I was kinda hoping that the Arizona birther law would pass

[LTR]

Because it's quite obvious that Obama, who passed the muster of both the FBI AND the Secret Service, would pass muster there. That would, in effect, end all this birther bullshit and make Arizona Republicans look like even bigger buffoons!

[Hippo_Tron]

1. What do you mean passed the muster of the FBI and Secret Service?

[LTR]

3. The FBI and Secret Service do a thorough investigation of any major presidential candidate

Or so I remember reading.

Which makes perfect sense, since they do the same with cabinet/position nominees, etc.

[Mimosa]

7. Never heard that.

On what authority? Where is such an investigative task in the law? To whom do they report the findings?

[Mimosa]

9. No investigations from what I can find

I'm not saying there should be any investigations. We rely on the honesty of the candidates.

I googled and there is no info about investigations of candidates:

http://www.google.com/webhp?sa=N&tab=lw#q=FBI+and+Secret+Service+investigate+presidential+candidates&fp=a53fb285836fda07&hl=en

AFAIK, potential appointees to the judiciary and certain sensitive positions in Federal government (including the Presidential cabinet) are subject to FBI investigations.

[Hippo_Tron]

10. Presidential candidates are not investigated by the FBI and Secret Service

Appointees are investigated by the government (the FBI does some of it, but the DOD and other agencies do it for some appointees) to determine if their past behavior indicates a risk that they might give away or sell secrets should they receive a clearance.

The President doesn't have nor does he need a security clearance. By law he is the person who sets the procedures by which information is classified and therefore he is entitled to know any and all classified information.

If Presidential candidates had to be cleared in the same way that employees of the government do, George W. Bush's drunk driving history would've probably disqualified him.

[brewens]

2. That was one of those be careful what you wish for things.

Obama of course already has those beat. What happens if they deny his Hawaiian birth certificate? Does that make all Hawaiian birth certificates void? Yup. Revoke all passports held by Hawaiians!
That's one thing I don't hear. He got his passport when he was pretty young, and his birth certificate was good enough for the State Department then. Before anyone had a clue he'd ever be President.
None of it really matters anyway. Obama's mother was a U.S. citizen, so he meets the criteria even if he had been born overseas.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. Yes, but it hasn't stopped at least 13 other states from passing birther bills.

And of course, it is done purposefully so that Obama doesn't appear on the ballot in those states, not that he was in any danger of winning those states anyway. Still, it disenfranchises tens of thousands of voters, even in RED states who would have voted for Obama, thus tampering with the popular vote.

[phleshdef]

5. He will be in the ballot in every state.

Cmon. He has this crazy long form birth certificate that they are going on about. He just isn't releasing it yet because, well, as Bill Clinton reiterate about the rules of combat, don't get in your enemies way when he is shooting himself in the foot.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. LOL! Is that it? I shouldn't be surprised... n/t

[phleshdef]

8. Yea, I think it is and I think he will drop the long form to the public next year...

...probably either right after the Dem convention or in October, depending on who wins the Republican nomination. He just needs to do it at the right moment, once any opponent that matters has had adequate time to make a fool of themselves.

[CreekDog]

11. how do you know Obama has the long form? is Hawaii even putting those out as official now?

and if they aren't, then they're going to release what their rules say they release --and those say currently, short form info.

nevermind that my own county here in CA said the certified copy of the birth certificate they gave me a few years ago is official and the original from decades ago is not official anymore.

[phleshdef]

12. Yea, they've said they (Hawaii) verified the original document.

I'm not saying he has the long form. But I do think that Hawaii has it and I think they will release it whenever he actually wants them to. He is the President of the United States. There is plenty of breathing room in that situation to get around any rules they have about it.

Lets be clear though. I'm not claiming to know any of this. I'm just speculating. I know if I was in his position, I'd make sure to use this to my advantage as much as possible. Let these clowns keep investing their credibility in the nutty birther conspiracy stuff and then cash in on the discrediting damage they've done to themselves and their own sense of judgement.

[CreekDog]

13. you're willing to release your long form info to the public too right?

:shrug:

[phleshdef]

14. If I was in Pres. Obama's position and I thought it might gets some good laughs at the expense....

...of all the crazy Republicans that indulged the idiotic conspiracy, then yea, I would. What does that have to do with anything?

[brooklynite]

15. He doesn't need the Long Form...

- The State of Hawaii has certified that the COLB is a legitimate record of Birth.

- Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution states: Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State.

The Arizona Law (or any other State law) that requires anything other than what Hawaii recognizes will be challenged in Court and invalidated immediately.

[ShadowLiberal]

16. Wrong, no states have passed a law requiring candidates to show their birth certificate

While around a dozen or so states have CONSIDERED passing birther bills requiring candidates to prove their citizenship if they want to run for president, they haven't passed yet in any state.

Plus, even if they passed, and even if they tried to reject Obama's birth certificate, Obama could easily sue them and win in court to get his name on the ballot.

Besides, it would be media suicide for a judge or secretary of state to side with the birthers against President Obama on his birth certificate.