Orlando Sentinel Tells Bill Posey To "Withdraw Ridiculous" Birther Bill

Florida Representative Bill Posey, the original author of the so-called "Birther bill" that has earned the crackpot fringe its only thin shard of legislative legitimacy, is taking heat from his hometown Orlando Sentinel. In today's editorial, the Sentinel draws a bead on Posey, and quite rightly describes his bill as "ridiculous":

If freshman Congressman Bill Posey of Rockledge doesn't want people to think he questions President Obama's citizenship, he'll have to do more than vote with the House in celebrating Hawaii's 50 years and its status as Mr. Obama's birthplace, as he did Monday.

He'll have to withdraw his ridiculous bill that compels candidates for president to produce their birth certificates -- a measure latched onto by tin-hatters who claim Mr. Obama was born in Africa and thus can't be president.

Besides, Mr. Posey should know that birth certificates don't put out fires. Candidate Obama produced one. But Mr. Posey said he couldn't swear on a stack of Bibles whether that meant Mr. Obama really was a natural-born U.S. citizen.

Mr. Posey should withdraw the bill, unless his real intent is to fire up opposition to Mr. Obama.

The Washington Independent's Dave Weigel offers one of his typically smart takes, pointing out that ever since he put forth the bill -- and drew criticism for having done so -- Posey's been trying to have it both ways, playing what Weigel describes as an "inside-outside game":

As I pointed out on MSNBC last week, he has bellyached about mean local coverage of his quest to prove that Obama's a citizen, but he's appeared on fringe radio shows to compare Obama's reluctance to produce more documents to a drug user's reluctance to take a drug test.

One of the things that really made Posey cry? Getting made fun of by Stephen Colbert!

COLBERT: I am demanding a DNA test to determine whether Florida Congressmen are part alligator. I have had enough of the reckless whispering. But the rumor is, that the morning after the great Okeechobee Hurricane in 1928, Posey's grandmother got stranded with a gator, and fell in love. Now, obviously I don't want to go into any details, but they say the swamp rang with her screams of ecstasy, mingled with the insistent but gentle hissing of her reptilian Romeo.

Back in April, Posey whined to the Sentinel: "I expected there would be some civil debate about it, but it wasn't civil...Just a bunch of name-calling and personal denigration...There is no reason to say that I'm the illegitimate grandson of an alligator." JUST PUT THE RUMORS TO REST, MR. POSEY!

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Comments

[susie1776]

Does this guy look SANE??????

[kathy001]

"I expected there would be some civil debate about it, but it wasn't civil..."

This bill is insulting to the intelligence of the American people and it's insulting to the President, who produced his birth certificate and posted it online for public scrutiny before he was even elected. And this doofus is surprised that people aren't being "civil" about it?

Frankly, I think suggesting that he's part alligator is insulting to the gators. Alligators are smarter than that.

[sonoffestus]

Geez, who woke up the press?

[John Mudge]

If a majority of Republicans actually are not sure that President Obama, formally
US Senator Obama, formally State Illinois Senator, etc...is a US citizen,,,,,it goes
a long way to explaining Sarah Palin's popularity.

[mjtaylor22]

when you ask for a copy of yuor birth cert so you can get a passport, they do not give you the one at the hospital, that stays there, you get the cert of live birth, and you get a passport see.
if other ntions accept the passport issued due tothe cert of live birtwho the heck do these mindless birthers thinkthye are.......
show me you orignnal birth certificate, go right ahead order it and see what you get and then we can question your citizenship

[den1953]

How about a new bill every time a congressman or Senator writes a bill that is so stupid they dock them $1000 a month!

[jcko]

You want all of them to go into debt?

[dax49]

i guess racists come in all shapes

[fishretired]

Looks part aliigator to me!

[MarleneRenee]

Can I every vote for a Republican? By the sound of it -NO!!! Are there any Red dog Repulicans?

[Righterthenthou76]

Here is a partial list of what I consider to be red dog Republicans, I'll note that I had John McCain on this list until he moved in with the Neo Cons.

Reps
Mike Castle (Delaware)
Mark Kirk ( Illinois, running for Obama's old seat in 2010)
I'm sure there are others, however I know the most about these two men, and consider them to be the best examples of Red dog reps.

Senators
Olympia Snowe & Susan Collins of Maine

Lindsey Graham (South Carolina)- I don't know if Graham is so much a "Red dog" as much as he is the most palatable Republican with a shot to run in 2012. Of course that means the GOP will likely steer clear of him, or that his relative moderation compared to others in his party is just a shell game to win over moderates, see John McCain.

[WilliamGossett]

Let us solve the issue by allowing ANY US citizem to run for President. This would allow Govenors Arnold Schrarzenegger or Jennifer Granholm , for example, the opportunity. There would never have be any question about McCain, nor about Obama.

That would be a simpler solution.

[alenaspoppa]

Introduce that bill and watch Conservative heads explode...."Not a FURRINER!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

[sizogee]

Absolutely.

The point of that language was to make sure some two-bit French Prince wouldn't come over, spend his old money to get elected, and subvert our sovereignty. That was a genuine concern at the time -- we had no respect until the War of 1812.

I don't think we have to worry about that any more.

Constitutional changes are hard to make, but I think it's time to get the ball rolling.

[jcko]

Yes, but Obama is still bl@ck. Isn't that's what's all about?

[rock2casbah]

In case you missed my point Obama is an native born American citizen so there is no reason to debate allowing foreign born people as President. The issue is that he is black, plain and simple.

[rock2casbah]

Every country has at least the right to ask that their President be from their country that they want to lead. No one has a problem with that the world over. If you are born in Japan, please feel free to tell me I can't be your Prime Minister, It makes all the sense in the world. Same with Mexico etc. No one thinks Granholm, Schwarzenegger or anyone else is that importatnt to change that qualification.

That is the least one should expect. It is foolish to not at least require that. Obama is an American citizen so we dont need to debate having "furrinerss" as the GOP calls them, as President.

[manofmystique]

It is non-stop hatred and ignorance on display. Republicans and Conservatives are out of control.

[mdlw]

Agreed. Funny, they are trying to throw stones while ignoring the deception of one of their own. Check the videos----

http://palindeception.blogspot.com/2009/07/for-your-viewing-pleasure.html

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Just about every local newspaper is commenting negatively on these birther enablers. It's sad to see the Grand Old Party sink this low, enablers for every right wing tin foil hat ditto-head, which form there base.

[EgregiousEgregious]

Well, this about proves it. Obama is quietly ignoring the weirdos and freaks who ignore the proofs he us a citizen. Yet, Posey continues to cry (alligator?) tears about slurs in his grandmother's name. The man who protests too much ususally has a lot to hide. Speaking of hides, don't alligators normally ha thicker ones?

[nellpost]

The editors of the Orlando Sentinel appreciated a thank you I sent them for their piece. Maybe the editors of our home town papers might need gentle prodding to produce the same kind of editorials. Try it!

[hortonhearsdawho]

give this a**wipe a jeff davis autographed confederate flag and send him on his way...bottle of moonshine so he can keep with family tradition and all.

[MRb1000]

Where is my pill? Could somebody in the house get me my pill! Hey, would somebody get this guy his pill! LOL