Those 'Crazy Birthers': The Obama Eligibility Debate is Far More Complex Than the Media Pretend

Conservative Brawler ^ | July 31, 2009 | Conservative Brawler

[Seth_Stuck]

You've no doubt seen the media trying to portray so-called "birthers" as fringe, lunatic conspiracy theorists. Even Fox News' Bill O'Reilly has taken several shots at the movement without first accurately reporting on what the movement is about. http://conservativebrawler.blogspot.com/

[Doogle]

...is Far More Complex Than the Media Pretend

..you can't hide an elephant behind a Popsicle stick

[LRS]

This “kookery” charge is the “debate on global warming is over” tactic one more time...

[cripplecreek]

Or wanting a secure border means you’re a racist.

[wbones8765]

Our state run media once again missing the mark, and the truth.

[Spirochete]

Far More Complex

Either he has a BC or he doesn't. If he did have one, he would have produced it and laid this controversy to rest.

[LRS]

Yes, or opposing a self proclaimed “wise Latina” for the Supreme Court means you are a racist. Or opposing a presidential candidate with dark skin means you are a racist. And so on.

It’s an old card, and it is being played here.

“The science on global warming is in, and those who deny it are crazy”. No, the history of the current president is not in, and seeing that fact doesn’t make one a “kook”...

[Venturer]

I am surprised Bicycle playing cards doesn’t have one in every deck.

[Ann Archy]

One only has to read ANdy McCarthy’s article in National Review yesterday to get what the huge problem with Obama is ........Multiple Citizenships and a FAKE BIO and NO info on his scholastics....all sealed!!

[Vaduz]

“birthers” as fringe, lunatic,boy the presstitutes eyes must be bleeding because someone questions Omama.

[LottieDah]

“Either he has a BC or he doesn’t. If he did have one, he would have produced it and laid this controversy to rest.”

The Obama people don’t want to lay this controversy to rest. They want to “birthers” to continue to fight so all Republicans, Conservatives and some Independents could be labled as kooks and crazies. The Alinsky method is in full force at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[SERKIT]

The “Birthers” should actually be called ‘Barry’s Biography Brigade’. Why? because the state-run media, the RNC, the DNC, and popular Presidential biographers (like maybe Doris Kearns-Goodwin or Douglas Brinkley) lacked the intellectual curiosity to investigate or vet the obscured life of The One. Burf records are only one concern. Most of the obfuscation is NOT complex - simple slight of hand. The BBB’s are smart - they can multitask and go after ALL aspects of the New Poseur (Swiftboaters turned Burfboaters?).

[nathanbedford]

Congress or the Supreme Court could easily make such a ruling so as to define "natural-born" status as conferred simply by being born on US soil, but doing so would not retroactively make Obama a natural-born citizen.

Why not? Sez who? The constitutional prohibition against ex post facto laws is generally assumed to be limited to criminal laws or, if intruding into the civil sphere, withdrawing a right which exists. To expand the definition of natural born citizen would not be violative of those principles. The Democrats have the power to Congress to carry it off. Who would have standing to object?

Even worse, Congress could declare that anyone born abroad of one American parent is a natural born citizen retroactively to 1960. If it did so, it is very unlikely anyone could get to the Supreme Court on the issue and if they did it is probable that the Supreme Court would hold that it is the exclusive power of the Congress to define natural born citizenship it if he chooses to do so, or, whenever Congress defines natural born citizenship, that definition is not reviewable by the court unless it conflicts with some other constitutional provision. Ex post facto, as traditionally defined, would not apply.

This assumes that a litigant is 1) held to have standing, 2) that he is presenting a justiciable and not a political question.