Democrats to boycott effort to remove Barack Obama from Georgia ballot
Democrats, including the attorney representing President Barack Obama, have made a last-minute decision to boycott the Thursday hearing to consider a “birther” effort to remove Obama from the March 6 presidential primary ballot.
“They can tilt at windmills on their own,” said state Democratic spokesman Eric Gray on Wednesday night.
Last week, in a surprise ruling, a Georgia state administrative judge declined to quash a subpoena directing Obama to attend a hearing Thursday at the Fulton County courthouse on a challenge to strike him from the Georgia ballot this fall on claims he is not a natural born U.S. citizen. Read more background here from my AJC colleague Bill Rankin.
Among tomorrow’s no-shows will be Michael Jablonski, the Atlanta attorney serving as counsel to Obama. He’s written a letter to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican, asking him to intervene and bring the circus to a halt.
Among those pressing the action is state Rep. Mark Hatfield, R-Waycross. But many ranking Republicans are doing their best to keep their distance.
Here’s the statement just released by Mike Berlon, chairman of the state Democratic party:
“Several lawsuits were recently filed against President Obama questioning whether he is an American citizen in an attempt to remove him from the Georgia primary ballot. Despite the fact that these issues have been thoroughly litigated, a hearing has been scheduled in these cases for Thursday, January 26, 2012. The Democratic Party of Georgia is not a party to any of these lawsuits.
“This afternoon we received a letter from counsel for the President directed to the Georgia Secretary of State asking him to intervene in these lawsuits and bring them to a halt, because it is well established that there is no issue here – a fact validated time and again by courts in this country.
“In the letter, counsel also indicated that they had no interest in continuing to appear or participate further in the litigation and have suspended their involvement.
“We respect the President’s position and urge the Secretary of State to bring this matter to a conclusion. We also believe that each political party has the absolute legal right to determine who should appear on their primary and general election ballots according to their own rules without interference from outside parties.
“In light of these developments the Democratic Party of Georgia has no plans to continue to be involved in these baseless cases. Furthermore the Democratic Party of Georgia will cooperate with the President and his campaign in any way requested to make sure that his name appears on the primary and general election ballots for 2012.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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552 comments Add your comment
JSH
January 26th, 2012
9:47 am
I would like to know the percentage of the pro-Obama supporters on this blog that get a check from the goverment. My guess 100%.
what me worry
January 26th, 2012
9:49 am
Look we may not like the guy and whatever he still here and he not be remove from The Ballots….and blah and other stuff
Jim
January 26th, 2012
9:49 am
@JSH You lose. You can now send me your paycheck.
td
January 26th, 2012
9:49 am
Kimi
January 26th, 2012
9:45 am
“but he WILL be re-elected.”
I do not know if you are right or wrong but can you please enlighten us as to how that path is going to be accomplished? Which states will he win? Which demographic groups will he do better or worse with this time around?
what me worry
January 26th, 2012
9:50 am
No next president of The Usa will be whoever wins In Nov 7…2012
Mick
January 26th, 2012
9:51 am
“Mick,
sounds more to me like “legal intepretation” or “legal reasoning” rather than “legal fact” as you call it. Your legal interpretation/reasoning is up for interpretation. Which is why you, Mark Hatfield, et al will never “win” this. Coupled with it is not a fact that President Obama was born in the British Isle.”
As I’ve already shown, and Obama admits, he was born to a British subject, and is therefore, by treaty and law of the US and Britain, a British subject. The definition in Minor is very plain spoken, and leaves no doubt as to who are the natural born Citizens. Of course you probably could never agree that your messiah is ineligible. My posting here is educational to those other than your ilk.
BigArch
January 26th, 2012
9:51 am
Natural Born Citizen means someone born to two (2) people both of whom are AMERICAN CITIZENs. Hussein ‘bama’s parents one of which was American the other Kenyan did not bestow that on their boy. It is really sad that so many are fooled by a communist muslim who is destroying this once great nation simply because he has dark skin.
James
January 26th, 2012
9:54 am
Boycott? If I were to decide to “boycott” a subpoena it would be called “contempt of court” and I would be arrested and jailed.
D
January 26th, 2012
9:58 am
..lol..at the pathetic racists…having nothing else they have to pursue petty impotent causes…this is a reflection of the petty ideology that abounds in Conservative camps….BTW..Laws of a Nation: Obama has better things to do with his time, why enable ignorance?
The fortunate thing about this ‘Hate Obama’ campaign being waged by the Conservatives…it exposes the deep rooted ignorance, prejudice and simplistic…almost child like attitudes they have towards governance…further, Newt seems to think riling up the inner racists will get them to the polls…so did the Tea Party…so keep it up Newt (slimy lizard…fitting…lol)..Thankfully the extended media blanketing of the right wing is doing a fine job of exposing how poor their candidates, ideology and ideas are…knock yourselves out guys!lol
Jim
January 26th, 2012
9:58 am
@Mick Well, I tend to believe the courts more than I believe you. And, the Indiana court of appeals does NOT agree with you:
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/in-court-of-appeals/1501011.html
“Based upon the language of Article II, Section 1, Clause 4 and the guidance provided by Wong Kim Ark, we conclude that persons born within the borders of the United States are “natural born Citizens” for Article II, Section 1 purposes, regardless of the citizenship of their parents. Just as a person “born within the British dominions [was] a natural-born British subject” at the time of the framing of the U.S. Constitution, so too were those “born in the allegiance of the United States [ ] natural-born citizens.” 15″
Being born a citizen makes you a natural-born citizen. Well established by the courts many times over.
Maureen rollow
January 26th, 2012
10:02 am
Is it time for Georgia to secede and take Newt Gingrich along?
saywhat?
January 26th, 2012
10:04 am
“Oh the stupid! It hurts!” -Thomas Jefferson
Butch Cassidy
January 26th, 2012
10:04 am
BigArch – “Natural Born Citizen means someone born to two (2) people both of whom are AMERICAN CITIZENs”
Sorry moron – here’s the ACTUAL legal definition:
“the term means one who is entitled under the Constitution or laws of the United States to U.S. citizenship “at birth” or “by birth,” including any child born “in” the United States (other than to foreign diplomats serving their country), the children of United States citizens born abroad, and those born abroad of one citizen parent who has met U.S. residency requirements.”
Being as his mother was a U.S. citizen, and he was born on American soil (you do know that Hawaii is a state right?) He’s pretty much legit under the laws of the U.S. Now, before you make yourself look anymore idiotic, why don’t you do some research and get someone with a reading level above the second grade to help you.
Alcum
January 26th, 2012
10:08 am
Mick, you’re simply not comprehending what you’re reading. Minor contradicts your claim, and Wong most certainly was declared to be a natural born citizen. That is precisely what the case is about. Please take off your blinders and buy a clue.
Mick
January 26th, 2012
10:09 am
“the term means one who is entitled under the Constitution or laws of the United States to U.S. citizenship “at birth” or “by birth,” including any child born “in” the United States (other than to foreign diplomats serving their country), the children of United States citizens born abroad, and those born abroad of one citizen parent who has met U.S. residency requirements.”
Being as his mother was a U.S. citizen, and he was born on American soil (you do know that Hawaii is a state right?) He’s pretty much legit under the laws of the U.S. Now, before you make yourself look anymore idiotic, why don’t you do some research and get someone with a reading level above the second grade to help you.”
Again, spoken like a true OBOT bridgetender. Constitution .net is maintained by 1 guy (Steve Mount)– that is his opinion. It certainly doesn’t overrule Minor v. Happersett. “Citizen at birth” has NEVER been held to mean natural born Citizen.
Alcum
January 26th, 2012
10:12 am
Mick, Minor specifically states that it is NOT giving you a definition of “natural born citizen” yet you keep pretending literal reality does not exist! So sad to see the flailing of the illogical birthers.
ABC
January 26th, 2012
10:13 am
I am 100% an Obama supporter and I receive *no* checks from the government.
Mick
January 26th, 2012
10:14 am
“Mick, you’re simply not comprehending what you’re reading. Minor contradicts your claim, and Wong most certainly was declared to be a natural born citizen. That is precisely what the case is about. Please take off your blinders and buy a clue.”
Wrong. SHOW me where it says WKA was a natural born Citizen. It’s not hard to comprehend this:
“The Constitution does not, in words, say who shall be natural-born citizens. Resort must be had elsewhere to ascertain that. At common-law, with the nomenclature of which the framers of the Constitution were familiar, it was never doubted that all children born in a country of parents who were its citizens became themselves, upon their birth, citizens also. These were natives, or natural-born citizens, as distinguished from aliens or foreigners”– Minor v. Happersett (1874)
Pretty clear..
Mick
January 26th, 2012
10:14 am
“Mick, Minor specifically states that it is NOT giving you a definition of “natural born citizen” yet you keep pretending literal reality does not exist! So sad to see the flailing of the illogical birthers.”
Really? where?
Gm
January 26th, 2012
10:16 am
Hey Obama tell this Georgia Hicks you are going to play football or baskball at UGA, then they will leave you along.
I hope this is a wake up call to our spoil black athletes that conservative Georgia dont respect blacks even if they are the President of the United States only if you are entertaining them.
Mick
January 26th, 2012
10:24 am
“Being born a citizen makes you a natural-born citizen. Well established by the courts many times over.”
Which SCOTUS case established that?
Anita
January 26th, 2012
10:36 am
Just try to not include OBama on the ballot if you racist Republicans want to. You haven’t seen a riot until you try this one!!!! I will no longer be a law abiding citizen because I am sick of the BS!!!!
saywhat?
January 26th, 2012
10:46 am
Mick- was there alot of peeling paint in the house you grew up in?
Mick
January 26th, 2012
10:48 am
“Just try to not include OBama on the ballot if you racist Republicans want to. You haven’t seen a riot until you try this one!!!! I will no longer be a law abiding citizen because I am sick of the BS!!!!”
Really? I’m sick of the disregard for the Constitution, by BOTH sides. Obama is not eligible, and needs to be removed. The nation will survive, and the law breakers and rioters will be thrown in jail.
Mick
January 26th, 2012
10:50 am
“Mick- was there alot of peeling paint in the house you grew up in?”
Do you have a legal argument, or are you just the typical Alinskyite? Can you disprove Minor v. Happersett?
“The Constitution does not, in words, say who shall be natural-born citizens. Resort must be had elsewhere to ascertain that. At common-law, with the nomenclature of which the framers of the Constitution were familiar, it was never doubted that all children born in a country of parents who were its citizens became themselves, upon their birth, citizens also. These were natives, or natural-born citizens, as distinguished from aliens or foreigners”
LOVE GA HATE THEIR GOVERNMENT
January 26th, 2012
10:53 am
All i can say is that Georgia is going backwards if all the Black and Hispanic decent americans move out of georgia lets see how fast their city will fall. They want to be a major metropolitian city but they also want to run all the businesses and governments that are in thier region. Georgia should have elected one of the backwards BUSH’s to run their City Government and see how much more backwards that can go. Can you see them going back to the early 1900’s oh wait they are still there.
Linda Faye
January 26th, 2012
10:54 am
It’s sad but I think there are some Georgians that need a life or maybe even God!!!
Kimi
January 26th, 2012
10:56 am
I am a 100% supporter of President Obama, and the only check I have ever received from the government was in the form of a tax refund. Worked all my life, paid to put myself through college. But nice try.
TD: President Obama can and will win reelection without the help of southern states. That’s all you need to know.
saywhat?
January 26th, 2012
11:06 am
Really Mick? Minor vs Happerset?
What about Long vs the State of Massachusets? Barnes vs Conklin? Wellesley vs Hampton? Disprove those. Then take your meds.
saywhat?
January 26th, 2012
11:07 am
Really Mick? Minor vs Happerset?
What about Long vs the State of Massachusets? Barnes vs Conklin? Wellesley vs Hampton? Disprove those. Then take your meds.
PAC
January 26th, 2012
11:15 am
Kimi
January 26th, 2012
10:56 am
President Obama can and will win reelection without the help of southern states. That’s all you need to know.
Kimi- sadly, you are probably correct. The percentage of uneducated and moochers that the democratic party seems to attract appear to be close to a majority of our voting population. Just another symptom of the public education system.
Embarrassed By Georgia Again
January 26th, 2012
11:15 am
In other words, the Georgia GOP (full of mentally deficient inbred retards) has abandoned all hope that Mitt or Newt can beat Obama in the 2012 election and so they throw an ill-advised Hail Mary in hopes that they can exclude him from the ballot. Good luck with that! Obama won’t win Georgia on or off the ballot – duh.
GOP-Go2Hell
January 26th, 2012
11:22 am
The GOP is a joke… They got too much time on their hands! What are they gonna do if he isn’t a natural born citizen, re-write history? I guess they got tired of wearing sheets to their “special” meetings!
silverbull8
January 26th, 2012
11:24 am
This entire fiasco of having an imposter president holding office for 3-years, should be an embarrassment to the USA.
Obama should have been properly vetted by his party or stopped from running for president, back in 2008.
American has slipped off of its constitutional form and needs to get back on track.
Captain Kangaroo
January 26th, 2012
11:37 am
In my court, the Republicans get to call the shots, and I don’t care what the law is. So there!
Love and Kisses,
Captain Kangaroo
begins with b, ends with t
January 26th, 2012
11:45 am
This is pretty simple. The word begins with b and ends with t, and there’s plenty of ‘em down here.
k_jersy
January 26th, 2012
11:50 am
NOTE to Mr. Berlon and to whoever wrote this letter. Your silly, slick tricks are being, and have been noticed. Your letter purposely tries to mislead the public and misdirect the focus of contention. You want people to think the issue is whether the President is a US citizen or not. NO, you know and we know that’s not what the issue is about. Even with a US citizen status being a given, that’s not the issue. And you both know that. It’s a false premise argument, and old tricks.
THIS IS AN ARTICLE2, SECTION 1 PROBLEM PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS.
And while on the correct issue, I think republican candidate Rick Santorum’s candidacy should also be challenged on the same basis, Art 2, Sec 1. It would not surprise me, if that were to happen, to see democrats and the media come to Santrum’s defense, because it would a direct parallel to Obama’s predicament.
The statement released by Mike Berlon, chairman of the state Democratic party:
“Several lawsuits were recently filed against President Obama questioning whether he is an American citizen in an attempt to remove him from the Georgia primary ballot. Despite the fact that these issues have been thoroughly litigated”…
TaxPayer
January 26th, 2012
12:19 pm
LOL they should be embarrased! They as in the courts. I’m so happy he has chosen to totally disregard this bogus case and show them just how important their bogus claim is to him. Remove the judge whose wasting tax payer’s money. This is an embarrassment to the South and the GOP! Way to go Idiots!
York
January 26th, 2012
12:20 pm
Three separate cases sent to the court and the court refused to hear the cases.
The last one was 8/16/2010 as follows:
“10A56
TAITZ, ORLY V. MACDONALD, THOMAS D., ET AL.
The application for stay addressed to Justice Alito and
referred to the Court is denied.”
Rex Dogma
January 26th, 2012
12:22 pm
This whole thing is just stupid. ignorant. it really suprises me that i public elected official would get involved in this non-sense. Mr. Kemp you are a disgrace.
Keith Turner
January 26th, 2012
12:25 pm
It is amazing to me how many folks just will not read .
The Democratic Party of Georgia is lying to mislead and manipulate the voters about what the question/challenge is.
This suit has absolutely nothing to do with where Obama was born.
It has nothing to do with whehter he is an “American Citizen” or not.
The suit is soley based on which Citizenship Category he is in.
There are three categories of American Citizenship
NATURAL Born Citizen
Native Citizen
Naturalized Citizen
Whichever of these categories someone may be in, they are an American Citizen.
This lawsuit does not dispute or challenge that Barack Obama is an American Citizen.
However, the US Constitution states the the President must be NATURAL Born Citizen.
Not a Native Citizen and not a Naturalized Citizen, but a NATURAL Born Citizen.
Get it?
A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN!
So then, the fist question is “what is a NATURAL Born Citizen”?
And the second question is “is Barack Obama a NATURAL Born Citizen”?
A NATURAL Born Citizen is …”a child who is born to parentS who are both citizenS”.
Were both of Barak Obama’s parentS citizenS?
According to Barack Obama, in 1961 when Barack was born, his his father was a Kenyan CItizen.
At that time Kenya was British Protectorate.
Thus Barak Obama’s fatehr was British subject or citizen and not an AMERICAN Citizen.
Since both of Barack Obama’s parentS were not citizenS, Barack Obama is NOT a NATURAL Born Citizen and according to the US Constitution, he is ineligible to be President of the United States of America.
Because he is inelgible to be President, his name should not appear on the ballot.
Carol
January 26th, 2012
12:52 pm
Real News
Obama’s short form birth certificate is a fake. Why? Because in 1964 the government classified the black race as “negro” not “african American” as the fake one released by Obama that say’s African American. Stupid homey.
++++++++
His father was an AFRICAN. It doesn’t say African American. But I bet you probably got that information from a blog or FOX.
York
January 26th, 2012
12:55 pm
Keith, read the prior posts. This issue has been submitted to the SCOTUS and they declined to even hear it. The Congressional Research folks, well, read it yourself.
“There is no provision in the Constitution and no controlling American case law to support a contention that the citizenship of one s parents governs the eligibility of a native born U.S. citizen to be President….The weight of legal and historical authority indicates that the term natural born citizen would mean a person who is entitled to U.S. citizenship by birth or at birth, either by being born in the United States and under its jurisdiction, even those born to alien parents; by being born abroad to U.S. citizen-parents; or by being born in other situations meeting legal requirements for U.S. citizenship at birth.”
mike
January 26th, 2012
12:56 pm
Would you expect anything different from these goobers here in Georgia.The people here voted in a crook for governor. You have both Cain and Newt coming from this state. So why the surprise the morons here are trying to take the President to court. This state is at the bottom when it comes to education. The economy is in ruins. Banks are closing each week. There are no jobs here. You got schools teaching slavery like it was something to be proud of. But you have plenty of moronic effort being spent getting a sitting President off the ballot so citizens can’t vote for him. No wonder Georgia is in such a pathetic state.
Carol
January 26th, 2012
1:01 pm
MSU Alum
People are too gullable and don’t educate themselves enough….listening to only a few rightwing news outlets, believing the garbage that it put out there! If they don’t wise up and try to educate themselves more they risk creating a country that we will not recognize or want to live in!!! Georgia elected Republicans are some of the worst!
++++++++
Your entire post was well-crafted.
Patman
January 26th, 2012
1:13 pm
Hey mx, if you ever develop the rocks to ask your questions to my face,I’ll be glad to answer. I doubt, however, that you’re courageous enough to reveal your racial ignorance away from your keyboard but, then again, most of you inbred degenerates rarely are.
Carol
January 26th, 2012
1:16 pm
Keith Turner
Since both of Barack Obama’s parentS were not citizenS, Barack Obama is NOT a NATURAL Born Citizen and according to the US Constitution, he is ineligible to be President of the United States of America.
Because he is inelgible to be President, his name should not appear on the ballot.
+++++++
Are you for real? So you’re saying that if an American businessman goes to China. Marries a Chinese woman. They come to American for her to have the child. She later becomes a U.S. citizen. That child can then never become the POTUS?
Joseph Pretto
January 26th, 2012
1:21 pm
When will this State grow up???
mx
January 26th, 2012
1:21 pm
I love seeing these crybaby blacks continue to use that crutch. If someone says something they don’t agree with, it’s always RACIST!! They will never stop using the crutch. It has gotten worse since Katrina.
Carol
January 26th, 2012
1:25 pm
DowhatsRight
Simply put, why won’t they show up in Court, if it is so easy to dismiss this? Smells fishy to me!
++++++++
I could say something about that fishy smell but I won’t. But you think just maybe the POTUS has more important things to deal with than showing up for a circus. Personally I wish he’d file a suit against all of the people filing these same suits charging them with filing frivolous suits and slander.