend some time carefully looking into the evidence you too will become a “birther”.

The real question here is why do so many birthers wear ridiculous wigs? Come on Donald Trump and Orly Taitz, show us what’s under those ghastly things. What are you hiding?