Your morning jolt: House speaker suggests ‘birther’ bill has a limited future
House Speaker David Ralston, in a late Thursday interview, said he would not stop committee-level debate of a bill to require President Barack Obama to provide proof of his American birth in order to get on the ballot next year.
But Ralston, who has developed a strong relationship with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, suggested that HB 401 stood little chance of making it to the floor for passage, despite carrying the signatures of 93 Republican lawmakers.
House Speaker David Ralston. Jason Getz, jgetz@ajc.com
“I’m not promoting the bill or squelching discussion. We’ll have a discussion, and then we’ll see what happens,” Ralston said. “First of all, I believe President Obama is the duly elected president of the United States. I’ve never followed the ‘birther’ school of thought.”
The measure was introduced Monday, and has its first hearing today in a House subcommittee. The bill could require all candidates for president to provide certified copies of their “first original long-form birth certificate.”
Documentation as provided by the state of Hawaii, which has insisted time and time again that Obama was born there, “would not suffice,” said state Rep. Mark Hatfield, R-Waycross, the bill’s author.
The bill comes as the Georgia Ports Authority continues to push the White House for hundreds of millions in federal dollars to dredge the Port of Savannah – the state’s most important infrastructure project. The bill also flies in the face of an alliance that the House speaker has built with the mayor of Atlanta on another crucial issue – transportation funding.
Moreover, passage of the HOPE scholarship bill on Tuesday was accomplished with the cooperation of House Democratic Leader Stacy Abrams of Atlanta, who has her own ties to Obama.
All that said, the signatures of 93 Republicans on the bill – in a 180-member House – requires Ralston to perform a high-wire act on this issue.
“I am elected by a large and diverse caucus. And the issues that matter to them span a considerable range,” Ralston said. “What I’ve tried to be about, is allowing the committee process to have discussions about issues that are important to members.”
Another measure being heard today, the speaker noted, was a proposed constitutional amendment to permit horse-racing in Georgia.
Asked whether HB 401 could hurt the state’s effort to obtain federal funding for its all-important port, Ralston said:
”I would hope that having the discussion would not. I would hope that there would be respect for a diversity of opinion and a free exchange of ideas. I would hope that everybody in this process is big enough to understand that in the legislative process, a big part of what this is about is having ideas vetted and debated.
“I’m kind of proud of the relationships we have. Mayor Reed and I have formed a kind of alliance that I think is healthy for the entire state. I think we share some goals that I think are good for Georgia – such as the port and its future.
“I think all of those are much larger than this discussion.”
In case you missed it, go back and read the emphasis Ralston placed on the word “discussion.”
Asked whether his relationship with Reed would survive a floor vote on a bill that questions the legitimacy of Obama’s presidency, Ralston said this:
”I think our alliance is very strong. And I would not do anything to damage that alliance.”
So no House floor vote? Replied Ralston:
”I’m saying that we’ve got a lot of big issues that need to come to the floor. That’s different than saying that debating this bill in subcommittee or at the committee level – that’s two different things.
“At some point we’re going to have to sit down and prioritize how we’re going to spend our energy. The priorities are the budget, the reservoir bill, making sure the HOPE scholarship bill gets all the way through the process. We’ve got the tax reform council.”
At the request of many of you’ve I’ve uploaded a scan of the many signatures on HB 401. Stopping this bill may be harder than it sounds. Originally, we wrote here that, among the 22 Republicans who have not signed onto the bill was John Meadows, chairman of the House Rules Committee, which determines which bills move – and don’t move.
But Hatfield pointed us to Meadows’ signature. “Top of the second row, back page.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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249 comments Add your comment
Larry Major
March 2nd, 2011
11:42 am
Let me explain this to you birthers.
To dispute the authenticity of the widely available Certification of Birth requires that you believe 1) the Hawaii Dept. of Health is involved in a conspiracy and 2) the Hawaii Dept. of Health has the technology to produce a forged document. Considering the numerous times Janice Okubo has publicly verified the displayed certificate, lacking a belief in either of these two points would make producing a forged document impossible.
The problem is, any “long form” or further documentation must come from the very people you think are conspiring and currently producing forged documents. You claim you will believe the next document they produce, but why would you?
Even if these were open records that anyone could access – which they are not – everything would still be produced by the same people using the same methods. Your assertion that you wouldn’t question additional documentation is nonsensical. That our lawmakers would do this is embarrassing.
td
March 2nd, 2011
11:43 am
I have said it before and I will say it again. What is the big deal? All Obama has to do is to do is to supply the documentation as required by the state of Georgia and his set of electors will be on the ballot. This bill will stop the controversy about him and any future candidates in the future.
All of you libs keep claiming he is legitimate so let us let him prove it and he then should get get a bump in the polls from independents and it could help him get re elected. Big Deal.
Chilidog
March 2nd, 2011
11:45 am
@justMe, My applologies. It gets a bit confusing sometimes.
td
March 2nd, 2011
11:48 am
Matt
March 2nd, 2011
11:38 am
Wow, what a colossal waste of time.
The economy is in shambles, we are fighting two wars, and the government is about to shut down and this is what our state legislators are doing?
And what can our state legislators any of your points? The economy can not be manged by elected officials and the other tow points are with the Federal government not the state. Qualifications for elections are within the purview of the state legislature and they are taking up the issue for hearings.
Aquagirl
March 2nd, 2011
11:49 am
Red
March 2nd, 2011
11:21 am
Aquagirl – is that the best you can do?
No, Red, it’s not my best, but it doesn’t take much to pwn a goober.
Also, adding another wet f@rt of “leave!!!” to your pantsload? Still not a winning strategy outside of the trailer park.
td
March 2nd, 2011
11:54 am
March 2nd, 2011
9:23 am
“Really? You don’t feel that having your constitutional right as an American citizen to vote for a candidate of your choosing stripped away from you is a big deal?”
Let us clear up one thing to start. You and I do not have a constitutional right to vote for any President. We vote for a set of electors that go to the electoral college and actually vote for the President. The set of electors can vote for whomever they choose to vote for. They do not have to follow the will of the people (this has happened several times in history). You also realize that in this state and most other states it is a winner take all system designed? This means that even though you and 40 something % of this state voted at the polls for the electors for Obama in the last election your votes did not get recognized in the official vote of Georgia. McCain’s electors won the majority of the votes so they went to the electoral college and ALL of the votes for Georgia went to McCain.
Second point, If Obama is not qualified to be President (not born on US soil) then you should not have the right to vote for his electors. This is really all his fault because he wants to play some silly game and not do what all of his predecessors did and open up all his life to public view. The media was to scared to call him on this because they did not want to be called racist so they let him get away with things that no other candidate for President has ever gotten away with.
JustMe
March 2nd, 2011
11:56 am
No worries, Chilidog, I just wanted to make it clear that I do not side with the crazies (and just for the record, because some people here seem to think that everyone that doesn’t immediately side with birthers must be liberals, I just want to say that I for one am actually a right leaning moderate independent).
Red
March 2nd, 2011
12:04 pm
Aquagirl – standing there and repeatedly saying “it stinks” doesn’t get you far either. If the stink bothers you do you keep standing there sniffing? Or do you like the smell? Or just like to complain? Do you have a fecal fetish?
Chili – nope. Never claim he was adopted. Point is not moot. Follow the logic. It’s simple. A birth certificate produced recently does not necessarily equate to the way it was at birth. I know that is a hard concept to grasp but it is true. Whether he is adopted or not has nothing to do with my point. I was using it as an example many more people of MANY states could relate to. But you seem to be stuck on the word ‘adopt’. Read the whole sentence and follow the logic.
Red
March 2nd, 2011
12:05 pm
And Aquagirl for the record, I’m not a goober. But you like to assume and generalize though. Nice try.
Shame of GA
March 2nd, 2011
12:07 pm
Georgia, our politicians were bought and paid for by corporations through the Citizens United supreme court ruling. Our politicians CAN’T do good for us because they were bought to do evil for wealthy America.
I’m waiting for my first comment to post.
YeahRight
March 2nd, 2011
12:08 pm
Maybe those 93 idiots need to spend some time in pre-K. They sure have proven their lack of knowledge and education – not to mention a serious lack of concern for what real problems we face.
Hazel
March 2nd, 2011
12:09 pm
The saddest point is that, unlike some who are just having fun poking at people and making a fuss, there seem to be people who ACTUALLY believe this, that there is a conspiracy that figured out, more than 50 years ago, that they needed to obscure the birthplace of this new baby. Why? The only job in the country that has a natural birth requirement is the President. So, they were thinking, just in case this kid becomes president, we had better make up a story about it now? Tell me how it happened. Provide an explanation that doesn’t require some (again) conspiracy that has all of the trappings of a Cold War spy story. And if you go with that, please tell me why they didn’t pick some European child to use instead? Because I’m sure it really seemed likely that the US would have a black President in the near future, even thou black people couldn’t vote in parts of Georgia.
ksdb
March 2nd, 2011
12:09 pm
@ Larry, you’re arguing another strawman argument. There’s no need to believe in any orchestrated conspiracy other than simply trying to keep Obama’s original birth certificate hidden from the public (for no obvious reason). There’s direct evidence that both governors Linda Lingle and Neil Abercrombie have lied to the public about Obama’s original birth certificate (which I detailed in earlier comments). The Spokesbabe Okubo has gone to extraordinary lengths to mislead and misinform. Her only statement saying Obama’s jpg was real was only based on her initial reaction that it “looked like” her own COLB. This is not a formal nor an official way to verify a legal document. The state of Hawaii has a procedure listed in their departmental rules for issuing legal verifications.
If you want to see a real long-form birth certificate, Eleanor Nordyke shared TWO from her twins born the day after Obama. Obama’s jpg is not an original birth certificate. You’ll see that the Nordyke certificates are signed by an attending physician as well as the mother.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2009/Jul/28/M1139416728.GIF
Matt
March 2nd, 2011
12:17 pm
You’re right td, the state legislators have little to do with international affairs or the pending shutdown, the economy is another matter.
My point is that with much bigger issues why does this keep coming up, at ANY level of government?
Aquagirl
March 2nd, 2011
12:17 pm
Red
March 2nd, 2011
12:05 pm
And Aquagirl for the record, I’m not a goober.
Really? Then please submit a long-form certificate of non-goober status, with a raised seal, whipped cream, and cherry on top. Otherwise, you are obviously a lying Kenyan. Or Indonesian, or whatever y’all wackaloons are stuck on this week.
ksdb
March 2nd, 2011
12:19 pm
@ JustMe … the only FAIL is your Politifact article. These people have not done any factchecking but are instead spouting talking points designed to keep people like you and chilidog happy. The story you cited says:
“In the Star-Advertiser’s Jan. 18 published interview with Abercrombie, the governor was asked about his plan to release more information regarding Obama’s birth certificate. He responded that he wants to use information from the state archives about Obama’s birth. “This is what our investigation is showing, it actually exists in the archives, written down,” Abercrombie said.”
What Politifact did NOT do is go to the State Archives website to actually check Abercrombie’s claim, which is obviously a lie:
“The Vital Statistics Collection includes three types of records; births, marriages and deaths from 1826-1929.”
Obama claims to be born in 1961. There is nothing “written down” in the archives from 1961. Here’s a link to Hawaii’s State Archive page so you don’t have to take my word for it:
http://archives1.dags.hawaii.gov/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?a=p&p=about&c=vitalsta&1=en&w=utf-8
Red
March 2nd, 2011
12:22 pm
Aquagirl – you are truly an intellectual giant. I aspire to be like you. My four year old can give a better response than name calling and cute little comments about feces and flatulence. And Georgians and goobers are the stupid ones?
td
March 2nd, 2011
12:29 pm
Matt
March 2nd, 2011
12:17 pm
You’re right td, the state legislators have little to do with international affairs or the pending shutdown, the economy is another matter.
My point is that with much bigger issues why does this keep coming up, at ANY level of government?
I think the once and for all proof that our current and any future President is legitimate is an important issue. To me this is on the same level as non-qualified people going to the polls and voting. It means the rule of law is not being upheld and our whole form of government is not legitimate.
I think Obama can clear it up about himself in about 5 minutes so it is not that big of a deal. He just needs to stop playing games with a substantial number of the electorate and provide the correct documentation.
Nikita Khrushchev
March 2nd, 2011
12:29 pm
It is comforting to see my comrades “td” and “ksdb” continuing to foment political unrest so that my prediction that Amerika will crumble without a single gunshot will come to pass. Every day Amerika gets weaker and weaker as it is ripped in two by political ideology. I love it!
td
March 2nd, 2011
12:32 pm
Red
March 2nd, 2011
12:22 pm
Aquagirl – you are truly an intellectual giant. I aspire to be like you. My four year old can give a better response than name calling and cute little comments about feces and flatulence. And Georgians and goobers are the stupid ones?
Red my friend you are wasting your time with this one. I have been one these blogs for months and she is a true bleeding heart communist that hates this country and wants to see it fail. I have seen her support such things and open borders to saying the sky is black if a conservative said it was blue.
vernon
March 2nd, 2011
12:35 pm
I can only assume that Mark Hatfield has his eye on higher office and he’s doing this to boost his profile statewide among the hardcore Obama-hating fringe.
td
March 2nd, 2011
12:36 pm
Nikita Khrushchev
March 2nd, 2011
12:29 pm
It is comforting to see my comrades “td” and “ksdb” continuing to foment political unrest so that my prediction that Amerika will crumble without a single gunshot will come to pass. Every day Amerika gets weaker and weaker as it is ripped in two by political ideology. I love it!
So what you are really saying is if the conservatives do not bow to the feet of the far left (communist) then they are going to intentionally ruin the country. Well maybe it is time for a right wing version of Stalin to come along and start some purging of the communist?
td
March 2nd, 2011
12:37 pm
vernon
March 2nd, 2011
12:35 pm
I can only assume that Mark Hatfield has his eye on higher office and he’s doing this to boost his profile statewide among the hardcore Obama-hating fringe.
You mean the 55 to 60% of the population of this state?
Aquagirl
March 2nd, 2011
12:43 pm
td, we finally agree on something! Red is most certainly wasting his time.
We should celebrate this momentous occasion with a round of “Kumbyah.”
GaBlue
March 2nd, 2011
12:47 pm
Lunchtime jolt:
Can’t get a straight answer from my Republican rep’s office on whether he was among the 94 or the 22. They transferred me around a couple times and then started explaining to me how it has not come to the floor for a vote yet. I reiterated: The newspapers are reporting that yesterday, 2/2/11, 94 Republican house reps signed on to HB401, and 22 did not. Among which group was MY represntative?
She says they’ll call me back on that. Heh…
Red
March 2nd, 2011
12:54 pm
Aquagirl – I’m just pointing out the obvious with you. As a goober said “you can’t fix stupid”. Moving on to high school might help with you…’might’ being the operative word. Check your song title as well. Komsomol should have taught spelling.
Bourne Penetration
March 2nd, 2011
12:55 pm
Red
You are a Goober as is anyone who spends 2 seconds trying to rationalize this idiocy. And yes I am calling names here and no I don’t want to have an intellectual discussion on this as there is no way to have any sort of discussion on SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT MATTER!!!
So there you are Goober. And your little dog Toto too. (that was aimed right at you both “td” and “ksdb”, just so there is no mistaking.)
ksdb
March 2nd, 2011
1:07 pm
@ Bourne, are you really this insecure about having a presidential candidate held to the same standards you and I are held to … the same standards Obama voted for but will not allow for himself??
td
March 2nd, 2011
1:08 pm
GaBlue
March 2nd, 2011
12:47 pm
Lunchtime jolt:
Can’t get a straight answer from my Republican rep’s office on whether he was among the 94 or the 22. They transferred me around a couple times and then started explaining to me how it has not come to the floor for a vote yet. I reiterated: The newspapers are reporting that yesterday, 2/2/11, 94 Republican house reps signed on to HB401, and 22 did not. Among which group was MY represntative?
She says they’ll call me back on that. Heh
Please keep us in the loop. If your rep is not then I would like to help organize a primary challenge.
td
March 2nd, 2011
1:11 pm
Bourne Penetration
March 2nd, 2011
12:55 pm
Red
You are a Goober as is anyone who spends 2 seconds trying to rationalize this idiocy. And yes I am calling names here and no I don’t want to have an intellectual discussion on this as there is no way to have any sort of discussion on SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT MATTER!!!
So there you are Goober. And your little dog Toto too. (that was aimed right at you both “td” and “ksdb”, just so there is no mistaking.)
Good thing you are in the minority and have nothing to do with the decisions being made in this state.
td
March 2nd, 2011
1:13 pm
ksdb
March 2nd, 2011
1:07 pm
@ Bourne, are you really this insecure about having a presidential candidate held to the same standards you and I are held to … the same standards Obama voted for but will not allow for himself??
Yes he and other liberals like him are that insecure or a better word is self centered. Like one of them said earlier: If we do not have it our way then we are going to ruin this country.
JustMe
March 2nd, 2011
1:29 pm
Oh B.S. ksdb. It was proven false, because there was absolutely no prove to that accusation. You’re an idiot who just needs to crawl back into the hole you crawled out of that obviously houses the likes of lunatics like you, td, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, etc …, etc …, etc …
And just where did you pull your information off of the State of Hawaii’s website and which articles? Please provide links please, because I can’t find any of what you’re saying on the State of Hawaii’s website and everything they do say on the subject is contrary to what you have said and any articles I have found are all from right-wing lunatics who aren’t exactly what anyone in their right mind would call credible.
Chilidog
March 2nd, 2011
1:31 pm
@ td “I have said it before and I will say it again. What is the big deal? All Obama has to do is to do is to supply the documentation as required by the state of Georgia.”
====================
The documentation required by the state of Georgia sets unconstituional eligibilty standards.
Bourne Penetration
March 2nd, 2011
1:32 pm
td,
Yep, if the definition of liberal is someone who thinks you are a Goober for even entertaining a discussion on this lunacy then I AM A LIBERAL!!!!! If the definition of pond scum is someone who thinks you are a Goober for even entertaining a discussion on this lunacy then I AM POND SCUM!!!!!
If thinking rationally and not wasting time wringing my hands over THINGS THAT DO NOT MATTER makes me anything in the world…. insecure, liberal, pond scum, toe jam, snot rocket… then I will stand up and proudly announce to the world that I am all of those things.
If you and others like you, who refuse to see THAT THIS IS A NON-ISSUE THAT MEANS NOTHING are the majority then my happy a** will gladly remain in the minority.
Keep playing this fiddle Nero, we can use the ashes of Rome to make ink.
Goober
Bourne Penetration
March 2nd, 2011
1:35 pm
And that goes for you too ksdb.
Goober
Red
March 2nd, 2011
1:37 pm
Bourne – so Constitutional requirements do not matter? How dare I actually hold someone to the standards of the Constitution. Who needs a Constitution? Who needs laws for that matter?
Daniel
March 2nd, 2011
1:38 pm
Some of these politicians hold grudges and keep trying to dredge up something that has been proven time and time again. What makes Georgia politicians think the citizens of Hawaii don’t have the integrity and intelligence to have legitimate proof of President Obama’s birth. These Ultra Conservitve Birther Politicians are really setting themselves up to be so ISOLATED and High and Mighty. They are in for the Biggest Fall!!!!
Chilidog
March 2nd, 2011
1:38 pm
Let’s be perfectly clear here. This birther bill is the modern day equivalent of the infamous “Literacy Tests” used in the 1950s to discourage African Americans from registering to vote.
Red
March 2nd, 2011
1:39 pm
Aqua Bourne have sent the maturity level of the blog down to the Justin Bieber fan club level at best….the intellectual level went down to NickJr level.
Chilidog
March 2nd, 2011
1:39 pm
@ red: “so Constitutional requirements do not matter?”
=======================
you are not allowed to make up your own requirments in addition to the constituional requirments.
Bourne Penetration
March 2nd, 2011
1:40 pm
Red,
I’m not getting into this discussion. I’m just going to call a Goober a Goober.
Goober.
Red
March 2nd, 2011
1:40 pm
Chilidog – you are comparing a Constitutional requirement to elected office to a civil rights issue? A Constitutional requirement to keeping a race of people from voting. Wow.
Red
March 2nd, 2011
1:41 pm
Chili – how is this making up an additional requirement?
muggymug
March 2nd, 2011
1:44 pm
It takes seconds to show a birth certificate. We all knew a little something about Bush 43. We all knew something about Carter, Reagan, etc…. Obama burst onto the scene. There he was. And now he won’t release the records that all of the other Presidents released. HMMMMMMMMMM!
muggymug
March 2nd, 2011
1:45 pm
I really dont understand what some of you people are scared of. This should be a piece of cake.
Bourne Penetration
March 2nd, 2011
1:46 pm
I’m proud to have taken this particular blog subject down to Bieber Fever. Discussing his popularity makes about as much sense as discussing this non-issue with the Goobers.
Yeah, that’s you Red, You too td. And you ksdb. And any other Goober who would waste one brain cell and a millisecond acting like this is a real issue.
It’s a straw man argument Goobers. Sad thing is you fell for it.
Look over here, it’s something shiny.
Last Man Standing
March 2nd, 2011
1:50 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=JVAhr4hZDJE&vq=medium#t=19
JustMe
March 2nd, 2011
1:53 pm
The article at Wikipedia on all of this is very interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_citizenship_conspiracy_theories
Bourne Penetration
March 2nd, 2011
1:54 pm
muggymug,
It’s not that we’re scared. It’s just that we don’t care about non-issues that don’t matter.
Goober.
Red
March 2nd, 2011
1:54 pm
Bourne – strawman argument? Really? Do you even know what a strawman argument is? This is not a difficult issue. If the guy was capable of proving it he would have done so long ago. A currently produced birth certificate proves nothing of what happened in 1961. This is fact. Anyone in vital records can assert to that fact. The fact is all Obama can do to verify anything to do with his birth is a currently produced certificate. And fact is that the White House has released conflicting info on the hospital he was born in. They cannot even get that straight.
If he wanted to show people as being out of touch and idiotic he would release the hospital and the state, county, and city governments on ALL documentation. It would be the greatest way to discredit a mass group of people. Why can he not do that? If I had the means of shutting up and completely discrediting so many people, I would say feel free to dig in my garbage or any other source.
Obama’s little friend, current governor Abercrombie said he implored (it’s not too big of a word for you is it?) Obama to release the records. He tried with no luck. Why?