Bennett Backs Off Birther Threat, Apologizes To Arizona

Talking Points Memo ^ | May 22, 2012 | Nick R. Martin

[Smokeyblue]

After days of ridicule for launching a conspiracy theory-fueled investigation into Barack Obama’s birth certificate, Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett on Tuesday backed off his threat to keep the president off the ballot in November and apologized to his state.

“If I embarrassed the state, I apologize, but that certainly wasn’t my intent,” Bennett said in an interview with Phoenix radio station KTAR. “He’ll be on the ballot as long as he fills out the same paperwork and does the same things that everybody else has.”

Bennett said he still intends to keep asking Hawaii for verification that Obama’s birth certificate is authentic. But he said he only plans to use Hawaii’s answer as a way to satisfy demands from constituents who remain unconvinced Obama is a natural born citizen of the United States and so therefore eligible to be president.

He also said he talked to Hawaii’s attorney general on Monday night and clarified what he is looking to have verified. He said he “reworded” his request and expects to receive a response from Hawaii officials “in the next 24 to 48 hours.”

[Smokeyblue]

He also said he talked to Hawaii’s attorney general on Monday night and clarified what he is looking to have verified. He said he “reworded” his request and expects to receive a response from Hawaii officials “in the next 24 to 48 hours.

[BlessedBeGod]

Sounds like someone got to him.

[EyeGuy]

Well, I’m from Missouri, and you certainly embarrassed me with your needledick cave in.

[Smokeyblue]

PING

[biggredd1]

ann dunham in kenya...
https://wtpotus.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/obama-is-born-again-two-kenyan-hospitals-provide-bcs/

[mosaicwolf]

Strength of character, honor, integrity, means nothing anymore. Bennett is a typical politician, Republican or democrat. All they are concerned about is their own political career and advancement. What scum.

[EyeGuy]

“Sounds like someone got to him.”

###

My bet would be on the King of aisle-crossing appeasement, MCInsane.

[Smokeyblue]

Copying your post #6 to this thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2886736/posts

I ran across the CORRESPONDENCE between AZ Secretary of State Bennett and the jokers in Honolulu. I’ll post it and the link.

And yes, it’s worth reading it all - won’t take as long as you think.

On Monday, TPM filed a public records request for the correspondence between the Hawaii government and the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. The results show Bennett and his staff grew ever more impatient with the slow pace of Hawaii’s response before the secretary finally took to a local conservative radio talk show on Thursday to voice his concerns.

“Hello Jill. I just left you a brief voice mail message,” Arizona Deputy Secretary of State Jim Drake wrote in an email to a Hawaii attorney on May 1. “I am wondering whether you can give me a ballpark timeframe on our request. As you know, the closer we get to November, the more my phone rings. I believe that having Hawaii’s response on hand might help to quell the inquiries!”

Deputy Attorney General Jill Nagamine’s response? “We need more information to substantiate that you are eligible to receive verification.”

MORE ON THE CORRESPONDENCE, Source is TPM,

Here now is the correspondence chain, starting with an email from Nagamine, the Hawaii deputy attorney general, which apparently followed a phone conversation between her and Bennett. The secretary’s first written request comes after that. Also included at the end are two emails Bennett sent to birthers who had been heckling him about the fact that Obama was still on track to be on Arizona’s ballot. TPM has edited out things like home addresses, email addresses and phone numbers.
—

From: Jill T. Nagamine
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 8:15 PM
To: Bennett, Ken
Subject: Link to Hawaii laws and the Department of Health webpage

Hi Ken—

So sorry I’ve taken so long to get back to you. I may take a few more days to get your final response about what we can verify and how we will do so. I have been tied up with some legislative deadlines that take precedence. To start with, here are the links that I mentioned to you.

The first link is to the Department of Health’s website that was created in response to the high volume of inquiries about the President’s birth certificate. It includes the press releases issued by the former Republican-appointed Director of Health.
http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/obama.html

The second is to section 338-18, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which governs the confidentiality of vital records. Let me direct you to paragraph (g) which relates to verification of records.
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol06_Ch0321-0344/HRS0338/HRS_0338-0018.htm

Another link is to section 338-14.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which pertains to verification.
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol06_Ch0321-0344/HRS0338/HRS_0338-0014_0003.htm

The last link is to all of chapter 338, Hawaii Revised Statutes, Hawaii’s vital statistics law.
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol06_Ch0321-0344/HRS0338/

Jill T. Nagamine
Deputy Attorney General
State of Hawaii
—

March 30, 2012

Hawaii Department of Health
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Vital Records Issuance Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801

Ladies and gentlemen:

Enclosed please find a request for a verification in lieu of a certified copy for the birth record of Barack Hussein Obama II. In addition to the items to be verified in the attached form, please verify the following items from the record of birth:

Department of Health File #151 61 10641
Time of birth: 7:24 p.m.
Name of hospital: Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital
Age of father: 25
Birthplace of Father: Kenya, East Africa
Age of mother: 18
Birthplace of mother: Wichita, Kansas
Date of signature of parent: 8-7-1961
Date of signature of attendant: 8-8-1961
Date accepted by local registrar: August-8 1961

Additionally, please verify that the attached copy of the Certificate of Live Birth for Mr. Obama is a true and accurate representation of the original record in your files.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Ken Bennett
Arizona Secretary of State
—

From: Bennett, Ken
To: Jill T. Nagamine
Date: 04/16/2012 01:48 PM
Subject: RE: Link to Hawaii laws and the Department of Health webpage

Dear Jill,

Thank you for speaking with me several weeks ago and providing the helpful links below. I sent a request for a verification in lieu of a certified copy of President Obama’s birth record to the Dept. of Health on March 30th. I was just wondering if you knew whether the request was received and how long it usually takes to process? Thanx.

Ken Bennett
Arizona Secretary of State
—

From: Jill T. Nagamine
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 5:39 PM
To: Bennett, Ken
Subject: RE: Link to Hawaii laws and the Department of Health webpage

Ken—

Thank you for this heads up. This is the first I heard of it. I will check with my client to see if they received your request.

Jill

Jill T. Nagamine
Deputy Attorney General
State of Hawaii
—

To: Jill T. Nagamine
From: Drake, Jim
Date: 05/01/2012 11:52AM
Subject: Request from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office

Hello Jill. I just left you a brief voice mail message. I am wondering whether you can give me a ballpark timeframe on our request. As you know, the closer we get to November, the more my phone rings. I believe that having Hawaii’s response on hand might help to quell the inquiries! Thanks in advance. Jim

Jim Drake
Deputy Secretary of State
—

From: Jill T. Nagamine
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 5:11 PM
To: Drake, Jim; Bennett, Ken
Subject: Re: Request from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office

Dear Mr. Bennett and Mr. Drake—

My apologies for not responding immediately. I have recently been away from my office a great deal, including today. My client, the Department of Health, has forwarded your request for verification of President Obama’s birth record to me. We need more information to substantiate that you are eligible to receive verification. Hawaii Revised Statutes, section 338-18(g), provides:

(g) The department shall not issue a verification in lieu of a certified copy of any such record, or any part thereof, unless it is satisfied that the applicant requesting a verification is:

(1) A person who has a direct and tangible interest in the record but requests a verification in lieu of a certified copy;
(2) A governmental agency or organization who for a legitimate government purpose maintains and needs to update official lists of persons in the ordinary course of the agency’s or organization’s activities;
(3) A governmental, private, social, or educational agency or organization who seeks confirmation of a certified copy of any such record submitted in support of or information provided about a vital event relating to any such record and contained in an official application made in the ordinary course of the agency’s or organization’s activities by an individual seeking employment with, entrance to, or the services or products of the agency or organization;
(4) A private or government attorney who seeks to confirm information about a vital event relating to any such record which was acquired during the course of or for purposes of legal proceedings; or
(5) An individual employed, endorsed, or sponsored by a governmental, private, social, or educational agency or organization who seeks to confirm information about a vital event relating to any such record in preparation of reports or publications by the agency or organization for research or educational purposes.

As the Secretary and I initially discussed, it appears that you might be eligible for verification of the record based on subparagraph (2), but we need to see what your authority is “to update official lists of persons in the ordinary course of your activities.” Will you send me a copy of your law that allows this, and will you send me information that shows:

(1) What list are you updating?
(2) Is it your normal procedure to update all entries on your list by requiring birth data verification?
(3) Are you requiring birth data verification of all entries on your list, rather than just targeting one name on your list? (please provide evidence that you are doing so)

You may address your response directly to me, and I will relay it to my client.

Thank you,
Jill T. Nagamine
Deputy Attorney General
State of Hawaii
—

From: Bennett, Ken
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2012 3:12 PM
To: Jill T. Nagamine; Drake, Jim
Subject: RE: Request from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office

Dear Ms. Nagamine:

As the chief elections officer for the State of Arizona and pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes, sections 16-212, 16-301, 16-502, 16-507 and others, my office is tasked with quadrennially compiling a list of candidates for the Office of the President of the United States. This list is then officially “certified” by my office and transmitted to the fifteen counties for creation of the official ballots. The list is generated in the “ordinary course” of my office’s activities (every four years) and it is certainly made for a “legitimate government purpose” (elections).

Based on the above representation, I believe that my office has strictly and expressly complied with all of the elements found in Hawaii Revised Statutes, section 338-18(g).

I understand your client’s initial trepidation in responding to this request given the significant amount of email, fax and phone call traffic that this issue has spawned. My office too has received numerous constituent requests and I agree with Director Fuddy’s assertion in her letter of April 25, 2011 that the sheer volume of inquires has “been disruptive to staff operations and have strained State resources.” However, I am concerned that a rejection of a request by another State’s chief elections official will dramatically exacerbate an already untenable situation.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Ken Bennett
Secretary of State
—

From: Jill T. Nagamine
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 3:38 PM
To: Bennett, Ken
Subject: RE: Request from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office

Dear Mr. Bennett:

I am in receipt of your email dated May 17, 2012. As I have informed you and Mr. Drake, Hawaii law requires that for verification of a vital record the requestor must satisfy the requirements of section 338-18(g), Hawaii Revised Statutes, which provides:

(g) The department shall not issue a verification in lieu of a certified copy of any such record, or any part thereof, unless it is satisfied that the applicant requesting a verification is:
(1) A person who has a direct and tangible interest in the record but requests a verification in lieu of a certified copy;
(2) A governmental agency or organization who for a legitimate government purpose maintains and needs to update official lists of persons in the ordinary course of the agency’s or organization’s activities;
(3) A governmental, private, social, or educational agency or organization who seeks confirmation of a certified copy of any such record submitted in support of or information provided about a vital event relating to any such record and contained in an official application made in the ordinary course of the agency’s or organization’s activities by an individual seeking employment with, entrance to, or the services or products of the agency or organization;
(4) A private or government attorney who seeks to confirm information about a vital event relating to any such record which was acquired during the course of or for purposes of legal proceedings; or
(5) An individual employed, endorsed, or sponsored by a governmental, private, social, or educational agency or organization who seeks to confirm information about a vital event relating to any such record in preparation of reports or publications by the agency or organization for research or educational purposes.

I asked you for legal authority that establishes your right to obtain verification, and your email of May 17, 2012 provides me with references to Arizona Revised Statutes 16-212, 16-301, 16-502, 16-507, and unnamed others. These statutes seem to deal with election of presidential electors, nomination of candidates for printing on official ballot of general or special election, form and contents of ballot, and presentation of presidential candidates on ballot, but none, as far as I can tell, establish the authority of the Secretary of State to maintain and update official lists of persons in the ordinary course of his activities. I researched other sections of the Arizona Revised Statutes and was unable to find the necessary authority.

If I have missed something, please let me know. My client stands willing to provide you with the verification you seek as soon as you are able to show that you are entitled to it.

Thank you,
Jill T. Nagamine
Deputy Attorney General
State of Hawaii

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/ken_bennett_birther_hawaii_arizona_emails.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

[Menehune56]

Well that’s real disappointing. I noticed that Talking Points Memo looks like a leftist moonbat site judging by their articles and reader comments.

[2ndDivisionVet]

No one dare question Dear Leader’s bona fides.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Sounds like someone got to him.

Probably La Raza and their illegal alien gangs. They're pretty much running southern Arizona these days. Every day is Cinco de Mayo in Phoenix and Tucson.

[F15Eagle]

Apparently the call was made.

Or he woke up with a horse’s head in the bed with him.

[Smokeyblue]

This is originally what Bennett requested:

Enclosed please find a request for a verification in lieu of a certified copy for the birth record of Barack Hussein Obama II. In addition to the items to be verified in the attached form, please verify the following items from the record of birth:

Department of Health File #151 61 10641 Time of birth: 7:24 p.m. Name of hospital: Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital Age of father: 25 Birthplace of Father: Kenya, East Africa Age of mother: 18 Birthplace of mother: Wichita, Kansas Date of signature of parent: 8-7-1961 Date of signature of attendant: 8-8-1961 Date accepted by local registrar: August-8 1961

Additionally, please verify that the attached copy of the Certificate of Live Birth for Mr. Obama is a true and accurate representation of the original record in your files.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Ken Bennett Arizona Secretary of State

[null and void]

How brave would you be if, say, you got a picture of your daughter getting off her school bus with cross-hairs drawn on her pretty little face?

[Pontiac]

But he said he only plans to use Hawaii’s answer as a way to satisfy demands from constituents who remain unconvinced Obama is a natural born citizen of the United States and so therefore eligible to be president.

If his father is as he claims Barak Hussein Obama Senior a Kenyan national he can not be a natural born citizen of the United States no matter where he was born.

His place of birth is immaterial. For a person to be a natural born citizen both parents must be US citizens at the time of birth. This is not true of Obama.

[editor-surveyor]

Time to replace him with an American Patriot.

[exit82]

Yes,Jill, you did miss something.

Under item 3, Mr. Bennett is seekking verificiation for an event or service( being put on an official statewide ballot)
being requested by someone (Obama).

Also, since Obama has released his ciopy into the public domain in April, 2011, there is no reason un der any Hawaiian statute to NOT release a copy to ANYONE who requests it.

Now, get off your @ss and get the paperwork.

As an aside, have you ever seen such obstacles put in the way of, and such cravenly cowardice by officials(”I’m so sorry I embarassed Arizona”) in state over state over ANY issue other than this damned birth certificate?

Unreal.

[freekitty]

Probably Soros.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

My guess is they threatened his family.Where are the men?

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

My guess is they threatened his family.Where are the men?

[Red_Devil 232]

I just knew this Idiot would cave! Knew It, I Say!

[null and void]

[mkjessup]

Another pansy caves.

[Smokeyblue]

Can’t say that for sure yet. It is a report from Talking Point Memo after all but it’s interesting that he’s changed the wording of his request.

I wonder what the changes were?

[null and void]

If his father is as he claims Barak Hussein Obama Senior a Kenyan national he can not be a natural born citizen of the United States no matter where he was born.

Yep. Now prove to me in a court of law that Barak Hussein Obama, Sr. really is his father.

WITHOUT using a birth certificate.

[max americana]

This guy is truly something. Don’t make a threat if you cannot follow through. Effing spineless..

[38special]

I told ya’ll Arizona would cave.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Corey Booker and now Bennett getting in lock step with the regime, very telling. Chicago on the Potomac’s tentacles can reach anywhere...

[stephenjohnbanker]

Pathetic

[Hotlanta Mike]

This guy is truly something. Don’t make a threat if you cannot follow through. Effing spineless..

---

Just like Judge Carter in CA who was intent on having Orly’s case heard on the merits...

[so_real]

Sounds like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory once again to me.

[butterdezillion]

speaking of that... I was beginning to think that Arizona men must have the biggest balls of all, but I guess maybe it’s just Sheriff Joe and Mike Zullo. Looks like it’s all gonna fall on their shoulders. I’ll keep them in my prayers. They are honorable men.

Anybody who backs off of the law because of “ridicule” from vermin like the people who are posting at that site belongs in junior high, not in a position of power. When obeying the rule of law is an “embarrassment” you know you’re in a cesspool.

The really sad thing is that people like the posters at that site get to cancel out the votes of people who actually know some facts and know how to process them.

[netmilsmom]

>>Where are the men?<<

You mean like Andrew Breitbart?

[Hotlanta Mike]

[Pontiac]

Yep. Now prove to me in a court of law that Barak Hussein Obama, Sr. really is his father.

WITHOUT using a birth certificate.

A birth certificate would not be proof. A woman can claim anyone as the father of a child on a birth certificate. Of course the fact that she was married to Obama Sr. at the time made the legal assumption that he was the father.

One could get DNA from Obama and his half brother in Kenya and confirm that they had the same father. That would be a reasonable level of proof.

I have seen photo analysis of Obama Sr and Obama Jr. that suggest that Sr is not the father.

[butterdezillion]

Probably something like....

“Please tell us that Obama’s name is written on a piece of paper somewhere in your office.”

Because this Jill Nagamine says that Fukino’s statement about seeing “the vital records verifying that Obama was born in Hawaii”... was referring to the 1960-64 birth index.

Which includes legally non-valid records, so it literally could be a crayon-on-toilet-paper “vital record”.

I’d suggest that he ask this: Who qualified for a “verification” when Fukino made her statement that the press has called “verification”?

But he’s not willing to play ball so we’ll just have to wait for the challenge to Obama’s candidacy after he files to be on the general election ballot. Hopefully by then there will be some people sitting in jail over this...

[stephenjohnbanker]

Apparently the call was made.

Or he woke up with a horse’s head in the bed with him.

YEP

[Ronin]

Sigh... why am I not surprised?

[FreeAtlanta]

I am embarrassed that we have so few patriots in our nation. I hope Arpaio can remain strong and healthy.

Bennett tried to be a man, but someone removed his equipment.

[F15Eagle]

The country is done for.

The Undocumented Kenyan won’t even provide a $12 paper LFBC to the State of Arizona for elections.

Nor any other state. Gee, that would cost $600.

Instead, fear, intimidation, cover stories, misdirection, shell games, etc. all are what rule the day.

A nation conquered by political correctness.

Unimaginable during the Cold War.

[Ladysforest]

I figured he would cave.

Anyone that asserts “I am not a Birther”, will always cave.

After this is CONFIRMED to be true, we should send him THOUSANDS of emails with just one word, “COWARD”. Or, if you feel more strongly, TREASONOUS COWARD would be better.

Make sure you get a valid AZ zip code to attach to your email or it will just go to their spam. They don’t care about screwing the rest of the country anymore than they do about screwing AZ.

Pig!

[Ray76]

“If I have missed something, please let me know.”

You have missed something, Nagamine.

All Arizona officials are bound by oath to support the Constitution of the United States, viz.: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 38-231(A), A.R.S. § 38-231(E)

The Director of the Hawaii Dept. of Health is bound by oath to support the Constitution of the United States, viz.: Hawaii Const. art. XVI, § 4, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §26-31, HRS §26-13(a). Hawaii Deputy AG Nagamine is bound similarly.

Now see US Const. art. IV, § 1

Arizona has a Constitutionally guaranteed right to the “full faith and credit” to view Hawaii’s records.

Now please see, Ariz .Rev. Stat. 16-501, please see also The State of Arizona Presidential Preference Election Candidate Nomination Paper, which says in part:

I am a natural born citizen of the United States, am at least thirty-five years of age, and have been a resident within the United States for at least fourteen years.

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that all the information in this Nomination Paper is true, that as to these and all other qualifications, I am qualified to hold the office that I seek, having fulfilled the United States constitutional requirements for holding said office. I further swear (or affirm) that I have fulfilled Arizona’s statutory requirement for placing my name on its Presidential Preference Election ballot.

(http://www.azsos.gov/election/Forms/PPE_Nomination_Paper/2012.pdf A.R.S. § 16-242)

The Arizona Secretary of State requires access to Hawaii records to determine the identity, citizenship, and eligibility of a candidate. Due diligence requires verification of the information submitted on the Presidential Preference Election Candidate Nomination Paper. Without any documentation of the identity and citizenship of a candidate, the eligibility of the candidate can not be determined. Arizona law requires the Scty. of State disallow ineligible candidates on ballots.

[FreeAtlanta]

Additionally, please verify that the attached copy of the Certificate of Live Birth for Mr. Obama is a true and accurate representation of the original record in your files.

Why is this so difficult for Hawaii? The answer is obvious.

[RandallFlagg]

Balls.

Grow them.

NOW.

[combat_boots]

I take it this man has a wife and kids.

[Oatka]

These olden times lyrics have become proverbial for futile action and apply here:

Oh, The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.

[Fred Nerks]

...Yep. Now prove to me in a court of law that Barak Hussein Obama, Sr. really is his father.

Without a fake bc all they've got is SAD being granted custody as a result of the divorce granted in March, 1964. That document refers to a child as BHO2 with a birthdate of August 4, 1961. Was a bc submitted when the application for divorce was lodged in January 1964? If so, where is it? How do we know she didn't get custody of an UNIDENTIFIED CHILD?

Note, on the 31st August, 1961, he applied for an extension, there's no child, and did he change his mind about the name of his 'wife'?

[FreeAtlanta]

One after another, they fall in line. I don’t want to know what Obama Soros or whoever is using against these boys to steal their manhood. It must be terrifying.

[justiceseeker93]

Sounds like someone got to him>

Yep, either Ken Bennett is totally spineless or he was made an offer he couldn't refuse.

[precisionshootist]

"The country is done for. The Undocumented Kenyan won’t even provide a $12 paper LFBC to the State of Arizona for elections."

He can't provide something that does not exist. Obama is a fraud.