Rick Sanchez Takes On Obama "Birther" Movement (VIDEO)

CNN's Rick Sanchez did a bit of public service announcement on Tuesday, reading President Obama's birth certificate on air for all the skeptics out there.

The segment was prompted by a "birther" hijacking a press conference held by Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) to accuse him of ignoring the scandal.

It's a "completely unfounded story," Sanchez said, and then repeated himself for emphasis. "There's something strange about even having to do this story," he said, but so many people believe it that "it needs to be addressed."

Sanchez had on conservative radio host Ben Ferguson, who said he had banned the topic from his show. However, Ferguson suggested the onus was on the White House to take out his birth certificate and show it to the public. Sanchez pointed out that members of the media, including two from Factcheck.org, were shown the certificate and documents. Viveca Novak, the deputy director at Factcheck.org, was on hand to corroborate and even had pictures of the papers.

Ferguson stood his ground. Pointing out that Obama has a press conference tomorrow night, he suggested the president "make a joke and show it then." Novak pointed out that it might be "a little unpresidential" to go on national television and defend the facts of his birth against a group of fringe extremists.

Sanchez ended with even more evidence -- the birth announcement in a Hawaii paper. But its doubtful that anyone who has held onto this delusion in the face of so much evidence can be convinced.

Watch:

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Comments

[imacitizen]

Final post, continued from below, post starts 2 posts below (due to word limits)
I have personal experience in this matter. I am an American-born citizen, married an “alien” and my children were born outside of the USA (I lived abroad for 11 years). They are American citizens, documented by the US embassy’s issuing their “Report of Consular Birth Abroad” - which is their American birth certificate – and allows them to have US passports. After returning to the states, I had to inform my son’s elementary school teacher of these facts, because my son was (incorrectly) informed by the teacher that he was not eligible to be president, based upon his place of birth. But if he (or my daughter) fulfills the other requirements: minimum age of 35 and residency in the US for 14 years, both have the RIGHT to run for president.

For the record, I am a direct descendant (on my mother’s side) of John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. So, please don’t question my citizenship either (and I do have an official copy of my Birth Certificate, from PA)! I also have (and often refer to) a copy of the US Constitution...do you?

[imacitizen]

Re: incomplete information regarding which citizens are eligible for the presidency

Unfortunately, bloggers and the media have not done enough research before adamantly discussing President Obama’s eligibility for the presidency, regarding his birthplace. Documents have been provided regarding his birth in Hawaii, and have been checked by professionals and I believe the accuracy of these documents. Regardless, people should understand that WHERE EVER he was born, he is a natural born citizen, because his mother is a citizen of the US. (Her status isn’t being questioned, is it?)

In this global age, with American citizens living and procreating throughout the globe, can we please understand that the right of being an American citizen, is provided (and defined) under many circumstances (think about military families, diplomats, expatriate workers, etc.). Then, could we please move-on to something more significant and less geocentrically motivated? And could the media, please do some in-depth research when discussing such issues, so that maybe such a non-issue won’t get blown out of proportion, before the misinformed conspiracy seekers inspire fanatics?

True, regarding birth status, Article II, section 1., paragraph 6, of the US Constitution states: “No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the Unites States, at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president...”
Continued, next post...

[pcrudy]

President Obama is a citizen of the US because his mother was a citizen; unfortunately, that alone does not qualify you to be President. Gov. Schwartzenager of Ca. is a citizen but does not qualfiy. To be President you have to be a 'NATURAL born Citizen' of the US; meaning, you have to meet the requirements of Title 18, section 1401 of the US Code which codifies and defines the term 'natural born citizen', as used in the Constitution. If he was born in Kenya, his mother would have to have been a resident of the US for the five years preceding his birth. This is why he won't release the long form but nstead, releases a 'certificate' of live birth which is not dispositive. He has claimed he was born in two different hospitals; we do not know the name of the doctor. His grandmother has strongly inferred that he was born outside of the US. The birth announcement is a joke - try bringing an announcement into a bar to prove you are old enough to drink! Only the long form birth certificate will prove if this man qualifies. Why anyone would spend millions of dollars to hide his birth cerificate (for what reason?) is beyond anyone's comprehension. I do not conclude by saying he is not a natural born citizen; only, that there is enough doubt raised that requires him to produce a certified true copy of the original long form of his birth certificate.

[AprilinDenver]

Having unfortunately lived on the "DelMarVa" penninsula, I can tell you these people like the woman in the video are a special sort of racists, not your run of the mill type, but extremely ugly. Listening to this video is extremely painful for me. Because this area was isolated for so long, until the Bay Bridge was built, they represent extreme racism, much like the type you would find in Alabama-but I think it is worse. I think it is beneficial, however, that this video is getting so much airtime so that the rest of America can see this pockect of vile human beings.

[LateBoomer2]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this information.

[LovelyGirl]

If I were Mr. Obama I would tell these folks to go to hell. These people are stupid. It's insane to me that he's going through this. This is racism pure and simple.

[Schaef]

Right, cause everything about Obama MUST be racist, and as we all know, Americans are the only white folk on the planet.

[expired]

How could President Obama become the president without him being vetted (US Citizen)? This is too stupid. The man campaigned for two years. Don't you think that someone would have noticed by NOW that the certificate is NOT authentic? Good grief, just admit it people. He is a black man who is the president and to some, this is not and never will be acceptable and we will do whatever we can for as long as we can to disrupt the real business at hand.

[nosf41]

People did notice it before the election. The first eligibility lawsuit was filed by a Democrat, Phil Berg.
You have not been paying attention to this issue. The problem is that the media is intentionally "muddying the water" and reporting half truths and ridiculing those seekeng the truth regarding Obama's birthplace.

[TardisJockey]

The really sad and scary part is: Even if President Obama did as they asked and jumped through all the hoops, they'd still claim it was forgery or some sort of trick.

Even knowing that there are people who ardently believe in the Bermuda Triangle, I'm still boggled by this scenario.

[SgtLucifer]

Birthers vividly remind me of my ex: - - - if it's in her head, however ridiculous, then it is a fact of reality. Otherwise how could it get into her head?
- I eventually had to stop talking. And one day, I packed my bags & walked out. There's no point in reasoning with crazed right-wingers.

[joy316]

It is time for LAW SUITS against the people who are spreading these LIES. We need a bank of lawyers to get this started (SPLC?) beginning with World Net Daily and Rush Limbaugh (with a salary of $40 million a year) and use the money to help people who are losing their homes or don't have health insurance.

[Lucinda]

Sorry here is the link to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmIxWRsuwbA

[Merckx]

This is great. And people like Liz Cheney are defending her.

[Lucinda]

Local Delaware radio host at WGMD has identified birther woman in Mike Castle town hall in Georgetown. She is a regular caller named Eileen. If you thought her rant in Georgetown was amusing, you must hear this, released from the talk show host:

[rigmoten]

Ferguson would like Obama to make a joke about it and discredit all of the loonies, but the joke is on rwingers and talk show hosts who not only condone this they embrase it. They need these people without them the base would be empty. You lose, good day sir!

[GeoLee]

You know, I did not see the same folks demanding to see McCain's Panama Canal birth certificate.and he was born out of the United States, technically. But my friends in the military automatically had dual citizenship at birth when born out of the country.

[GeoLee]

I wish someone could produce the browned copy of that newspaper article who maybe was keeping the page in their own child's baby book as you can bet there was more than one announcement that day...and better yet it be a person who did not vote for Obama but who was incensed by this issue continuing to be brought up, Most states no longer have the microfiche of the originals used back then as they updated them to the new technology..

[roooth]

It wouldn't matter to these wingnuts - a good forger would know how to fake aging paper.

No matter what, they will keep seeing what they want to see; they have to - the alternative, admitting they were wrong, is too horrible to contemplate.

[scrutiny1]

"A bit insane." Enough said.

The audience in the town hall meeting just happened to be a mental institute on a field trip. The staff neglected to medicate them first.