Gibbs: Birther issue 'nonsense'

[jefferson_dem]

Gibbs: Birther issue 'nonsense'
By ALEXANDER BURNS

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs once again dismissed conspiracy theories about the president's citizenship ...

... in his daily briefing Monday, noting that proof of President Obama's birthplace had been posted online and Obama's citizenship had been demonstrated "ad nauseam."

But Gibbs, sounding alternately bemused and exasperated, told White House reporters that conspiracy theories about the president's birthplace would never go away.

"I hate to indulge, in such an august setting as the White House briefing room...the made-up, fictional nonsense whether the president was born in this country," Gibbs said. "If I had some DNA, it wouldn't assuage those who believe he wasn't born here."

Attempting to put the issue to rest, once more, Gibbs assured reporters: "The president was born in Honolulu, in the 50th state of the greatest country on the face of the earth...There are 10,000 more important issues for people in this country to discuss, than whether or not the president is a citizen when it's been proven ad nauseam."

Asked to speculate on why conspiracy theorists continue to fixate on the issue, Gibbs joked: "Because for $15 you can get an Internet address and say whatever you want."

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0709/gibbs_takes_on_birthers_b405db7d-0337-4520-ad1a-0b46fae4fcaa.html

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKfMO5OrLmo

[Arkana]

1. Heh...way to go, Gibbs.

He's right. They'll never go away because it doesn't cost a dime to throw around wild conspiracy theories, and the WH Press Room is not the place for conspiracy theory bullshit.

[MidwestTransplant]

2. They even lost the Coulturgeist yesterday.

[uponit7771]

3. ..and for 25,000 dollars members of the MsM will give you a voice at the table.

[csziggy]

4. The House Bill HR1503 will not satisfy the birthers!

I had not looked up the bill that is being supported by some of the Repub Reps to require proof of birth until today. It does not require as much "proof" as the birthers are asking from Obama, it only asks for a copy. In fact, it is not even requiring a certified copy, the same as you need for proof of identity for a driver's license or passport!

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1503

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the principal campaign committee of a candidate for election to the office of President to include with the committee's statement of organization a copy of the candidate's birth certificate, together with such other documentation as may be necessary to establish that the candidate meets the qualifications for eligibility to the Office of President under the Constitution.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 12, 2009

Mr. POSEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

A BILL

To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the principal campaign committee of a candidate for election to the office of President to include with the committee's statement of organization a copy of the candidate's birth certificate, together with such other documentation as may be necessary to establish that the candidate meets the qualifications for eligibility to the Office of President under the Constitution.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDING.

Congress finds that under section 5 of article II of the Constitution of the United States, in order to be eligible to serve as President, an individual must be a natural born citizen of the United States who has attained the age of 35 years and has been a resident within the United States for at least 14 years.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING PRINCIPAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF CANDIDATE'S ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT.

(a) In General- Section 303(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act (2 U.S.C. 433(b)) is amended--

(1) by striking `and' at the end of paragraph (5);

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (6) and inserting `; and'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(7) in the case of a principal campaign committee of a candidate for election to the office of President, a copy of the candidate's birth certificate, together with such other documentation as may be necessary to establish that the candidate meets the qualifications for eligibility to the Office of President under section 5 of article II of the Constitution.'.

(b) Effective Date- The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to the election for the office of President held in 2012 and each succeeding election for the office of President.

END
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c111:./temp/~c111wORRUg

If this bill is supposed to placate the birthers, it will be an epic FAIL.

[louis-t]

5. It says "copy". Not "original, long form".

Sheeesh!!!

[nyhuskyfan]

7. How could a law ever demand the original long-form?

Then your ability to run for president would depend on the ability of the hospital you were born in to keep its files. And what if there's a fire or earthquake or the hospital closes and the moving truck with the files drives into the ocean?

The certificate of live birth is sufficient for everything else you do in life. If you argue that people can somehow forge that, then how can you say that they couldn't forge the long-form as well?

[csziggy]

12. Yep, but the birthers are convinced that this will force Obama out of the 2012 race

When he has already met the requirement as stated. :evilgrin:

Of course, as already said in another reply the problem is the vague "together with such other documentation as may be necessary to establish that the candidate meets the qualifications for eligibility to the Office of President under section 5 of article II of the Constitution.'." But that just adds to the vagueness of not defining what "natural born" means.

I don't think we have any responsibility to educate the birthers any more - let's let them go with this bill.

[csziggy]

11. Great fun, isn't it? Let's go ahead and let the the Gopers pass this

Then in 2012, President Obama can say he's already met the requirements for proof and the birthers' heads can explode. :evilgrin:

[onenote]

8. the problem isn't with the birth certificate ask, its with this language

together with such other documentation as may be necessary to establish that the candidate meets the qualifications for eligibility to the Office of President under section 5 of article II of the Constitution.'.

"Such other documentation" -- in other words, the dispute would go on and on and on...

[csziggy]

10. And it still does not define "natural born" which is at the heart of the idiocy

Too much vagueness - if there is a problem, it is that the terms have not been defined. Frankly, I do not think there is a problem, but if the Repubs think this bill will satisfy their birther consipiracy fringe, it will not.

[GivePeaceAchance]

6. It's really not even worth their time. I'd go next question serious business to discuss...

This is a press conference about policy and working for the American policy.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

9. Who asked him about it?