Replies

The letter you received was better than the one we got from our Texas Congressman:

From the Desk of Congressman Conaway

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me regarding the citizenship of President-Elect Barack Obama. The Constitution is the bedrock of our republic and I share your concern that the provisions contained within it are followed.

In the question of President-Elect Obama's citizenship, I have no reason to doubt the statements regarding the matter issued by the State of Hawaii. The Heath Director for the State of Hawaii has verified that President-Elect Obama's original birth certificate is on file and conforms for the short form birth certificate released to the public by the President-Elect's campaign. That said, I, like you, am puzzled as to the why all the documents have not been made public.

I understand that many citizens remain concerned about the legitimacy of the publically available documents and citizenship narrative. In this case, it is appropriate for these individuals to avail themselves of the judicial process. As a Member of Congress, I work alongside 434 other intelligent and strong willed individuals in an intensely partisan arena. The Halls of Congress are surely not the appropriate venue to settle delicate questions of constitutional process.

By my count, no fewer than five cases have been filed to litigate the various concerns expressed by members of the public. Not one of these cases has successfully challenged the President-Elect's citizenship, but several requests by the appellants for the Supreme Court to review their cases have been heard. The Justices have refused to review any of the lower court's rulings, although at this date several requests are still outstanding.

It is important that this process is followed to its conclusion and that citizens have their day in court. At the end of process though, all citizens must respect the decision of the court regardless of the outcome.

Again, thank you for voicing your thoughts on this issue. Although we are not in complete agreement on this issue, I do share your belief in the importance of every clause of the Constitution. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again. For more information on my work in Congress or to sign up for my weekly e-newsletter, visit the 11th District's website at www.conaway.house.gov.

Mike