10:09 am July 21, 2009, by Jay
Here’s Mike Castle, a Republican congressman from Delaware, trying to deal with the birther nonsense at a town hall meeting back on June 30. It really gets a little spooky when the woman hijacks the meeting with an impromptu demand for the Pledge of Allegiance. It’s hard to imagine a more vivid example of how easily false patriotism can trump reason and common sense.
Apparently, CNN’s Lou Dobbs — always on the lookout these days for a fringe issue to ride — is also jumping on the bandwagon.
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518 comments Add your comment
Stan
July 21st, 2009
10:13 am
Annoying they are but really, there are nutjobs on the left, and as this proves, nutjobs on the right.
RB from Gwinnett
July 21st, 2009
10:18 am
“reason and common sense” Jay? It must sound reasonable to you that someone would go to the effort Barry has gone to to hide his birth certificate when they have nothing to hide.
Common sense would dictate you wouldn’t spend a dime hiding it if you didn’t have to or need to. So why is he?
El Jefe
July 21st, 2009
10:18 am
The part that really confuses me is that this should be a no brainer – Show the long form birth certificate and not the Certification of Live Birth that the President has presented.
mike
July 21st, 2009
10:20 am
Gee, kind of reminds me of the much, much larger “truther” movement who claimed that 9/11 was an inside job, although Jay never seemed to try to link it to Democrats, despite the fact that an elected Democrat, Cynthia McKinney, was one of them.
If the GOP is to be held accountable for “birthers, then the Dems can be held accountable for the “truthers”. Which group do you think is wackier?
Conservatism leads to Brain Damage
July 21st, 2009
10:21 am
An excellent example of the paranoia, narrow mindedness and brain damage inflicted on right wingers by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingram and the like.
Copyleft
July 21st, 2009
10:24 am
Republican patriotism IS false patriotism. The two terms are equivalent.
By the way, Obama has released his birth certificate–the birther nuts simply refuse to accept it and keep insisting there’s a “secret LONG FORM” variant that’s being kept under lock and key.
Hint: There isn’t. The black guy won. Republicans lost. Get over it.
thomas
July 21st, 2009
10:29 am
copyleft, in the interest of fairness didn’t the half black, half white guy win?
BTW mighty narrow minded of you to think the only reason anyone would not approve of our President is the color of his skin, or that our president would want to be known as the “black guy”
And your trying to say others are nuts, fine but it seems like you view the world through racist lenses.
Lighten up everyone does not equate things in race.
josef nix
July 21st, 2009
10:32 am
Copyleft–So now you’ve become the arbiter of who is patriotic and who is not? That is fascism and, no, I’m NOT a Republican, but this type of vapid stone-casting is what is giving us liberals a bad name.
getalife
July 21st, 2009
10:32 am
The craziest debate ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0Ru7dnfSjI&feature=player_embedded
Hilarious.
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
10:33 am
Yeah, these “Birthers” are in the same category of those idiots who deny that the moon landings ever happened. Narrow minded paranoia is pretty common among the uneducated and uninformed. Isn’t there a statistic that says that the more educated you are, the more likely you are a democrat or vote democrat??? That should speak volumes.
Finn McCool
July 21st, 2009
10:34 am
First show us proof that W wasn’t a newt.
Paul
July 21st, 2009
10:37 am
Where’d she get a birth certificate with a seal on it? Mine has a walrus, way more cool –
Did you hear all the clapping during her speech? Wow….. contrasted with the expressions of the people at the table –
Some people just gotta have a cause….
and I’ve said before, what’s really scary?
They reproduce, and they vote…
josef nix
July 21st, 2009
10:42 am
PAUL–and mine has the egg man!
RW-(the original)
July 21st, 2009
10:42 am
Why is it that we get told over and over not to discuss the
Kenyan’sPresident’s birth certificate here yet we get thread after thread devoted to the topic posted?BD,
You’re asking someone to prove a negative. It really shouldn’t be too hard to release a birth certificate, although after a year of stonewalling nobody would believe it was real at this point.
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
10:42 am
My father was in the service and we moved around a lot. My parents lost my original certificate of live birth a long time ago during one of our moves. I also have an original copy of the short form. That make me less of an American? According to many of these idiots on the right-wing, yes. Ask them to show you the law that states that the short firm isn’t enough? There isn’t any. These people are full of you know what.
Normal
July 21st, 2009
10:43 am
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You help me put Bush, Cheney, Rove, and Rice in jail where they belong and I’ll help you impeach President Obama, after all, fair is fair…
Turd Ferguson
July 21st, 2009
10:45 am
Good point Salzberger and I would imagine their is some truth to the education/democrat thing. Just seems the more educated one becomes the less that common sense enters into an equation. Suddenly all these far out ideas from the bleeding hearts become an “anything is possible” type scenrio ie, Al Goron and global warming, global cooling, oh wait, its now global climate change so any change might be termed as dour.
Turd Ferguson
July 21st, 2009
10:47 am
mmmm…I will stick with the devil I somewhat know, Obama. As he keeps us somewhat insulated from The Idiot, Joe Biden.
Soothsayer
July 21st, 2009
10:48 am
I’ve never been to a Brownshirt meeting in the ’30s, but SURELY it must resemble that video. Now they just have to wait for nightfall . . .
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
10:49 am
Turd Ferguson July 21st, 2009 10:45 am SAID: Good point Salzberger and I would imagine their is some truth to the education/democrat thing. Just seems the more educated one becomes the less that common sense enters into an equation. Suddenly all these far out ideas from the bleeding hearts become an “anything is possible” type scenrio ie, Al Goron and global warming, global cooling, oh wait, its now global climate change so any change might be termed as dour.
CHRIS SAYS: Oh, look. It’s TURD again. The same TURD who believes that the saying “”God helps those who help themselves”" is a quote from the BIBLE and not from Benjamin Franklin! Yeah, TURD, you gonna bedazzle us with some more choice nuggets showing your (lack of) intelligence???
RW-(the original)
July 21st, 2009
10:50 am
TF,
You’ve got a point. They really should make any serious birthers sit down and watch a montage of Biden in action.
Turd Ferguson
July 21st, 2009
10:51 am
No Salzberger…I beleive I stated…”I think…”
*FLUSH*
Soothsayer
July 21st, 2009
10:52 am
Can the Economy Recover?
RB from Gwinnett
July 21st, 2009
10:52 am
Copyleft, there were different birth certificates issued in Hawaii at the time he was born “there”. Some were issued to people who were actually born in Hawaii, and a different one was issued to people who may have been born elsewhere, but applied for a birth certificate in Hawaii. From all understanding, the only thing he has produced is verification from Hawaii that he has a Hawaii issued birth certificate and has not divulged which variety was issued.
I suspect you already know this, however, and just don’t want to discuss the real issue here hoping you can make it go away like it hasn’t happened. That would put you in the same category with Jay on the intellectual honesty scale….at the bottom.
Why not just show the birth certificate and end all the scandal? If you have the ability to prove all the “birthers” idiots, why don’t you? Who in their right mind would endure the level of nuisance this has risen to, along with the money being spent, when the solution is so simple as showing the document? And the political slam dunk would be incredibly damaging to the Rush/Hannity crowd at the same time.
Yet the scandal continues…. Why?
@@
July 21st, 2009
10:52 am
Since it’s Republicans having to answer the call for proof, I’d say what you’re seeing are people exhibiting a skepticism towards ALL politicians. Nuthin’ wrong with that in my opinion.
Solutions don’t always have to be complicated.
josef nix
July 21st, 2009
10:52 am
Are we talking more education, or more years of schooling?
ByteMe
July 21st, 2009
10:52 am
Hey GOP: you reap what you sow! You cultivated the nuts. You get to keep them.
Paul
July 21st, 2009
10:52 am
RW-(the original)
[[They really should make any serious birthers sit down and watch a montage of Biden in action.]]
Oh, nooooooo…… now we’re gonna get the ‘he was abducted by aliens and returned’ stories…..
RW-(the original)
July 21st, 2009
10:53 am
Buzz Aldrin shows how to handle a mooner. Maybe Obama should just handle it this way.
Captain Steve
July 21st, 2009
10:54 am
If Obama has a long-form, why doesn’t he show it? If he doesn’t have one, why not? People that hide things, usually have something to hide. He works for us. We have a right to know! We have a right to demand it!!!!!!!!!!!! We need to send a message to Obama and to EVERY OTHER POTENTIAL VIOLATOR OF OUR RULE OF LAW!!!!!!!!!!!
OBAMA, STOP HIDING. SHOW US THE LONG FORM BIRTH CERTIFICATE!!!!!
USinUK
July 21st, 2009
10:54 am
Mike –
“If the GOP is to be held accountable for “birthers, then the Dems can be held accountable for the “truthers”. Which group do you think is wackier?”
um. how many Dem rallies have you seen hijacked like the video shows above? and how many leading Dem blogs have been hijacked by the issue.
the 9/11ers really are fringe … the Dems know how to deal with them – deny their oxygen
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
10:54 am
Turd Ferguson July 21st, 2009 10:51 am SAID: No Salzberger…I beleive I stated…”I think…” *FLUSH*
CHRIS SAYS: ROFLMAO!!! Now he’s hedging!!!! So you “think” such ignorance often???
Normal
July 21st, 2009
10:55 am
When I adopted my daughters, South Carolina changed their birth certificates to show that I was their natural father. So this is really easy to fix, I’ll adopt President Obama, then they can put my name in as his natural father…problem solved.
USinUK
July 21st, 2009
10:56 am
“They really should make any serious birthers sit down and watch a montage of Biden in action”
no we wouldn’t. if they had their way, they’d call the entire election null and void, and either demand a new election or give it solidly to McCain and St. Sarah of the Tundra (harrowing be her name)
josef nix
July 21st, 2009
10:56 am
Biden? He’s off to the Ukraine and Georgia. Just what DID go on behind closed doors in Fierce Advocate’s trip to Russia that it’s necessary to send Copy Me off to pay attention there?
Finn McCool
July 21st, 2009
10:57 am
Let them discuss their birther ideas.
Keep them distracted while we put this health care thing together.
deegee
July 21st, 2009
10:57 am
That was even more awkward than the John McCain town hall meeting where the crackpot old lady stood up and claimed that Barack Obama is a muslim. At least the McCain handlers were able to contain that situation.
USinUK
July 21st, 2009
10:58 am
oh, and Jay … thanks for putting out catnip for the crazies again … didn’t we have enough of this crapola last week???
AmVet
July 21st, 2009
10:58 am
Zooks, pink elephants on parade!
“First show us proof that W wasn’t a newt.”
THE best line of the day.
“Where’d she get a birth certificate with a seal on it? Mine has a walrus, way more cool – ”
THE second best line of the day!
“PAUL–and mine has the egg man!”
And show pays 6 to 1!
Angry and bigoted losers, the hideous face of the imploding GOP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=944cPciN-kw
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
10:58 am
Captain Steve July 21st, 2009 10:54 am SAID: If Obama has a long-form, why doesn’t he show it? If he doesn’t have one, why not? People that hide things, usually have something to hide. He works for us. We have a right to know! We have a right to demand it!!!!!!!!!!!! We need to send a message to Obama and to EVERY OTHER POTENTIAL VIOLATOR OF OUR RULE OF LAW!!!!!!!!!!! OBAMA, STOP HIDING. SHOW US THE LONG FORM BIRTH CERTIFICATE!!!!!
CHRIS SAYS: Jay, see now what you’ve done??? All the nutcases are coming out of the wood work here. Hey Steve, I don’t have a Certificate of Live Birth either. That make me less of an American? I can’t become President now? ROFLMAO. Isn’t it time for you to take that medication again?
Turd Ferguson
July 21st, 2009
10:59 am
More misquotes and maligning from Salzberger…lol.
TnGelding
July 21st, 2009
10:59 am
I posted this the other day. Lunatic fringe, no doubt, but I’d like to see it myself. It shouldn’t be any problem to have it certified, verified and made public to shut them up.
Mrs. Godzilla
July 21st, 2009
11:00 am
Remember when President Obama “poked” at Rush what’s his name?
It highlighted ditto head foolishness to the advantage of the President.
I suspect, The President allows the half baked birther nonsense to continue to percolate for one reason…..it makes the right look
really really bad. Again advantage Mr. President.
RW-(the original)
July 21st, 2009
11:00 am
Would the new printings of the book be changed to Dreams From Normal?
josef nix
July 21st, 2009
11:00 am
Am Vet–thought you’d like those two!
Paul
July 21st, 2009
11:04 am
RW-(the original) 10:53
I’d heard of that episode (the one where the guy wanted him to swear on a Bible?) but didn’t know it was on video.
I’d hope any jury would award damages to ALDRIN –
hmmm, maybe that explains why Rosie stopped hounding Cheney over 9-11?
Capitol Hack
July 21st, 2009
11:05 am
I always refrain from calling anyone an “idiot” or from using other derogatory terms on the blogs and comment pages. But this issue sorely tests my limits. Do these people not know that a certified birth certificate from the State of Hawaii was produced during the campaign last year to put to rest these wild allegations? Will they not believe it until each person has a chance to hold it and examine it personally? Do they not know that the Honolulu newspaper archives hold birth announcements showing the birth of a baby boy to Barack Obama’s parents in Hawaii? Do they not know that attending medical staff have recollected his birth?
Continuing to say “there’s no evidence” when presented with the evidence is – if not stupidity – then lunacy. And the lunacy among conservatives these days seems to be very widespread.
“Hiding his birth certificate”, RB??? What are you talking about? Obama has not gone through much effort to hide something that was made public last year. Maybe you should “go to the effort” of getting the facts instead of just going along with the angry yammering mob that your party is becoming. You can help your party bring a little common sense to the table by manning up and saying, “OK, time to move on with some real issues.”
Chris Salzmann
July 21st, 2009
11:05 am
Turd Ferguson July 21st, 2009 10:59 am SAID: More misquotes and maligning from Salzberger…lol.
CHRIS SAYS: Whatever dude. You got caught with your pants around your ankle and you can’t admit you were wrong. What’s that conservative mantra about taking responsibility? You could have shut me up by admitting you were wrong and gotten done with it. “I didn’t say it” but ” I said I think” is the lamest of the lame. How old are you? 10? You sure act your age.
ByteMe
July 21st, 2009
11:06 am
Gelding: it’s not “proof” they want. What they want their birthright of a “white christian nation” headed by an old white guy. Even if you showed them personally the “proof” they would claim it was fake in order to keep their hopes alive.
Let’s hope they don’t pass their madness onto their kids.
RW-(the original)
July 21st, 2009
11:06 am
Paul,
I played around with Safari 4.0 quite a bit last night. Probably because they try to idiot proof the Mac stuff it’s hard to find various options for customizing, but it ran flawlessly browsing various websites simultaneously.