Has a "smoking gun" been found ... (AP/Politico Article just pulled)

Fact Check ^ | 5/11/2009 | Brooks Jackson

[markomalley]

Q:

Has a "smoking gun" been found to prove Obama was not born a U.S. citizen? Did he attend Occidental College on a scholarship for foreign students? I recently received this and wanted to know if it is accurate, and what the implications are. Thanks OBAMA - SMOKING GUN FINALLY FOUND? April 1, 2009 AP- WASHINGTON D.C. - In a move certain to fuel the debate over Obama’s qualifications for the presidency, the group “Americans for Freedom of Information” has released copies of President Obama’s college transcripts from Occidental College. Released today, the transcript indicates that Obama, under the name Barry Soetoro, received financial aid as a foreign student from Indonesia as an undergraduate at the school. The transcript was released by Occidental College in compliance with a court order in a suit brought by the group in the Superior Court of California. The transcript shows that Obama (Soetoro) applied for financial aid and was awarded a fellowship for foreign students from the Fulbright Foundation Scholarship program. To qualify, for the scholarship, a student must claim foreign citizenship. This document would seem to provide the smoking gun that many of Obama’s detractors have been seeking. The news has created a firestorm at the White House as the release casts increasing doubt about Obama’s legitimacy and qualification to serve as president. When reached for comment in London, where he has been in meetings with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Obama smiled but refused comment on the issue. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs scoffed at the report stating that this was obviously another attempt by a right-wing conservative group to discredit the president and undermine the administration’s efforts to move the country in a new direction. Britain's Daily Mail has also carried the story in a front-page article titled, “Obama Eligibility Questioned”, leading some to speculate that the story may overshadow economic issues on Obama’s first official visit to the U.K. In a related matter, under growing pressure from several groups, Justice Antonin Scalia announced that the Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to hear arguments concerning Obama’s legal eligibility to serve as President in a case brought by Leo Donofrio of New Jersey. This lawsuit claims Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. Donofrio’s case is just one of 18 suits brought by citizens demanding proof of Obama’s citizenship or qualification to serve as president. Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation has released the results of their investigation of Obama’s campaign spending. This study estimates that Obama has spent upwards of $950,000 in campaign funds in the past year with eleven law firms in 12 states for legal resources to block disclosure of any of his personal records. Mr. Kreep indicated that the investigation is still ongoing but that the final report will be provided to the U.S. attorney general, Eric Holder. Mr. Holder has refused to comment on the matter.

A:

This chain e-mail is a transparent April Fools' Day hoax. It fabricates an AP news story about an nonexistent group, and makes false claims about Obama and the Fulbright program. The claim is that Obama received a Fulbright scholarship for foreign students, proving that he is not a U.S. citizen and therefore not eligible to be president. Supposedly this was reported by The Associated Press. But the claim is false and the story is a hoax. April Fake We contacted The Associated Press just to confirm what should be obvious, that no such news story ever appeared on the news agency's wires. Jack Stokes, the AP's manager of media relations, gave us this statement: AP: The story purported to be from The Associated Press on April 1 is fake.  Furthermore, the group that the fake story credits with gaining release of the supposed "smoking gun" documents is also a fake. Searches of news accounts and Internet sites showed no trace of any group called "Americans for Freedom of Information," until recently. On May 6 such a group did appear, but only as a joke to make fun of anyone who had fallen for the April Fools' Day gag. An anonymous blogger set up a site calling itself "Americans for Freedom of Information: We Do Not Exist." Its first entry begins: "Americans for Freedom of Information" May 6: We are the Americans for Freedom of Information. We are a fictitious group of individuals; i.e. we do not exist. And yet, for a nonexistent organization we wield great power and knowledge! O Yea, Verily. OK, actually, not verily at all. Anti-verily, as a matter of an utter lack of fact. Where Truth Ends Not all versions of this e-mail carry the telltale April 1 dateline, however. And more than a month after it first appeared we continue to get questions about whether it is true, and to see postings on conservative blogs that seem to accept its claims as fact. But not only is the message a hoax, its key claims are as false as they can be. Among the few claims that are true in this message is that from fall 1979 through spring 1981 Obama attended Occidental College, a small (currently 1,825 students, according to its Web site) school in Los Angeles. After that he transferred to Columbia University in New York City to finish his undergraduate education. The photo here is from his application to Occidental. It's also true that Obama was on scholarship while at Occidental, according to articles in the Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe. But that's about where the truth ends. For those who might believe that even a fake news story quoting a nonexistent organization might still have some validity, we offer these facts: No Fulbright: Contrary to what this e-mail claims, Obama's scholarship wasn't a Fulbright. It's true that many foreign students come to the U.S. under the Fulbright program, sponsored by the United States Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. But Fulbrights for foreign students are primarily intended for graduate students studying for masters' degrees or Ph.D. degrees, not for college freshmen and sophomores. No "Soetoro": Another false claim is that Obama attended and received financial aid "under the name Barry Soetoro," using the surname of his Indonesian stepfather Lolo Soetoro. The college's Director of Communications Jim Tranquada told us there's no record of that. He told us in an e-mail: Occidental spokesman Tranquada: Contemporary public documents, such as the 1979-80 freshman 'Lookbook' published at the beginning of President Obama's first year at Occidental, list him as Barack Obama. All of the Occidental alumni I have spoken to from that era (1979-81) who knew him, knew him as Barry Obama. No Records: It's not even true that Occidental has released Obama's student records, as claimed in the message. Nor have courts ordered any such records to be made public. According to the college spokesman: Occidental spokesman Tranquada: To date, all of the litigation filed regarding President Obama's student records at Occidental has been rejected by the courts. Occidental has not released his transcripts or his student file. Furthermore there's no trace of the supposed Daily Mail story headlined "Obama Eligibility Questioned," either on the newspaper's Web site or in the Nexis database of stories published by the paper. The claim that the Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a case brought by Leo Donofrio is also false; the high court in fact refused to grant a hearing in that case back on Dec. 8, 2008. There is a group called the "United States Justice Foundation," and it does list a Gary Kreep as its executive director. But we find no report of any study of Obama's legal spending on its Web site, or any mention of turning information over to Attorney General Eric Holder. We've asked Kreep about this in an e-mail message, and will update this item should we receive a reply. -Brooks Jackson

[potlatch]

I know. As I wrote, I saw someone post it earlier and thought ‘wow’ but the link took you to a legitimate site that said ‘not found’. That just made you think it might have been scrubbed already. I did a Google too.

[fanfan]

Makes you think of all kinds of screwy possibilities.

He could release his records. He doesn't. Not even his long form birth certificate, to say nothing of his school records. His kindergarten records are sealed, FGS.

When life looks screwy, it probably is.

[Southack]

I’m amazed at how many gullible people fall for that old April Fool’s prank.

[FreepShop1]

Pretty clever hoax. If only...

[OafOfOffice]

Here is a lawsuit obama’s attorneys are suppose to answer June 21st. Apuzzo is suing everyone who failed to properly vet obama, including Cheney.

http://puzo1.blogspot.com/2009/04/more-delays-usaobama-say-they-need-124.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/14705757/Kerchner-et-al-v-Obama-et-al-Motion-to-Extend-Time-Declaration-of-Counsel-Docs-171-172#document_metadata

Whether or not the President of the United States is eligible for the Office he currently occupies is of utmost national importance. Every passing day Mr. Obama takes executive action that significantly impacts on the lives of Americans. The USA and Obama have already been granted one extension to answer to May 5, 2009. They have therefore been given 77 days to answer. This is enough time for them to answer. With an extension to June 21, 2009, USA and Obama are asking for 124 days and the Congressional defendants are asking for 117 days to answer. Court rules only allow them 60 days. Such delay is not in the national interest and not acceptable. As to the Congressional defendants, a twenty-day extension for them to answer is reasonable, making their answer due by May 18, 2009. Given the national importance of the issues, an extension for all defendants to answer by June 21, 2009 is not acceptable.

[jersey117]

I did also. Funny thing, right now search engines are not responding. I can’t get google or yahoo.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Could it have been a left wing group to put out this hoax on April the 1st to ( project ) make those conservatives who are trying to find the truth about Mr. Obama look bad and discredit them ?
I would not put is past the left of pulling a stunt like this to make us look bad.

[potlatch]

Computer virus strikes US Marshals, FBI affected...

THAT is a headline on Drudge. Perhaps it is affecting other sites. Perhaps I'm daydreaming like I was about this thread, lol.

[devolve]

.

Virus?

[GBA]

"Why did they bury Barry’s past?"

Why go to such trouble as this April fool's day "smoking gun" when simply producing the documentation would put it all to rest and make birthers look like deranged, unhinged radical lunatics?

Why? Unless, of course, the documentation would show that we, the birthers, have been right all along...

[potlatch]

Yeah, a computer virus. Lol, I posted it to you on another thread but don’t think you got to that one, been awhile. I got to Google, no problem.

Piper didn’t want out, he wanted food, lol

[elk]

May I remind folks that April Fools day came on November 5th last year?

[devolve]

.

Google was OK

Piper is eating well

[potlatch]

Lol, Piper always eats well. When he doesn’t he gets taken to the Vet!

Heading off, check your Freepmail!

[WackySam]

Where’s the “not this sh*t again” guy when you need him?

[OafOfOffice]

http://citizensagainstproobamamediabias.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/subpoena-barrys-occidental-college-records/

They were able to secure a subpoena for barry’s records from Occidental College. Relevant text. See links below for background and the full subpoena.

1-15-09 Keyes, Drake, Robinson v Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State, Obama and Biden et al.

Subpoena: Occidental College, Los Angeles, California

Academia and housing records of Barack Hussein Obama, including but not limited to approximately two years September 1979 to June 1981.

SUBPOENA AFFIDAVIT:

These documents are material to the issues in this case in that they are relevant to the following issues in this litigation.

The gravamen of the Petition is the question as to whether United States Senator Barack Hussein Obama, of Illinois, is eligible to be President of the United States pursuant to the requirements of that office in the United States Constitution. The records sought may provide documentary evidence, and/or admission by said Defendant, as to said eligibility or lack thereof.

Senator Obama has filed responsive pleadings in this matter and is represented by counsel, and has the opportunity to this production should he so desire.

Good cause exists for this production under the Subpoena Duces Tecum, in that the testimony will be elicited from the original records obtained from the witness named herein, and there is no other process available to secure said testimony.

[Electric Graffiti]

"All of the Occidental alumni I have spoken to from that era (1979-81) who knew him, knew him as Barry Obama."

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...yea right. Btw when did Barry change his name?

Thank Gawd we have fartcheck available to clear up such rumors /sarc

[OafOfOffice]

http://citizensagainstproobamamediabias.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/occidental-college-subpoena-quashed-3-13/

Occidental College Subpoena: QUASHED (3-13)

Bottom line: the case is moot, the petitioners failed to identify a duty the respondents failed in performing, it’s too late anyway and the subpoena was too broad and was not properly served.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Occidental has not released his transcripts or his student file...strange - Gore's, Bush's, Kerry's etc grades were all public - wouldn't do to let the public know that this supposedly brilliant man is probably really an affirmative action Harvard admit with a "B" average at best......

[terycarl]

did Obama have a passport prior to becoming president?? I applied for a passport and had to furnish to the government a documented, stamped with a state seal, copy of my birth certificate (1939) it cost about 20 bucks but only took a couple of days to obtain. If he has a passport, wouldn’t he have had to do the same thing??