July 28, 2009 11:31 AM

Congress: Yes, Obama Was Born in Hawaii

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
In The News
5182726Yesterday, an innocuous-sounding resolution in honor of the 50th anniversary of Hawaiian statehood came up for vote on the House floor.

The resolution from Hawaii Democrat Neil Abercrombie, which Greg Sargent first reported, included this line: "Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii…"

Why is that notable? Because it's just the sort of claim that angers the birthers – the movement of folks who believe, against overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that President Obama was not really born in Hawaii, and is thus not a U.S. citizen.

Some Republicans have been dancing around birther issue, refusing to state flatly that the president is a U.S. citizen. (Here's a video from liberal blog Firedoglake of a number of GOP Congressmen dodging the question.) As Sargent wrote, the resolution put that group in a difficult position: "They can vote for the measure, and endorse the idea that Obama was born in Hawaii, which could earn the wrath of birthers. Or they can vote against commemorating the 50th state's joining of our blessed Union. Or GOPers can skip the vote, but that could look nutty."

Among those who have been offering the birthers at least tacit support are a group of House Republicans who introduced a bill (known informally as "the birther bill") mandating that presidential candidates reveal their birth certificates.

But the lead sponsor of that bill – Republican Rep. Bill Posey of Florida – apparently decided that was enough: He voted for Abercrombie's resolution, despite the Obama-birthplace language. So, as Eric Kleefeld reports, did several of the birther bill's cosponsors.

The resolution ended up passing the House 378-0. Fifty-five members did not vote – but don't read too much into that, as 35 of them were Democrats.

Two quick notes about the resolution. The liberal blogs were inflamed when it was reported that one of their favorite targets – Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota – had blocked a voice vote on the resolution "on the grounds that a quorum is not present."

Salon, the liberal web site, reported later that the criticism of Bachmann was, in this case, unfair. "She did indeed block a vote on the resolution, noting the absence of a quorum, but that move wasn't about Abercrombie's resolution specifically. She was just playing her part. The House had already decided to postpone the votes on all of the resolutions being considered under a suspension of the rules until Monday evening. Bachmann noted the absence of a quorum for several other non-controversial pieces of legislation so that those votes, too, could be postponed until the scheduled time."

Bachmann voted for the resolution in the end.

Salon also noted that the bill was not designed specifically in response to the birthers – it was introduced last month, and just happened to come up this week.

More bither-related news: Hawaii Confirms Obama's Birthplace, Again

Add a Comment See all 141 Comments
by panola60 April 29, 2011 2:57 AM EDT
So I guess Obama didn't have to release his Birth Certificate in 2008, like McCain did, or face the scrutiny of a Senate Committee like McCain did because he is black and enjoys special privileges.

The media refused to tackle this issue with the same investigative drive with which they investigated Watergate, President Clinton's alleged indiscretions and the George W. Bush administration's missteps in Iraq; the courts declined to hear a single case on the issue; and Congress failed to hold any hearings on the matter.

Mr. Obama did not release the birth certificate because the media pressured him or because the courts actually listened to one of the many cases that were filed. He released it because an obsessed billionaire threatened his electability in 2012, which forces us to ask the question: What good are our democratic institutions if they don't stand up for the people?
Reply to this comment
by thoriel-howard August 19, 2009 2:09 AM EDT
Congress is the place of politicians to play and cheat and doing things! No one should trust the politicians due to world citizens all know the words as: "no any person can cheat and lie perfectly like the politicians!" For this reason, then all Americans should rely on the FBI which can has trusted expertise to find the truth of Mr. Obama's birthplace! and there will be 50/50 chance that Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii! or born thoussands of kilometers away from Hawaii!
Now all Americans should try to find the truth with the assistance of the FBI! And Ony FBI that people can count on!
Reply to this comment
by thoriel-howard August 19, 2009 2:02 AM EDT
Americans have to rely on the expertise of the FBI which can easily find the truth of where Mr. Obama was born! Congress is not expert in seeking the truth, because Congress is not to be designed to function like the FBI ot has expertise like the FBI!
Reply to this comment
by thoriel-howard August 19, 2009 1:58 AM EDT
The birth place of Mr. Hussein Obama seems to be a MYSTERIOUSNESS!

FBI folks! Pls. help American citizens to find the truth of the birth place of Mr. Hussein Obama! He could be born somewhere in islamic nation! due to he has an islamic name!
Barack is islamic name! Hussein is also the islamic name!
Obama is definitely a islamic name!
So he seems to be came from somewhere in any islamic world, including Kenya a muslim nation! or Indonesia another muslim nation! Hawaii is not the muslim nation! or state!
Reply to this comment
by thoriel-howard August 19, 2009 1:45 AM EDT
Who can find the eyewithnesses to see and prove that Mr. Obama's mother was given birth in Hawaii???
FBI should start to find the truth! to assist the USA nation confronting with a misterous birth place of Mr. Obama!
Mr.Obama has 50/50 chance to be born in Hawaii!
Reply to this comment
by thoriel-howard August 19, 2009 1:41 AM EDT
U.S Birth Certificate of any American can be faked without difficult!
And in the case of Mr. Barack Hussein Obama which can possibly be faked as well if corruption could be done unnoticeably!
For this reason, only eyewithnesses who were on the birth place of Mr. Obama in Hawaii, if he was born truthfully here then the eyewithnesses can only be used to prove the truthfully of the mother of Mr. Obama had given birth in Hawaii! And this is the FBI should head into the searching for the truth!
If Mr. Obama was born in Kenya or Indonesia or somewhere in the world, then Mr. Obama must be prosecuted and must be impeached for the crime of lying the USA nation! and its citizens!
Now, it is the time to find the truth! And the truth will show up and tell all folks who believe the Obama is a suspect of lying! The truth will tell all people!
Reply to this comment
by Starbeau August 9, 2009 10:47 AM EDT
It was interesting to watch your reporter ask the question of various congressman, "Do you believe Obama was born in Hawaii?"

It is the wrong question! The question your reporter should be asking is:

During the election, then Senator Obama published a statement at his website which said that his birth status was ?governed? by the British Nationality Act of 1948. Can you please tell the American people how a natural born citizen of the United States can be governed ? at birth ? by British law?

Obama's birth certificate, while it would be noteworthy if he was not born in Hawaii, is not the legal issue defining Obama's ineligibility to serve as President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the American Army.

The fact is that Obama is in violation of Article II, Section I, Clause 5 of the constitution, the supreme law of the United States.

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

It is the law of the land, and no word in the above statement in the constitution may be changed unless an amendment to the constitution is passed by the states with words constructed to do so. There have been many attempts to initiate an amendment to do that. All have failed!

A natural born citizen is a person born on US soil to parents who are both citizens at the time of birth. The clause was made part of our constitution to specifically prohibit any person that may have allegiance to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty from becoming President and Commander in Chief of the American Army.

That clause has stood as a sentinel for over 200 years. Obama was not born a natural born citizen and does not fulfill the constitutional requirements to serve as President. Obama, all Senators and all representatives know this! And millions of others.

Obama was born a citizen of the United Kingom. UK citizenship does not expire.

Obama is only a citizen of the United States, if at the age of majority, he applied for and was granted naturalized citizen status at which time he took the following oath as do all naturalized citizens.

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

No US law, Senate Resolution or Court can bestow natural born status on Obama.

If Obama is not a naturalized citizen, he is an illegal alien! In either case, ineligible to serve as President.
Reply to this comment
by herself311 August 3, 2009 5:33 PM EDT
Now now, that proves everything. If you vote Obama is, he must be...don't ever worry about showing with the live birt certificate like the federal goverment requires me when I got my job. I suppose Obama is special. blaaa
Reply to this comment
by k9insky July 29, 2009 11:25 AM EDT
YAWN
Reply to this comment
by noldaker July 28, 2009 8:56 PM EDT
Americans have the right under the U.S. Constitution to have their day in court...Prez Obama is not a King - Our Congress is trying to Obstruct Justice by introducing and voting on resolutions to define Prez Obama's natural born citizenship, as is the Governor who keeps saying he saw the certificate and it's real...which is what the Birthers (U.S.Citizens) want to be in heard in a court of law as Exhibit A - where a judge and jury in a court of law decide... Obstruction of justice defined: The crime of obstruction of justice includes crimes committed by judges, prosecutors, attorneys general, and elected officials in general. It is misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in the conduct of the office.
I agree with the U.S. Citizens - the President should stop blocking the review of his birth certificate as well as his college records and passport...He works for he People of our great nation...they pay him with their tax dollars and provide him and his family a home and security to protect him...The "People" are the BOD and they want their day in court to be assured he is who the democratic party that vetted him says he is. The democratic party could not be sued for cutting out the states of FL and MI when the party cut them out of the primary voting process because the court said they are a private corp. not under the control of the federal government. Therefore the DNC should also be challenged in court as well for their actions.
One other thing - the newspaper announcement - should also be submitted as evidence, Exhibit b - because an author of the Obama timeline researched the Hawaii real estate records and discovered the real estate records prove the Durham's did not live at the address listed in the newspaper birth announcement on the date it was published. In addition that same Author interviewed the neighbors and confirmed the name of the family who did reside at the address listed.
All President Obama has to do is allow a court of law to review the evidence - and he will once and for all be able to stop the accusers.
Reply to this comment
by velma179 July 28, 2009 11:09 PM EDT
So ... prove he was born somewhere else.

If you can't do that, all your claims are irrelevant.

***************

You want a day in court? Cool. You will have to present enough evidence to make your claim. This is only the normal and acceptable practice of ANY proceeding -- why do you think you should have some extraordinary right?

************

If you can't offer this evidence -- this issue you propose does not meet the standard required to become a legal action... thus a court case.


So -- we have to go with the long established rules of establishing citizenship and accept the rule of law.

You have a problem with the rule of law? I'd take that up with your representative to Congress ... none of which has to date, contested the validity of our current president at any and every instance they [within their Constitutional rights] could have.


***************
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