Born in the U.S.A.? (Obama!)

Times Herald ^ | 08/25/2008 | KEITH PHUCAS

[neverdem]

PHILADELPHIA - A Lafayette Hill attorney filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday challenging Sen. Barack Obama's claim to United States citizenship. The action seeks to remove the Democratic candidate from the November ballot.

To be eligible to serve as U.S. president, a person must be born in this country. According to Obama's birth certificate, which his campaign posted on its Internet site in June to quell rumors that he is foreign born, the Illinois senator was born in Hawaii on Aug. 6, 1961. On Thursday, Philip Berg filed a temporary restraining order in federal court to bar Obama from running for president, claiming the Democratic candidate was actually born in Africa.

"We really don't believe he was born in Hawaii," Berg said. "We think he was born in Kenya."

The presidential candidate's father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small village in Kenya, according to Obama's campaign Web site.

Berg's suit claims the senator's grandmother, brother and sister, who live in Kenya, believe they were present during Obama's birth in the African country.

Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Kansas, and his parents met at the University of Hawaii when Dunham was a student there, according to the Obama campaign. Eventually, Obama's father returned to Kenya, and his son grew up in Hawaii with his mother and for a few years in Indonesia after Dunham married an Indonesian man, Lolo Soetoro. Also, Obama lived with his maternal grandparents in Hawaii.

"If he was born in Hawaii, and he was adopted in Indonesia by Lolo Soetoro, (Obama) would lose his citizenship," Berg said.

The Obama campaign has a special section on its Web site, "Fight the Smears," that debunks the birth certificate story and other reports that have circulated about him during the campaign.

"It's part of a smear campaign," said an Obama campaign volunteer who identified herself as Rachel. "There are just so many lies out there."

The lawsuit claims three "independent" document forensic experts performed extensive tests on the digitally-scanned image of Obama's "Certificate of Live Birth" posted on the campaign's site and found the document to be "a forgery."

Jerome Corsi, author of the book, "The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality," has also deemed the birth certificate phony, according to The Annenberg Political Fact Check, www.FactCheck.org.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, aims to expose deception and confusion in U.S. politics.

Recently, FactCheck.org staffers "touched, examined and photographed" the original birth certificate kept at the Obama campaign headquarters in Chicago and concluded the document is genuine.

"The evidence is clear: Barack Obama was born in the U.S.A.," FactCheck.org staffers concluded.

Sean Smith, Obama's Pennsylvania communications director, was contacted Friday about the suit but declined comment.

The civil suit filed by Berg will be reviewed by the U.S. Federal Election Commission, according to Patty Hartman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Keith Phucas can be reached at kphucas@timesherald.com or 610-272-2500, ext. 211.

[null and void]

The thing is there is a big difference between being born to parents who are BOTH U.S. Citizens and are out of the country due to being stationed somewhere (as in McCain’s case), and people who are born to a parent who is NOT a citizen (at least back then...).

AGREED! And yet, in the eyes of the law the loyal American, with unquestionably loyal parents, who were in government service at the time, and born but a few miles from what is arguably American soil, the man with vast personal experience fighting with our enemies, the man who has a long track record of service in congress, the man who can work with leadership of both parties, might not be legally qualified to hold the office.

At the same time a man who gives every indication of being raised hating America, born to an atheist and a muslim, with a mother who was busy learning Russian and communism, who was raised where a goodly chunk of the population regards America as 'the great Satan', who denied being an American throughout his youth (they told their neighbors he was Iriani to explain away his curly hair) man who thought the evening call to prayer was 'the most beautiful sound on earth', a man who selected a muslim name for himself after his adoption to yet another muslim was overwritten, a man who selected a hate America First church when he needed a thin veneer of Christianity, a man with no political track record, whose very presence has shattered one major political party in two. IF he really was born in Honolulu, this guy is A-OK in the eyes of the law?

[null and void]

To be completely precise he was born on Coco Solo Naval Station (it's in the upper right corner of your pretty little map). At the time of McCain's birth, it was a US Naval submarine base and the duty station of McCain's father.

To be completely precise, the hospital on the Coco Solo Naval Station wouldn't be built until McCain was 6 years old.

To be completely precise, the hospital he was born at is shown on the pretty little map, right at the top of the peninsula that has Colón at it's tip. In Colón, Panama.

To be completely precise, his birth certificate says he was born in Panama, not that he was born in The Canal Zone.

Unfortunately those are the facts, and facts are stubborn things.

[null and void]

regardless of what the truth actually is. McCain is a good guy, but i dont think i want him as president. Obama is unqualified for a multitude of reasons (besides where he was born).

*sigh* Yeah.

[Citizen Blade]

IF he really was born in Honolulu, this guy is A-OK in the eyes of the law?

The qualification to run for President doesn't consider the various things you raised because those aren't Constitutional issues- they're political issues for the voters to consider.

Obama is Constitutionally qualified to serve as President, but that's a pretty low bar. It's pretty clear that is the only qualification he meets- he is unqualified in every other way for the Presidency.

[null and void]

Ah, OK. So are you going to hold your nose and vote for McCain?

If I can bring myself to do that, yes. McCain is too liberal for my tastes by far.

You definitely seem to support Obama’s position more unless you are combative and playing Devil’s advocate.

Ummm, no. I support Obama's position far far far less than McCain's. He his not qualified to be president at any level, by any imaginable criteria. Not only is he disqualified by being a noob, by being raised to HATE America, by selecting anti-American jobs, church, wife, and rhetoric, I think he was also born outside of the country, and doesn't meet even the minimal constitutional requirements for the job.

Why is that?

Because I actually do care about what the constitution says, and it says one has to be a 'natural-born citizen' to be president.

[null and void]

yet we aren’t to bother Obama....Who can’t even PRODUCE a valid BC.

I bother him at every possible turn. There is almost nothing I want more this election cycle than to see his REAL birth certificate.

Non-American birth, with a non-American father is an absolute show stopper there is nothing, NOTHING Obama or the democrats can do to recover from that. It is the garlic, the silver bullet, the oaken stake through that monster's heart.

It can't be finessed, explained away, diminished, or even legislated away.

It is his gold Kryptonite, it permanently removes that Superman's power.

Yeah, I've devoted most of my runtime to this narrow issue for the past couple months. It would have a very high payoff, not only would it eliminate Obama, it would perhaps fatally damage the democrat brand.

[null and void]

And it seems if I said the sky was blue you would argue that point as well.

Mostly it isn't, you know.

It's black at night, red/orange/yellow at dawn and dusk, and often white or dark with clouds during the day...

*ducking and running for cover while laughing maniacally*...

[dirtboy]

Look, extraordinary claimes require extraordinary proof. Until someone can provide some actual documentary evidence that Obama was not born in the US, this is just kookery.

I think you have it backwards. The COLB should not have to be proven a fake. Obama has to prove he is a native-born US citizen - that is mandated by the Constitution.

I find it odd that there are myriad requirements to run for president, such as nominating petitions that have to be submitted to get on ballots - but there is no legislated process for a candidate for President to prove he is a native-born citizen to be placed on the ballot. Maybe it just never was an issue before. But I have a feeling that if Obama is actually not a native-born citizen, his campaign will hide that fact until after the election. And if he wins, he would provoke a Constitutional crisis by saying SCOTUS would be overturning the results of an election if they declared him to be ineligible for that office.

[null and void]

That, unfortunately, is a great analysis of the danger we face.

The only thing I can add is that the timing could be such that McCain-Feingold could prevent any effective defense from the turds Hillary!™ will drop on McCain the hour before it kicks in.

[dirtboy]

Recently, FactCheck.org staffers "touched, examined and photographed" the original birth certificate kept at the Obama campaign headquarters in Chicago and concluded the document is genuine.

Yeah, and John Kerry signed his SF-180 but only allowed a few friendly reporters to examine his records.

Obama should be required to present his original COLB to government officials, not some liberal think tank.

[null and void]

*sigh* I must confess that I actually voted for Paul way back when.

I have had no truck with him since 9/12.

When I joined the Libertarian Party I signed a pledge that I would not initiate force for political change. I never said I wouldn't respond to force.

RP said that responding to 9/11 would be immoral.

He, and the party, could not be more wrong.

Kill them all. God will know his own.

[null and void]

your point is mute in regards to McCain because Mom and Dad McCain where there with the US Navy. Not because they were camping around the world. Disqualify McCain you disqualify every military brats citizenship.

No, sadly, it isn't moot, it should be, but it isn't.

And BTW, being disqualified from being POTUS by reason of foreign birth is exactly what they told us was the situation when I was being edumacated ON A MILITARY BASE as a Marine Corps Brat.

Doesn't affect me, as I was born in the lower 48 (Come to think of it, there were only 48 states back in those dark days), but I thought is was grossly unfair to my classmates born overseas.

I still do.

Disqualify McCain you disqualify every military brats citizenship.

Mind you, every one of those foreign born Brats was unquestionably an American Citizen, just not a 'natural-born citizen' for the constitutional test for the presidency. There is no effect on citizenship, just on holding exactly ONE job in America.

Regarding Barry, according to his school papers in indonesia he was a citizen of indonesia, there for not a citizen of the US, because they don’t offer dual citizenship. Have you ever seen a kid with so many names. Its really scary and reads like an episode of Americas Most Wanted.

LOL! Make that America's Least Wanted...

The gonads of these people is breath-taking

These are the same guys who cheered when Mambo #5 was played at their last convention. With clinton on the stage the lyrics "...a little bit of Monica in my life..." brought the house down.

I do not think he is elligible if not because of his place of birth but his acceptance of an indonesian citizenship. Now lets see if someone is willing to prove it.

From your lips...

[null and void]

except the photos have a date of MARCH 2008 and the Certificate has a the serial number mis-aligned (the rest of the variable data is not)

And in a slightly larger and bolded font. One could argue that the numbers are pre-printed, or that they were over compensating (the codpiece serial number)

This ain't over.

Nope, far from it.

[null and void]

Thanks! Great tips, I’ll incorporate them as soon as I get up for air!

[null and void]

You didn't answer DBrow's question:

"Please define “natural born” as opposed to a “citizen of the United States”."

Tell us please, what exactly does “natural born” mean?

You can't, can you?

[null and void]

Hmmmm.

Good analysis. I never though of that particular long-term consequence (mostly because I find an Obama presidency quite literally unthinkable).

I’m more inclined to believe that Hillary!™ would utterly destroy both the democrat party and the United States if she thought she could rule the rubble.

[null and void]

There is no requirement that the candidate be born in the USA.

Without knowing what 'natural born' means you can't say that.

but if it depends on court interpretations of something the public can be confused by the press on, I think things will go in favor of Obama.

That's why politically this is a non-starter. FReepers are pretty politically savvy, and we can't clearly explain or understand this issue. An average voter would be hopelessly lost in the details.

The only hope is that Obama's BC is so clearly 'bad' that he can't show it for what ever reason, yet it comes to light anyway, or a high court kicks him out of the race or office.

[Citizen Blade]

Regarding Barry, according to his school papers in indonesia he was a citizen of indonesia, there for not a citizen of the US, because they don’t offer dual citizenship.

The US recognizes dual citizenship (I am a citizen of 3 countries, for example) and dual citizenship would not disqualify someone from the Presidency, assuming they were a natural-born citizen.

[Citizen Blade]

Tell us please, what exactly does “natural born” mean?

A citizen from birth, rather than through naturalization.

[DBrow]

“Maybe it just never was an issue before. “

I think it was Goldwater who was born in Arizona when it was a territory, not part of the USA- this has come up before.

There is no controlling legal authority, though, nobody seems to be tasked with checking eligibility.

This will be important soon because of the immigration policies of the two big-party candidates. We’re going to have lots of people born who knows where to citizen, or non-citizen, parents seeking office.