April 27, 2011 7:20 PM

Schieffer: Racism underlying Trump's assertions

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Campaign 2012

Donald Trump has moved on from the "birther" conspiracy to allege President Barack Obama didn't get good enough grades to warrant entry to Harvard Law School, an assertion that CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer called absurd on the "CBS Evening News" on Wednesday.

"That's just code for saying he got into law school because he's black. This is an ugly strain of racism that's running through this whole thing. We can hope that kind of comes to an end too, but we'll have to see," Schieffer said.

Trump first raised the issue on Monday with the Associated Press, saying: "I heard he was a terrible student, terrible. How does a bad student go to Columbia and then to Harvard? I'm thinking about it, I'm certainly looking into it. Let him show his records."

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In a press conference Wednesday after arriving in the important primary state of New Hampshire, the potential candidate for the 2012 GOP nomination continued to pound on the issue, saying: "The word is, according to what I've have read, is that he was a terrible student when he went to Occidental. He then gets to Columbia and then gets to Harvard. I heard at Columbia he was not a very good student, and then he then he gets into Harvard. How do you get into Harvard if you are not a good student? Maybe that's right, maybe that's wrong, but I don't know why he doesn't he release his records. Why doesn't he release his Occidental records?"

Trump explained the source of his concerns about Mr. Obama's undergraduate education performance. "I am just reporting what I read. Hey, I read stuff that you people write," Trump said in response to a question from a reporter at his press conference on whether he was using innuendo as opposed to facts to attack Mr. Obama.

Trump had said earlier that he raised the "bad grades" question because he had friends with smart kids who couldn't get into Harvard.

Mr. Obama received an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1983. (He transferred from Occidental College in 1981.) He then got his Juris doctorate from Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1991.

Update April 28, 3 p.m. ET: Trump responded to Schieffer's comments in an interview on Thursday with TMZ.

"That is a terrible statement for a newscaster to make. I am the last person that such a thing should be said about," Trump told the website.

Trump also denied he was suggesting Mr. Obama got into Harvard through affirmative action. "Affirmative action is out there. It's a program that is available. But I have no idea whether it applies in this case. I'm not suggesting anything," he added, without saying whether he supports affirmative action, according to TMZ.



Add a Comment See all 1047 Comments
by tcgreek May 4, 2011 12:07 PM EDT
It's time for the violence of racism to end. After all, we all came from the same womb.
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by Leafrey May 4, 2011 3:04 AM EDT
Sorry! mistake!
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by Leafrey May 4, 2011 3:02 AM EDT
I think this issue has been sufficiently beaten to death!! Dead is dead! Let's move on to an issue which still has some life in it worth arguing about. By the way, seen Obama's opinion polls since the demise of Osama bin Laden? They shot (no pun intended) way up - all of them!! I am a Quaker and am opposed to killing for any reason, but I feel stretched beyond the limit to feel sorry for Osama bin Laden. I agree with most analysts that we would be better off if people never see his face again. He is not worth the taxing of anyone's memory to remember him. Good riddance and Good night!! Lea Frey!
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by Sim78one May 3, 2011 11:17 PM EDT
@ Leafry: I was responding to "Just My Opinion1", not to you. I apologize for not clarifying.

@010sonny: Your comment got a chuckle out of me :) In my experience most of my moderate to left associates tend to look at things pragmatically. They try to evaluate established/accepted facts to then come to a conclusion or form an opinion. Once said opinion is formed they then attempt to actually discuss/argue using said facts, mistakenly thinking that logic and reason have anything to do with the actual arguements of their counterparts.
On the other hand the more extreme right wants nothing to do with any fact that doesn't support their pre-formed opinions or agendas. They use "values", their view of the intent of our forefathers and the original "constitution", and other forms of ideology to mask their true intentions and beliefs choosing to focus only on the oftentimes twisted facts and rumors that support their pre-formed and often illogical, biased, or greed based beliefs.

In my opinion, its comparable to Einstein debating with an Alzheimer's patient. However, in this case, the memory loss is selective.
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by 010sonny May 4, 2011 8:44 PM EDT
You have taken all of the argument out of me and so I admit I AGREE! LOL.... Sim 78one
by 010sonny May 3, 2011 10:04 AM EDT
Here is a typical intelligence level for these threads. Conversation starts.[Right winger] Oh yeah I "Heard" [which trumps any facts] That Obama is using, that unlimited funds of Roberts Court ruling from undisclosed donors, to raise a $Billion for his 2012 campaign by selling to Osama bin Laden a death certificate. Now he is free to go. [ Liberal] Oh yeah! well we have DNA facts to prove it on such and such a site. [Right Winger ] Ha we can trump that with our Tea. Care for a sip. [ Liberal] No I don't drink that muck! [ Right winger] Oh look who is throwing out inflammatory remarks. Can't take the facts when faced with them. [Liberal] What facts.. By the way what was the article?
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by Sim78one May 2, 2011 11:14 PM EDT
Here are the requirements to be considered a "Natural Born Citizen":


Currently, Title 8 of the U.S. Code fills in the gaps left by the Constitution. Section 1401 defines the following as people who are "citizens of the United States at birth:"

?Anyone born inside the United States *
?Any Indian or Eskimo born in the United States, provided being a citizen of the U.S. does not impair the person's status as a citizen of the tribe
?Any one born outside the United States, both of whose parents are citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S.
?Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year and the other parent is a U.S. national
?Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year
?Any one found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21
?Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)
?A final, historical condition: a person born before 5/24/1934 of an alien father and a U.S. citizen mother who has lived in the U.S.

President Obama clearly meets the standard having been born in Hawaii which was indeed a State when he was born. Basically, if you're born on US soil it doesn't matter if both of your parents are from Mars, you're a "Natural Born American" and can be the President or VP. Can we put this issue to bed now, please?
Reply to this comment
by Leafrey May 3, 2011 2:11 AM EDT
Dear Sim78one,

I thought I HAD put it to bed. What's the problem? There is nothing new to me above, so I sure am not arguing about it. Or are you addressing this to the other person who was arguing to the contrary. Of COURSE President Obama is a natural born citizen. the other gentleman and Trump were the ones arguing otherwise. As far as I am concerned, the discussion has ended. Leafrey
by Leafrey May 2, 2011 8:33 PM EDT
Inquiring minds need to know, so I need a reply to my above comment. Leafrey@comcast.net
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by Leafrey May 2, 2011 8:30 PM EDT
I am not sure what your point is. Can you explain what you are trying to prove? That if a person is born in this country and his father was not, that he cannot be president? If so, you have misunderstood the U. S. Constitution. It clearly states, the requirements for being president, you have to be a natural born American and at least 35 years old.

Let me know if you can find a reliable source that says otherwise.
Leafrey@comcast.net
Reply to this comment
by Leafrey May 2, 2011 8:20 PM EDT
This is completely absurd. Why would any Native born American be required to have his father born here? That would be unconstitutional. The constitution clear says, "Any NATURAL BORN person is automatically a native born American. Period. Check it out with any historian. Let the FBI know that his father was born in Kenya, and you will be laughed at! As if they didn't know what the constititution says!! YOU'RE the one who doesn't understand the constitutional requirement.

Sorry, Just-My-Opinion; your opinion is simply dead wrong!!
Leafrey.
Reply to this comment
by Leafrey May 2, 2011 7:58 PM EDT
Get it, all you doubters and birthers? Leafrey
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