[river rat]

"He has been a public official for years. It's the responsibility of all sorts of government and non-government agencies to make sure that something like this doesn't happen."

Get a grip on things.... NONE of Obama's former "positions" required him to be a "Natural Born Citizen"..
The Presidency - DOES.

It is NOT the Government's job to keep low level politicians from lying, they do it all the time!

Why in hell would you think the FBI would have "looked at his Birth Certificate many times"?
To what purpose?

Your faith in the honesty of politicians and concept of the efficiency of the Federal Government --- indicates the naivety of a Liberal/Leftist.

Look at the 10s of millions of illegal immigrants running around with fake, stolen or "purchased" identity documents..

Oh, and by the way --- STATES RIGHTS among other issues was the principal cause of the Civil War, with slavery a side issue tied to States Rights.

[liberallarry]

States Rights was the principal cause of the Civil War? Baloney. The principal causes were disagreements over slavery and tariffs. States Rights was the legal vehicle which the Confederate States used to argue their position. Your assertion is the kind of obscurantist fog which is typical of those who argue your for your point of view. I don't know whether there would have been a Civil War if tariffs had been the only issue but there certainly would have been one had slavery been the sole point of contention.

Obama is a United States Senator. That is NOT a minor political position. He is on the Foreign Relations and Homeland Security committees. You believe he could be on those without undergoing a serious background check? That he would undergo no more scrutiny than an illegal alien trying to cash a payroll check? Horrifying if true...and I very much doubt that it is.

[liberallarry]

with slavery a side issue tied to States Rights

I just re-read your post. I can't believe you said this. Anyone who would is either a monumental liar to has elevated self-deception to the level of major psychological disorder.