Attorney General Jeff Sessions used the language of the Birther movement to slam a Federal Judge in Hawaii who ruled against Donald Trump's Muslim Ban. Calling the 50th state an "island in the Pacific," the AG also seemed to question the right of Federal Judges to uphold the checks and balances built-in to our government.
Hawaii became the 50th state of the union in 1959. The Birther movement, including President Donald Trump, often used the fact that President Barack Obama was born and raised in Hawaii to call into question his citizenship, even after Hawaii produced his valid long-form birth certificate.
“I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the president of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and constitutional power,” Sessions said on conservative radio host Mark Levin’s show.
Sessions refused to apologize, calling his remarks "a joke."
@bethrenaldi@ericbradner@KFILE I bet he doesn't mind the Cayman Islands, the Seychelles, or Cyprus. It's only the islands that follow the Constitution that he doesn't like
According to United States Constitution, Ted Cruz is a natural born American citizen, and a natural born Canadian citizen. “Natural born” means that one is legally entitled to citizenship at birth.
Ted Cruz has a mother who was a natural born American citizen. She and Ted Cruz’s father, a man who was born in Cuba, both resided in Canada when Cruz was born.
Because Cruz had one parent who was an American citizen, this automatically gave him American citizenship. Because he was born is Canada, this also granted him citizenship as a Canadian.
On Monday, Cruz said he would renounce his Canadian citizenship. “I got my U.S. passport in high school,” he said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. “Because I was a U.S. citizen at birth, because I left Calgary when I was 4 and have lived my entire life since then in the U.S., and because I have never taken affirmative steps to claim Canadian citizenship, I assumed that was the end of the matter,” he added. “Now The Dallas Morning News says that I may technically have dual citizenship. Assuming that is true, then sure, I will renounce any Canadian citizenship. Nothing against Canada, but I’m an American by birth and as a U.S. Senator, I believe I should be only an American.”
Senator Cruz may have to wait eight months to stop being Canadian
OTTAWA - U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who says he recently discovered he is likely a Canadian, must win security clearance from Canada's spy agency, fill out a four-page form and then wait up to eight months to sever his ties to America's northern neighbor.
. . . A nonrefundable C$100 ($96) fee is payable in advance.
"It's very, very uncommon ... . I've been practicing 26 years and I don't think I've ever seen anybody renounce it," said Guidy Mamann, an immigration lawyer with Toronto law firm Mamann, Sandaluk & Kingwell.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada official Remi Lariviere said reasons for renunciation could include running in a foreign election or serving in a foreign military.
Canada keeps it simple for stupid: "In general, if you were born in Canada, you are a Canadian citizen." http://t.co/2057ZpCuoy@TedCruz
"That cheap shot about 'I don't have a problem with my birth certificate' was awful.
It is an embarrassment to your party to play that card. This stuff about getting rid of the work requirement for welfare is dishonest.... and you are playing that little ethnic card there. You can play your games and giggle about it, but the fact is your side is playing that card." . . . It's funny that the first joke he (Romney) ever told a joke in his life was about Obama's Birth Certificate.
~ MSNBC host Chris Matthews speaking to RNC President Reince Priebus on Morning Joe
Later when Priebus alleged that Obama was looking at European policies for guidance, Matthews lost it again.
"Where do you get this from?" Matthews shouted. "This is insane." He charged that Priebus was "playing that card again."
"Let's just work on tone," Brzezinski said. "Chris, let him answer the question," Scarborough said.
"I'm not going to get into a shouting match with Chris so you guys can move on," Priebus said. "Because you're losing, that's why," Matthews said. "Garbage, garbage," Priebus muttered.
“I think Obama’s policies have created a sense that, for whatever reason, he’s looking guidance as far as health care is concerned, as far as our spending is concerned, as far as these stimulus packages are concerned, that he’s looking to Europe for guidance,” said Priebus on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” at the start of what would become a heated back and forth.
“What? Where do you get this from? That’s insane,” responded Matthews. “You mean the fact that every president we’ve had has tried to offset the economic cycle with stimulus going the other direction is somehow European?”
“We’ve got to get the debt under control,” said Priebus.
“What does that have to do with Europe and this foreignization of the government. You’re doing it now. Saying that he’s influenced by foreign influences?” said Matthews.
PRIEBUS: But I think Obama’s policies have created a sense that for whatever reason, he’s looking to guidance [from Europe] as far as health care is concerned, as far as our spending is concerned …
MATTHEWS: What? Where do you get this from? This is insane! You mean the Keynesian fiscal policy — you mean the fact that every president we’ve had has tried to offset the economic cycle with stimulus going the other direction is somehow European? … What’s this got to do with Europe and this foreignization of the guy? You’re doing it now! Saying he’s influenced by foreign influences? You’re playing that card again. What’s this European thing of yours? What are you up to with this constant that he’s not really domestic?
PRIEBUS: You don’t think the take-over of our health care system called Obamacare is a problem for most Americans?
MATTHEWS: Let me tell you some history, sir. Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt pushed for that, Truman pushed for that, were they all under the influence of Europe? Where do you get this from?
PRIEBUS: I’m not going to get into a shouting match with Chris, so you guys can just move on.
Blogger's Note: To question whether President Obama is a citizen of the United States is to spread a vicious lie believed mainly by crackpots and cuckoos. Obama was born in Hawaii which is one of the 50 states ~ we all learn that in 3rd grade ~ and his REAL birth certificate is on record - even the State of Arizona finally admitted that (except for Sheriff Joe Arpaio). The President's mother was an American citizen from Kansas, so even if he hadn't been born here, he would still be an American. Period. Just as we presume that even though Mitt Romney's father was born in Mexico, he was still an American because one or both of his parents were Americans.
The story about Mitt Romney's Dog Seamus riding on the roof of the family's station wagon was a story Mitt Romney freely chose to tell on himself because at one time he strangely thought it was funny. The story came from the candidate, and not from some outside source. The reason it went viral is because (A) it sounds like dog abuse and (B) it begs the question of whether Mitt Romney has good judgment, since he's running for President. At the worst it is really really stupid, and most sensible people wouldn't admit that they would treat their dog that way.
Strapping a Dog to the Roof ~ Stupid by choice
Being African American ~ Definitely not Stupid, and not a choice
The dog story is TRUE, while tales of Obama being foreign are FALSE. Truth does not equal a Lie. Racism is not Funny just because Mitt snickers and the Tea Party crowd giggles. Making fun of the way Mitt Romney treats his dog is not the same as Romney attacking Obama's race or citizenship.
Anyone in the media who believes that is an Idiot! That is all . . .(Do I seem ticked off? You betcha - Stop the Stupidity!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. Ann was born in Henry Ford Hospital, I was born in Harper Hospital. No one has ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised.
~ Mitt Romney speaking to a home crowd in Michigan, comparing his origins and skin color to Barack Obama's, and possibly forgetting that the President's mother was as white as Ann Romney
My read:Romney shows he can take the dog on roof stuff and dish it back.
— Jim Acosta (@jimacostacnn) August 24, 2012
Minutes later, Acosta, who is covering the Romney campaign for CNN, tweeted “My read: Romney shows he can take the dog on roof stuff and dish it back,” which is a bit like saying “My read: Hannibal Lecter shows that he can take the census stuff, and dish it back. With fava beans and Chianti.”
He followed that up by opining that “Isaac may be miles away. But Romney bringing the thunder today.”
Acosta also retweeted another user who noted that “Obama makes birther jokes, too,” to which Acosta added “Mugs too,” mugs, it should be noted, whose purpose was to mock the birther racists, not the President’s origin. Acosta’s observation is akin to saying that arsonists aren’t so different from firemen, since they both work with fire.
Two problems with that theory, Mr. Acosta.
The most obvious is, Romney actually DID leave his dog on the roof of his car during a 12 hour drive. Obama was born here, and has provided proof repeatedly.
The second problem is, the only people who believe the birther nonsense are racists, who use the manufactured controversy to insinuate that the black Obama is less than a "legitimate" American. And frankly, what is Romney implying with the "joke," anyway, except that he's more "legitimate" than President Obama?
What is CNN becoming?
~ Milt Shook on Sulia.com
Mitt Romney Reduced to Pointing Out His Whiteness to Voters
. . . The "dog on roof" stuff is jokes about something that Mitt Romney actually did. The birther stuff is made-up paranoid racist conspiracy theories attacking the very legitimacy of Obama's presidency. They are not the same "stuff." And anyway: Donald Trump and Sheriff Joe Arpaio — avowed birthers, both of them — are speaking at the Republican national convention next week. Neither Gail Collins nor Seamus the dog have been invited to give addresses to the DNC, to the best of my knowledge.
~ Max Read on Gawker
Acosta, who’s “embedded” with the Romney camp and is part of the Worst Political Team on Television, fired off a tweet that read: “My read: Romney shows he can take the dog on roof stuff and dish it back.” Really? That’s “your read” — that Mitt Romney can return fire on his political opponents bringing up a 100% true story from his past by making a crack that references something that’s just as thoroughly not true? That’s what you got out of that? In that case, you’re a hack, Acosta, who shouldn’t be reporting on the student council race at Millard Fillmore Middle School, much less a presidential campaign.
Acosta’s really dumb tweet, which amounts to advocacy for the guy he’s likely been saddled with for months, shows the dangers of sticking one person with one campaign and leaving him or her there for almost the length of the contest. What happens is the correspondent turns into either a grade-A ass-kisser, given that there’s sometimes no way around becoming chummy with the people you see day-in-day-out, or, if the camp is purposely unresponsive to the wants and needs of the journalists covering it, he or she becomes a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. Either way, it taints the coverage — and it’s bad not only for journalism but for the country.
~ Chez Pazienza on The Daily Banter
Ari Melber, The Nation: It fries the circuit of the objective press and the D.C. press that only wants to keep score because they have to find something that Democrats have done that's as bad. But they don't have an echo repetitive racist argument coming from the Democratic Party . So they say, well, you made dog jokes, or the President's been negative, or the Democrats are spending a lot of money attacking Mitt Romney .
Martin Bashir: It's false equivalency.
Ari Melber: It's a false equvalency. And that's another big problem. This is not a place where the jokes are equal. This is not a place where the type of attacks are equal And I think it's very hard for a lot of the scorekeepers in D.C. to handle that. They don't know what to do with that.
@jimacostacnn@cnnsitroom uh huh. well your black viewers do not respect a reporter who compares racists jokes to dogs on roof.
— AAmom (@AVD911) August 24, 2012
.@jimacostacnn Dear Stupid Employee of Stupid TeaNN: Romney's dog torture is the TRUTH. Birtherism is a LIE. No equivalence, Stupid.
— allanbrauer (@allanbrauer) August 24, 2012
Birtherism is racism & he knows it. CNN shows how ineffective theirreporters are- false equivalency dog v racism?? mediaite.com/online/cnn-rep…
— Susanna (@SusannaMatte) August 24, 2012
Romney's birther joke is retribution for Obama's dog on car material... Only problem: one of those jokes is born from hate/racism
— Ed Schultz (@edshow) August 24, 2012
Speaking about his Michigan roots, he said, "No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised."
The joke was received with hearty applause by the audience. . . .
~ Mitt Romney, speaking in Michigan
"Throughout this campaign, Governor Romney has embraced the most strident voices in his party instead of standing up to them. It's one thing to give the stage in Tampa to Donald Trump, Sheriff Arpaio, and Kris Kobach. But Governor Romney's decision to directly enlist himself in the birther movement should give pause to any rational voter across America.
~ Obama spokesman, Ben LaBolt
Romney was "only referencing that Michigan, where he is campaigning today, is the state where he himself was born and raised.
~ Romney spokesman, Kevin Madden
Our take: Gov. Romney’s decision to directly enlist himself in the birther movement should give pause to any rational voter across America.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 24, 2012
Romney just dropped a birther line. Note: His dad was born in Mexico, ran for President of the United States.
— Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) August 24, 2012
To be clear: Mitt Romney's Birther line was NOT a joke. He was saying he's more of an American than President Obama.
— Don Millard (@OTOOLEFAN) August 24, 2012
Rush Limbaugh loved Mitt Romney's birther joke. That's like John Wayne Gacy raving about one of your clown paintings.
— Frank Conniff (@FrankConniff) August 24, 2012
Pro tip for the equivalency crowd: The difference bt the Seamus story and birther stories is that birther stories are false.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) August 24, 2012
Frankly I'm surprised Mitt made a birther joke yesterday; I thought he already had the racist idiot vote sewn up.
— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) August 25, 2012
Dana Loesch wants "you people" to "stop being all uptight" about a presidential candidate making birther jokes bit.ly/QaBZDq
— Media Matters (@mmfa) August 25, 2012
Romney's Birther Joke Explained in One Number: He Needs 61% of the White Vote theatln.tc/OdDfAx
— The Atlantic Wire (@TheAtlanticWire) August 24, 2012
Myth Dumbney, we know that you're white. We also know that you're a Racist and a Birther. 'Congratulations' for representing hate and evil. Now, let's see how that wins you this election.
~ comment by kishman on Politico
"No one asked to see my birth certificate" That is precisely the point now isn't it? No one ever asked to see your birth certificate, but 3 1/2 years later, long form, short form birth certificate later. Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, Joe Arpaio and the rest of the Ku Klux Klan is still hounding President Obama about his. Nice One Mitt.
~ comment by D. Shy on Politico
This wasn't a surrogate, or a SUPERPAC, this was Romney doing this. His party has become the party of uneducated, racist, the earth is flat believers and he can't seem to rise above. The guy lacks character and a spine. The media and the black caucus need to stand up to this nonsense. There is a big difference between surrogates and superpacs and the candidate himself. All Romney has done is whine and ask for apologies this entire campaign and yet he is playing up to the most racist side of his party. It begs the question..WHY hasn't Romney been dogged about HIS birth certificate since his father was born in Mexico, his ancestors polygamists?? Because he's not black.
~ comment by SallyC2 on Politico
“Ha ha,” this joke says. “The President is an exotic specimen! I am not! I was born at Harper Hospital! I am like you! You don’t ask a white man in a button-down with a name like Willard where he was born! Ha ha!”
~ Alexandra Petri in Washington Post
Team Romney has a list of code words/phrases that get the base excited. 'Birth certificate' is one of them. Others include 'Chicago,' 'Muslim,' 'welfare,' 'Europe,' 'socialism,' 'community organizer,' and 'regulations.' Both Romney and Ryan are scripted to use at least one per campaign appearance.
~ comment by MsJS on Washington Post
One of the worst presidential campaigns I have ever seen! And can you imagine what is going to come out during the circus next week with the likes of Trump and Arpaio!
~ comment by bdwife81 on Huff Post
The crowd loved it when the lions ate the Christians, too. I don't think that's a very reasonable rejoinder, do you, Mitt?
Do you want a list of all the things "the crowd loved" that were immoral and_horrific?
~ comment by NickRofilia on Huff Post
While Mr. Romney appeases the fringe elements of his base with sub-textural r_@ci-zum...
He's loosing the Black vote...
The Hispanic vote..
The Jewish vote...
The Female vote..
The LGBT vote..
etc, etc......
~ comment by 2 far-gone on Huff Post
Trump: "Watch me pull a birth certificate out of my hat".
(Uproarious laughter)
"There's nothing in here! Where was this hat made? Kenya?"
(Wild applause as the hurricane collapses the ceiling.)
~ comment by Nazztea on Huff Post
Dear Mitt Romney, if you run racist ads & tell birther jokes you do NOT get to accuse anyone else of running a negative campaign.
Note: On the same day Romney reached enough delegates to be the Republican Presidential nominee for 2012, his "surrogate" Donald "Birther" Trump went on Wolf Blitzer's CNN Situation Room and had meltdown over President Obama's Birth Certificate on life TV:
Stephen Colbert Update:
According to RealClearPolitics Average of Polls, Obama leads Romney by 45.6 percent to Romney's 43.6%. How is Mitt going to get to that 50.1% up here? He's already got the fiscal conservatives and the social conservatives mixed in - that's not enough! Now Trump gets him the Birthers, but now he's got to reach out to the 9-11 Truthers, the Alien Abductees, the Doomsday Preppers, the Sasquatch Hunters, the Sasquatches, or "Sasqueetch."
Sh** - that's only 50%!
How does he get that tiny sliver? That's going to be tough. Who represents such a miniscule portion of Americans? Wait! I've got it - all Mitt needs are the blacks who like Donald Trump. (Shows Video of Trump saying "The winner is Arsenio Hall" on The Apprentice.) 50.1! 50.1! Mitt, you're hired!
TRUMP: Obama does not like the issue of where he was born. His own publisher, as you know, using his words, said he was born in Kenya and he lived in Indonesia. Of course, now he's denying that, amazingly.
So -- but I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to talk, as you said you would, jobs, China, what's going on with respect to China and how they're ripping this country, what's going on with respect to OPEC and how the nations of OPEC are laughing at the stupidity of our country. That's what I'm here to talk about.
BLITZER: All right.
TRUMP: You know that's what I'm here to talk about, and I thought your introduction was highly inappropriate. But that's OK, because I have gotten to know you over the years.
BLITZER: Well, I -- well, listen, Donald, first of all, I never said we weren't going talk about the birther issue. We had a conversation earlier today. We didn't discuss at all what we were going to talk about...
. . . *SNIP*
TRUMP: Now, you won't report it, Wolf, but many people do not think it was authentic.
His mother was not in the hospital. There are many other things that came out. And, frankly, if you would report it accurately, I think you would probably get better ratings than you're getting, which are pretty small.
BLITZER: Donald, have you seen the actual newspaper announcements within days of his birth in Honolulu, for example, "The Honolulu Star- Bulletin"? We will put it up there. You see the birth announcement back in 1961.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Listen to me, Donald.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Can I ask...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Am I allowed to talk, if you could stop defending Obama?
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Donald, Donald, you're beginning to sound a little ridiculous, I have to tell you.
TRUMP: No, I think you are, Wolf.
Let me tell you something. I think you sound ridiculous. And if you would ask me a question and let me answer it, instead of making...
BLITZER: Here's the question. Did the conspiracy start in 1961, when "The Honolulu-Star Bulletin" and ""The Honolulu Advertiser" contemporaneously published announcements that he was born in Hawaii?
TRUMP: That's right.
And many people put those announcements in because they wanted to get the benefit of being so-called so-called born in this country. Many people did it. It was something that was done by many people,even if they weren't born in the country. You know it, and so do I. And so do a lot of your viewers.
. . . *SNIP*
BLITZER: Donald, let me tell you -- let me tell you who hates this subject. It is Mitt Romney, who totally disagrees with you on this, including today. He issued a statement.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: I don't speak to Mitt Romney about it.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Is Mitt Romney a Democrat? Is he an Obama supporter?
TRUMP: Mitt -- what I speak to Mitt Romney about is jobs. What I speak to Mitt Romney about is China, because he's got a great view on China and how they're trying to destroy our country by taking our jobs and making our product and manipulating their currency, so that it makes it almost impossible for our companies to compete.
What I speak to him about is OPEC. I don't speak to him about this. You bring it up because you feel it's probably going to get a few more people watching your station, which, unfortunately, they're not doing.
BLITZER: Here's what Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said today -- today, not yesterday, not last week, not six months ago -- "Governor Romney has said repeatedly that he believes President Obama was born in the United States."
Now, he's not a Democrat.
TRUMP: OK.
BLITZER: He's not an Obama supporter. He's Governor Romney, the Republican nominee. He says you're wrong.
TRUMP: You know what?
Everybody is entitled to their opinion, Wolf. You know my opinion. You know his opinion. And that's fine. We're entitled, as he said yesterday in the airplane, we're all entitled to our opinions. And he's entitled to his opinion and I think that's wonderful. I don't happen to share that opinion. And that's wonderful, also.
BLITZER: But the state of Hawaii says it's not an opinion, it's a fact.
TRUMP: No, I don't think so. I think if you look at the birth certificate, take a look and you tell me, really. You analyze the birth certificate. There are many people that don't agree with that birth certificate. They don't think it's authentic, Wolf.
BLITZER: I don't know when you say many people who don't agree...
TRUMP: Many people.
BLITZER: Like who?
TRUMP: There are many people...
BLITZER: Give me an -- give me a name of somebody...
TRUMP: There are many people...
BLITZER: -- in a position of authority...
TRUMP: -- that do not believe...
BLITZER: -- in Hawaii who says -- but give me a name.
TRUMP: There are many people -- I don't give names. There are many people that do not believe that birth certificate is authentic.
BLITZER: Well, you know what...
TRUMP: Many people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to see the certificate that proves Donald Trump's brain isn't a slightly leaky bucket of canned yams.
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) May 29, 2012
Wolf Blitzer Awakens From Coma to Destroy Donald Trump zite.to/LRxV6S via @zite
— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) May 30, 2012
Team Romney is finding out the hard way just how distracting all things Trump can be to them.
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) May 29, 2012
Other countries take care of their mentally ill. It seems cruel to just put them on Wolf Blitzer's show.
— Andy Borowitz (@BorowitzReport) May 30, 2012
I MSNBC would stop calling it "Birtherism". It's RACISM, simple and plain. Donald Trump is a racist. Birtherism is racism.
— Black Canseco (@BlackCanseco) May 29, 2012
People will tell you this Trump stuff is part of a devious/smart Romney plan. Actually, it's the total disaster it looks like.
— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) May 29, 2012
Just prior to fundraiser with birther Donald Trump, Romney releases HIS birth certificatethkpr.gs/Jzdw7J#classy
— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) May 30, 2012
“I am a natural born citizen. My parents were American citizens." Said by George Romney (Mitt's dad) who was born in Mexico. #ctl#Romney
— Cletis Stump (@CletisStump) May 30, 2012
Racist Trump didn't have a problem with Senator McCain being born in Panama and never questioned if Romney was born in Mexico! #Maddow
— Armenta(@ChavezChavis) May 30, 2012
#ManyPeople think Romney was born in Mexico and has 5 wives.
— B. Justice (@zefirotorna) May 30, 2012
BREAKING: State of Hawaii Unable to Confirm Details of Mitt Romney's Birth, Asks Arizona: "Have You Guys Tried Mexico?"
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) May 23, 2012
Romney didn't release a birth certificate, only a certificate of live birth. We'll take a trip to Acapulco to investigate this
— The Democrat Machine (@DemocratMachine) May 30, 2012
Romney released birth certificate. Just lists parents as "Cyberdyne Systems."
— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) May 30, 2012
Donald Trump won't rest until he sees the Romney campaign's death certificate.
— Indecision (@indecision) May 29, 2012
Finally Romney has a reason to fire a person who actually deserves to be fired goo.gl/rsZBM
— Rainier Wolfcastle (@r_wolfcastle) May 30, 2012
Chris Matthews:"The problem is that Romney looks like the apprentice.He doesn't look like the boss." #hardball
— Hardball (@hardball) May 29, 2012
Anyone want my Donald Trump bobble head doll? You push a button and it says "Black people are from Kenya."
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) May 30, 2012
#ManyPeople think Donald Trump is trying to use birtherism to get Orley Taitz into the sack.
— Jean Esselink (@Uncucumbered) May 30, 2012
Hilarious: Breitbart site denies any relation to birthers, yet Donald Trump is citing them to argue for birtherism bit.ly/M3P9AW
— Media Matters (@mmfa) May 29, 2012
So, if you were from another planet, say, Nut-tron, and you were circling the earth in your saucer looking for a place to land, where would you touch down?
OK, besides New Hampshire.
Arizona, right?
I mean, you'd want to hook up with beings that were on your same wavelength. And judging from the continuing popularity of the "birther" movement in Arizona, you would be welcomed there with open arms … um, provided, of course, you didn't come in through Mexico.
~ from an article in The Hartford Courant by Jim Shea titled: "Arizona Birthers From Outer Space."
I really can't understand the controversy when you are doing a fraud investigation and looking into the possible forgery of government documents...
We feel that document is a forgery. We’re trying to figure out who did it. That’s good police work....
It's one deputy, so what? We have security issues, too, that I can't got into.... He's not going to make any arrests...I didn't say we're going to keep using him. We're not going to use him constantly. He's not assigned to it. For this trip I feel it's important to have a deputy there. He's just a liaison to give advice if needed. He's not doing anything. The posse's been doing the research....
We did visit the Department of Health yesterday and as predicted we were stonewalled...
~ Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, explaining why he dispatched Mike Zullo, a member of his Cold Case Squad, as well as a taxpayer-funded policeman to Hawaii to confront the Hall of Records about Obama's birth certificate, quoted Here and Here and Here.
I think we have long since passed the point at which I’d find this story believable in a fictional setting, so, sure, why not have two crack detectives flashing their worthless Maricopa County badges at the Hawaii Department of Health. (I just can’t decide if they should be hard-bitten noir characters or Clouseau-esque bumblers.) But yes a completely crazy person who is in charge of law enforcement for the most populous county in Arizona is probably going to attempt to arrest Barack Obama at some point.
~ Alex Pareene on Salon.com in an article called "Arpaio Goons Sent to Hawaii for Important Birther Investigation."
If I embarrassed the state, I apologize, but that certainly wasn't my intent. I don't think there's anything embarrassing about doing everything I can to help Arizonan's have confidence that the ballot is correct and the people that are on it are entitled to be there. . . . What is so sacred or untouchable about this question that you can't even ask the question?
~ Birther Ken Bennett, Secretary of the State of Arizona, telling radio listeners that he has decided Obama could be on the November ballot after all, but explaining why he was harassing the state of Hawaii over the President's birth certificate.
I don’t know whether Barack Obama was born in the United States of America. I don’t know that. But I do know this, that in his heart, he’s not an American. He’s just not an American.
~ Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) last week
If I had to do it over again I think I would have said, ‘Let’s move from this birther question, the president was born in the United States, period. . . Let’s just move on and let’s focus on the issues that are going to win this election. And secondly, let’s not ascribe this to those who oppose us that they’re any less Americans than we are.’
~ Ken Coffman (R-Colorado) this week
