Bad Day For 'Birthers' As Matthews Picks Up Where Sanchez Left Off

Earlier this afternoon, CNN's Rick Sanchez did a segment on the so-called "Birther" movement: that merry gang of wackjobs that gallivant around the country, bitching, moaning, and filing lawsuits because they believe President Barack Obama is not an American citizen. Rather, he is, in the fever swamps of their wretched imaginations, a citizen of Kenya, whose true citizenship has been covered up by an exciting conspiracy involving his parents, his friends, his in-laws, and government officials at all levels, from both parties, spanning several generations. And the malign goals of this conspiracy include...uhm...well, no one knows exactly! But it hardly matters. These are crazy people, who live in Crazytown, and eat, sleep, drink, bleed, and crap pure Nectar of Crazy all the days of their lives.

Earlier Rick Sanchez brought a copy of Obama's birth certificate on the air to debunk all the wackadoodle nonsense that Birtherdom holds dear. But I guess today is the day the media, after six months of the Obama presidency, finally decided they had the time to take on this issue. And so, on Hardball, Chris Matthews did his part for sanity, hosting California Congressman John Campbell, who is one of the Congressmen who have sponsored the "Birther bill" which "would require future presidential candidates to provide a copy of their original birth certificate." That bill's main sponsor is Florida Representative Bill Posey, who has never adequately explained to Stephen Colbert whether the rumors that his own mother is the mutant offspring of a human and an alligator are true.

Anyway, Matthews called the bill "crazy." Campbell retorted that it was all about "putting the matter to rest." I think that the matter, having been rested in the minds of all of those who can lay claim to functioning ones, does not require the attention of our Congress. But, Campbell insists that if John McCain had been elected, the same questions would be raised by other people. I think he's right! But those people would nevertheless be CRAZY PEOPLE.

Anyway, the exchange goes back and forth, with Campbell insisting that he's just supporting "implementing legislation" for the citizenship requirement, the absence of which is indicative of the Founders having given us far too much credit. Matthews accuses Campbell of merely "appeasing the wacko wing of his party," and suggests that he just mail a copy of Obama's birth certificate to all the insane people, which would probably violate his franking privileges.

Matthews ends up being right on the merits, and Campbell gives one of those "as far as I know" answers when pressed about Obama's citizenship, but I have to take Campbell's side on one thing. About five minutes in, Matthews starts brandishing Obama's birth certificate, hectoring Campbell to take a look at it. An exasperated Campbell finally protests, "I can't see it! I'm looking at a camera!"

Anyway, Sanchez this afternoon, Matthews this evening, but I'm honor bound to state that when it comes to the birther story, all reports should come stamped "MUST CREDIT DAVE WEIGEL OF THE WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT," because he has been straight killin' this story.

[WATCH, via Media Monitor D.J.]

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Comments

[icecream92]

His mother was a 17 year old white girl doing the wild thing with a black man from Africa and she gets knocked up. If abortions were legal back then I bet we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. Makes sense they would leave the country to pop the little tike.

[Peter007]

The "birthers" were such a tiny group that no one paid any attention to 8 months ago. The funny thing is, they keep getting more and more attention.
I dismissed them 8 months ago, considered them irrelevant 5 months ago, listened to their story 3 months ago and began wondering if they had a point 1 month ago.
The Obama administration hasn't put a nail in the coffin yet.
When the original birth Certificate shows up, the story will end.
If it never show up, the story has legs.

[Stanislaw]

Oh no, they got to Chris Matthews too? Can't any of you see? Obama PAID him to say that! The Obama family has been spending millions of dollars over the past 47 years to keep this all quiet. I know this because my uncle is the head of the Illumniati and my brother-in-law used to be in Opus Dei.

I mean, ending this whole controversy is simple: all Obama has to do is build a time machine and go back in time to 1961 and videotape his own birth. That's all he has to do, and he won't do it! That PROVES he was born in Kenya!

[iride]

Don't even think about leaving this country when you are pregnant or some 'Blithers' may come back and say your kid is not an American citizen.

[Hammersmithman]

Well done Chris matthews

[Solja]

http://www.thechrismatthewsshow.com

[CrustAlmighty]

These are the same people who have lived their whole lives under the conviction that faith is a valid substitute for evidence of your beliefs.

[rudolfhern]

I LOVE it. Chris Matthews reduced this guy to a snivelling mess AND got him to unequivocally state on camera that Barack Obama was BORN in the USA!

[Phxgwen]

Oh and this..
http://www.buffalonews.com/494/story/554495.html

“I may be the only person left who specifically remembers his birth. His parents are gone, his grandmother is gone, the obstetrician who delivered him is gone,” said Nelson, referring to Dr. Rodney T. West, who died in February at the age of 98. Here’s the story: Nelson was having dinner at the Outrigger Canoe Club on Waikiki Beach with Dr. West, the father of her college friend, Jo-Anne. Making conversation, Nelson turned to Dr. West and said: “‘So, tell me something interesting that happened this week,’” she recalls.

His response: “Well, today, Stanley had a baby. Now that’s something to write home about.”

The new mother was Stanley (later referred to by her middle name of Ann) Dunham, and the baby was Barack Hussein Obama.

“I penned the name on a napkin, and I did write home about it,” said Nelson, knowing that her father, Stanley A. Czurles, director of the Art Education Department at Buffalo State College, would be interested in the “Stanley” connection.

She also remembers Dr. West mentioning that the baby’s father was the first black student at the University of Hawaii and how taken he was by the baby’s name.

“I remember Dr. West saying ‘Barack Hussein Obama, now that’s a musical name,’” said Nelson

[Phxgwen]

Charles.. the certified copy of Obama's birth certificate was verified as authentic by a non partisian group, as well as the person in charge of vital statistics in Hawaii, the Republican Governor of Hawaii, the spokesperson for the Hawaii Dept of Health who verified that both the copy on his website as well as the original on file prove that Obama was born in Hawaii. Not anywhere else.

Add the newspaper announcements.

Add the fact that Obama would have been investigated through the Patriot Act by the Bush administration in a post 9/11 world for being an up and coming politician with the name Barack Hussien Obama and having a working relationship with a known domestic terrorist and attending a church with a reverend who makes statements against the US.

Add the fact he would have had a background check to get security clearance to tour a military base in Iraq during a time of war in 2006.

Plus the investigation McCain and the Clinton's did to try to take him out of contention.

[ranchero42]

"Bad Day for Birthers"? Do you seriously believe they would have it any other way? Not much arc to this Learning Curve.

[ljkar13]

just a thought here, what about test tube babies ? surely not naturally born

[dennisrs]

ljkar13--test tube babies are born naturally they are conceived in the test tube (called in vitro fertilization) then the fertilized is placed inside the woman womb.

[NoSillyName]

"Uterus" is the correct term for that body part.

[Solja]

Not that I'm against it or anything, but being "conceived" in a laboratory test tube is not exactly "natural".

[wellingtonian]

Can I just ask, why is it so imperitive that a president be born in the USA? What is the difference if, say, they were born elsewhere, but raised in the USA and lived there nearly all of their life? Some of our best Prime Ministers were born in different countries (one was actually an aussie, gasp!)

[Sodbuster]

It is a provision in the US Constitution which is probably outdated.

I think the key statement made by the woman at the very beginning of the clip was, "we want our country back."

To me, this speaks volumes. This woman, and the other whacko's are upset that American has changed demographically in the last 40 years quite dramatically. This woman wants a return to the America which resembled a "whites only" club. An America where the people who held the important leadership positions were white, and minorities were kept "in their place" with Jim Crow Laws and lynchings.

All-in-all, a masterful job by Mathews, and a rather sad commentary on a segment of our society. And while the rest of the world is becoming more advanced in terms of education and social protections such as health care, we have a sizeable group of Americans wanting our nation to return to 1959.

We are beginning to look more and more like a Banana Republic.

[wellingtonian]

Ahh, I see. We don't really have a proper constitution here (we sort of have one, but it has no higher significance than any other ordinary bill) so it can be chopped and changed relativley quickly without referendums - it just needs support of parliament. The govt has really only made significant changes twice in like 60 years so its not like it happens all the time, just when its clear something isn't working. It sounds weird, but it works. I can see how it obviously wouldn't be a good thing in all democracies though.

[Peter007]

Because thats the law. There are reasons for it and against it. Its the same reason why some police departments require a college education.
You can ask , " why 35 years old and not 33 years old.?

[shirleyfeeney]

Even Rudy Guliani said they needed to let this go.

And for the first time, I agree with him.

[wagthedog1001]

Give these people some shiny objects. They'll get distracted by that as well.

[MoeB]

LOL