Trent Franks: Obama Should Release His Long-Form Birth Certificate (VIDEO)

Dave Weigel of The Washington Independent caught up with Congressman Trent Franks (R-Az.) at the "How to Take Back America" conference and offered him a chance to put himself firmly outside the 'birther' camp. Franks instead used the opportunity to acknowledge that he had once been presented with information that caused him to question President Obama's citizenship, and that Obama should release his long-form birth certificate to clear up any remaining doubts:

There was a time, right before and right after the presidential election where information was brought to me that put Mr. Obama's citizenship in question, in my mind. And I looked through it, we did all kinds of research, and we found material, in papers in Hawaii, newspapers, that I don't think could have been forged, that show he indeed was born in Hawaii about two years after statehood and that solved the issue for me...

...Probably, Barack Obama could solve this problem and make the birthers, you know, back off, by simply showing us his long-form birth certificate. That'd solve the problem. There's some other issue, I don't know what it is, that he doesn't want people to see the birth certificate on.

WATCH:

One wonders what information could have possibly been presented to Franks to cause him that amount of consternation about Obama's citizenship.

Another case of right wing hysteria has to do with conspiracies surrounding the Census, conspiracies that have particularly been promoted by Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Weigel was a guest on MSNBC's "The Ed Show" tonight to discuss the horrific case of the Census worker who was found hanged with "FED" carved into his chest.

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Comments

[richardsh]

Parallels between Nixon and Obama - Conclusion

The current American President’s long form birth certificate should be treated like any other important American historical document. It should be available to the American people if they have a desire to see it. The REAL issues are access and transparency. It does however raise a red flag when a President says “no, you cannot see my long form birth certificate, but I’ll let you look at an abbreviated version that doesn’t have some of the information found on the long form”.

It seems that the number of Americans that have suspicions that Mr. Obama is hiding something is increasing, and not decreasing. Therefore, it is something that will ultimately need to be addressed by him. It’s not going away.

Just imagine; what if Obama did release the document and it supported all of his claims? If you’re someone that enjoys using slurs and insults against your opponents, wouldn’t it be more fun for you to laugh at us after his long form birth certificate only confirmed what you were saying all along? The problem is that like Nixon’s redacted transcripts, you won’t know what’s on the actual audio recordings (long form certificate) unless you listen with your own ears (or in this case, see with your own eyes). Until then, the insults and denigrating labels some of you use against those of us that simply wish the truth exposed are completely meaningless, hollow and un-American.

[richardsh]

Parallels between Nixon and Obama – Part 4

People that focus their attention on whether or not Obama is a "natural born citizen", where he was born, etc, miss the issue here. I for one do not know what is written on Mr. Obama’s "long form" birth certificate any more than I knew what was actually said on those Watergate tapes until I heard it with my own ears. For those of you that write things like “there is a hard-core group of nutz who will not accept any documentation they receive because they can't accept a bi-racial president”, I suppose that Nixon could have used the argument “I’m not going to release the audio tapes because people will conclude that they were doctored, no matter because they don’t like me.” Please give me a break. I will however give you this; yes, there will be some crazies (maybe 1%) that won’t believe ANYTHING no matter what evidence is prevented. There are also racists in any group (proven by your comment because you are a racist). But why not simply allow us access to view the document and allow us to reach our own conclusions instead of telling what we are going to conclude before we’ve even seen it?

[richardsh]

Parallels between Nixon and Obama – Part 3

Fast forward to today when we have a mainstream media that was so much in the tank for Mr. Obama, it became a focal point of many jokes and TV Shows (i.e remember SNL's parodied debate between Barack and Hillary where all the commentators were fawning over Obama and offering him pillows for his back?)

What many of you who post here don't seem to fully appreciate is that Mr. Obama admittedly knew and accepted that some people had an "issue" or “concern” with where he was born, etc. That was his stated reason for posting a digital COLB online in June 2008. It was to address the rumors of where he was born and it was included in a section of his official campaign website called "Fight the Smears".

Well, many looked and thought "I can't see any witness or doctor’s signatures, hospital names, and even the certificate number has been given a digital "Mark-a-Lot" type of redaction. This is like giving us "transcripts" ( remember Nixon?) And by the way, we do know that there is indeed a long form vault birth certificate for Barack Obama that exists and has been sealed by Hawaii Governor Lingle (R). By way of comparison, Obama’s long form birth certificate is kind like Nixon’s actual audio recordings; they represented what we felt would give us the best picture of what was said and to whom in the Whitehouse.

[richardsh]

Parallels between Nixon and Obama – Part 2

Compounding the problem for Nixon was his behavior of preventing access through various legal means. It only further hurt him in the court of public opinion as many people began to intuitively feel that he was hiding something.

There are parallels between 1973 and 2009, but there are some profound differences. For one thing, the press was definitely NOT Nixon's friend. So they were definitely not afraid of being investigative journalists whose exposure of the truth might take him down. Fortunately for us, there were a few who were successful (i.e. Woodward and Bernstein).

Additionally, people were not ridiculed for wanting to know the truth. While Nixon stonewalled against anyone hearing the actual audio tapes, American citizens who did wish to hear those tapes were not marginalized with some demeaning label (i.e "birther") by the mainstream media of the day. However, I would expect that if the press had been Nixon's friend (like they love Obama now), anyone wanting to hear the actual voice recordings might have gotten labeled with some newly minted demeaning phrase like "magneto-tapers" or some other term to marginalize and ridicule. I can just hear them saying ‘aren’t those transcripts the Nixon administration released with all of the redacted text enough for those wingnuts’?

[richardsh]

Parallels between Nixon and Obama – Part 1

For those of you who recall Richard Nixon's presidency along with the Watergate Senate hearings, then you might recall that fateful day (July 13, 1973) when it was learned that Nixon had tape recordings of all oval office conversations. From that moment on, everybody wanted to hear those tapes; everyone that is except Nixon. He stonewalled and stonewalled their release. He even tried to get the attorney general (Richardson) to fire the special prosecutor (Cox). Instead, the AG resigned and he got someone else to fire Cox. As a way placating people, Nixon decided to instead release written transcripts. But the written transcripts were filled with redacted text that looked like someone went through it with a Mark-a-Lot pen. His ardent supporters believed him when he said their release might compromise “national security”, but the rest of us didn't.

But, did we know what was actually on those audio tapes? No. Did the TV networks like ABC, CBS and NBC know what was on those tapes? No. Did any of the newspapers know? No. Were we satisfied at looking only at redacted transcripts or did we all want to hear the actual recordings with our own ears? If you’re someone that is willing to find the truth wherever it might be, then I’m guessing that you also wanted to hear the actual audio recordings instead of expecting to find the truth in the redacted transcripts.

[Anti-Andy Martin]

Here's a BIRTHER with no class...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFnuhaU458Y

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLq0rP4QXWE

Now those are funny!

[Listo]

I do not understand why Congressman Franks continues to make public statements like that.
The director of the Department of Health in Hawaii has stated that President Obama was born in Hawaii and that she has examined his vital records and she can verify that he is a natural born American citizen.
With that statement being approved by the Attorney General of Hawaii you would think that was enough to quiet things down. As we all know it has not had that effect. So the Department of Health in Hawaii may be releasing all of the documents and vital information that she used to make that statement and verification surrounding the Presidents place of birth and citizenship status.

http://naturalborncitizen.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/terrik-investigation-part-3-hawaii-ag-mark-bennett-approved-fukinos-natural-born-citizen-statement-all-records-should-be-made-public-according-to-law/

[ResidentPlazaPunchbowl]

Republican Congressman Trent Franks disingenuous statements concerning President Obama's Certification of Live Birth is political posturing of the lowest kind. designed to cater to the birthers. While he professes satisfaction in his "research and examination" of the certificate as valid and that he believes Obama was born in Hawaii, he broadly insinuates that Obama is hiding something in his "long birth certificate-" like what? Let's compare this with sample copies of other "long form" Hawaii birth certificates revealed in the internet.
What is lacking in Obama's BC that Trent Frank wants to see: Here is what I found.

Mother/Fathers Address;(whether "Farm or Plantation" (6085 Kalanianaole Highway, was listed in newspapers on 13 & 14 Aug 1961.

Father/Mother;s age,,place of Birth, occupation, and industry of occupation
Name of hospital and address city of location.(this was established by Eleanor Nordyke speaking to media)

Signed name of attending physician (MD or DO) with date.
Signed name of nurse(s) attending with date.
Stamped signature of Director Department of Health
Stamped signature of Vital Statistics Registrar.
Date certificate issued.
What the long certificate did not contain but contained in new certificate are: "Island of Birth" (Oahu) and "County of Birth."(Honolulu); date filed by registrar and official seal of state.

Mr Frank, what information do you believe Barack Obama needs to hide?

[ResidentPlazaPunchbowl]

This comment is meant for David Weigel of Washington Independent.

I have been reading your excellent reporting of the Obama birth certificate fiasco and believe you may be someone who could provide us with a balanced account of federal security clearance procedures effecting our high office holders. There has been very little commentary or coverage on this matter, especially about the vetting of the VP and POTUS, reportedly conducted by the FBI..

Please also look into current national standards and procedures with respect to hospitals reporting births (the nature of info provided) to state bureaus of vital statistics and the type of Certificate of Live Births now issued by the bureaus nation -wide and how it meets all requirements for US passport and citizenships. I believe you will find most states now issue Certification of Live Births identical to state of Hawaii's that President Obama released in the internet.

Also look into and tell us about the complexities of various privacy laws and its effect on hospital patient and medical information and hospital personnel and finally - birth certificates. I believe that privacy laws had a large effect on President Obama's birth certificate, its printing and issuance procedures pre- and post-2001. I believe the medical records privacy laws of 1999 had a decisive effect on hospital reporting on births. It appears that a large number of our populace are ill informed on this matter.
My other comments are in same post.

[research]

This is all just treasonous bs. The Conservatives don't want Biden to be president, they just want to impede Obama.

[eweqo]

The last bit is on the money. But it pretty absurd to claim a constitutional right is treasonous.

[research]

Outside legal spheres, the word "traitor" may also be used to describe a person who betrays (or is accused of betraying) their own political party, nation, family, friends, ethnic group, team, religion, social class, or other group to which they may belong. Often, such accusations are controversial and disputed, as the person may not identify with the group of which they are a member, or may otherwise disagree with the group leaders making the charge. See, for example, race traitor. wiki.

Legally, it would be sedition in the USA.

[Welib]

Republicans don't want to impede Obama. They want to take him out. They are traitors.

[gvscmr]

No... Trent Franks should submit his resignation

http://seanbond.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/republicans-out-of-control/

[Craniumdude]

Hey frankie!!!! when you are presented with information from orly taitz.........the only thing you should question is your own sanity for believing it!

[missouriwatcher]

Afterbirth has more brains than these "birthers".

[ResearchtheFacts]

Better yet start sending this to all Republicans...

Attn Republicans: To ever regain the White House and both houses of congress you will need more than your base which is approximately less than 50% of America. While we may not have an exact number count what we do know is for you to win any future elections you will need more than just your base. The current demographics simply are not on your winning side.

America has changed in the last 8 years. We want a positive direction for America...

http://hiteminthewallet.wordpress.com/

[gvscmr]

Republican party is near death and they know it which is why you see this bizarre, last ditch effort behavior

[Carolyn LeBeauf]

Hey Frank, the birth certificate issue is over. You guys should find something else to cry about. Get over it man, PRESIDENT OBAMA won, you creeps lost. Now if I were you or a republican in congress, I would take this time to learn about law making and policies and then maybe you guys can contribute something to this country. It will take all of you republicans in congress to put your pea brains together
so you will be able to enter PRESIDENT OBAMA'S leauge. Our PRESIDENT is just too smart for you guys, and he doesn't have time to play your birther games, THE PRESIDENT is trying to cleans up the mess you, your republican cohorts, and BUSH got this country into. Your game is lame.