Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal Become Focus Of Bipartisan Birthers

Last month, we made note of the fact that a schism had erupted in the wild world of Birtherism, with a breakaway faction turning their lunacy on Florida senator and frequent-object-of-presidential-speculation Marco Rubio (R) and the WorldNetDaily set objecting to Rubio's victimization. Well, over at Naked DC, Liz Mair points to this article in today's St. Petersburg Times that reports that not only does Rubio remain a target of birther babble, but they've expanded their reach:

“It’s nothing to do with him personally. But you can’t change the rules because you like a certain person. Then you have no rules,” said New Jersey lawyer Mario Apuzzo.

Forget about allegedly Photoshopped birth certificates; the activists are not challenging whether Rubio was born in Miami. Rather, they say Rubio is ineligible under Article 2 of the Constitution, which says “no person except a natural born citizen … shall be eligible to the Office of President.”

The rub is that “natural born citizen” was never defined.

The birthers rely on writings at the time of the formation of the republic and references in court cases since then to contend that “natural born” means a person born to U.S. citizens. Rubio was born in 1971 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, his office said, but his parents did not become citizens until 1975.

"The birthers say Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, whose parents are from India and were not citizens at the time of his birth, is also unqualified," according to this report.

So, the bipartisan aspect of birtherism continues to develop, though it's hard to award points for consistency when the only consistent thing is dementia.

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[NeoConsAreFinished]

06:36 PM on 10/23/2011

And the bigots come home to roost.
Jindal and Rubio belong to the white party of hate and thought they would not be caught up in the bigotry.
I am loving it.

[Barbara DeZan]

03:51 PM on 10/23/2011

Demented is the correct word for these living bundles of tissue.

[cbigdaddy55]

12:20 AM on 10/22/2011

If you are born on US soil or one of your parents is a US citizens you are an American citizen. Simple. Quit looking for an out.

[Magnus Johansson X]

10:21 AM on 10/24/2011

For the office of US president you have to be a natural born citizen, not just a citizen.

[cbigdaddy55]

08:24 PM on 10/24/2011

Read the article:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born-citizen_clause_of_the_U.S._Constitution#Academic_opinions

[cbigdaddy55]

02:03 AM on 10/27/2011

Let me hear the difference.

[KeyInfo]

07:19 PM on 10/21/2011

Rubio and Jindal aren't qualified to hold positions as Governor and or Senator. Let's see the long form birth certificate guys? Where is it boys? Time to cough them up? ASAP - what's holding you up? Betcha don't have one.

[colokelly]

12:53 AM on 10/22/2011

Google........They're both available.

[TwinX]

05:58 AM on 10/22/2011

Jindal's is. Not Rubio's.

Of course no birth certificate or any other action can cure the 'deficiency' claimed by the birthers, which is *exactly* why they came up with the theory in the first place.

[NeoConsAreFinished]

06:37 PM on 10/23/2011

Obviously they are fake..

[IndependentAndProud]

06:09 PM on 10/21/2011

Perhaps a law to ban any child of an illegal immigrant from holding any public office is a good idea.

[cbigdaddy55]

12:36 AM on 10/22/2011

Which illegal immigrants are you speaking of? The migrant workers who pick most of the produce in this country? The cement workers who build the roads we use? The restaurant workers in many of our corporate chains? Well, guess what- most of them aren't illegal. This problem is a political football intended to distract us. Stay Independant and proud.

[IndependentAndProud]

03:29 AM on 10/22/2011

You answered your own question. I'm not talking about any of those who are not illegal.

[TwinX]

06:00 AM on 10/22/2011

Punishing the child for the sins of his/her father? How special.

[Political Avatar]

06:04 PM on 10/21/2011

This is quiet simply about race.

The splinter group, does not want (it seems) any "ethnic" person to be president or vice president. As many have said all along its about the color of the Presidents skin, not any true criticism about his birth.

On top of which, Rubio, has a soft spot for "illegals" as they like to call them, they are terrified that he may become president and open the floodgates.

Not to mention, this makes them seem 'reasonable' in their minds. since they are going after 'fellow' republicans.

[annyp]

05:53 PM on 10/21/2011

The TP isn't going to like this one for one of their darlings. Oh my goodness, Rubio's parents weren't even American citizens when he was born.

[Watermelonman]

04:40 PM on 10/21/2011

I'm loving every minute of it. Would keep this going right through 2012 if I could do it.

Hey Rubio ... don't come back to Florida. Stay in DC man. I think that even the Cuban exiles here hate you now.

[MauricioC]

04:33 PM on 10/21/2011

LOL. Marco, Bobby-don't tell me you didn't see this coming....

[Political Avatar]

05:52 PM on 10/21/2011

I honestly don't think they did.

[Schmice]

04:14 PM on 10/21/2011

Where is Oily Taitz in all of this?

[edtheengineer]

04:38 PM on 10/21/2011

She is holding a low level conference with several occupants of the Kandydate Klown Kar to plan her next court case.

[TwinX]

07:23 AM on 10/22/2011

If I'm reading Taitz right, she is encouraging her flying monkeys to demand that Senator Rubio bring a case of some sort to determine his own eligibility!

Good luck with this latest round of b@t_shittery Orly!

[mmcgrew]

04:13 PM on 10/21/2011

Does this make Rubio an anchor baby?

[Political Avatar]

05:54 PM on 10/21/2011

Well by their definition, yes. Technically no because that term did not exist when he was born.

[mmcgrew]

05:27 AM on 10/22/2011

My comment was kind of posted as a joke, but Rubio, is of the ilk who refers to people in his position as "anchor babys".......

SO.......do the math........

[Justin Hale]

07:16 PM on 10/21/2011

No. His parents were LEGAL immigrants.

[mmcgrew]

05:24 AM on 10/22/2011

and our country is much the better for having immigrants of their quality...............

Pity they raised a liar.........

[strangelet]

02:38 AM on 10/24/2011

After he was born. Hmmm.

[vinnieboiblue]

03:58 PM on 10/21/2011

CAN YOU SAY HYPOCRITE PARTY? Cause that is what the Republican Party has morphed into.

[Justin Hale]

07:18 PM on 10/21/2011

How is it hypocritical? Applying the same standard to a Republican as to Obama.

[NeoConsAreFinished]

06:39 PM on 10/23/2011

Justin of course you mean the standard based on skin color dont you?
Do you see OilyTrumpPArry demanding any white persons birth certificate?

[1differentdrummer]

03:26 PM on 10/21/2011

Would Washington be legally eligible? Birthers overlook the fact that the first generations of Americans had parents born elsewhere.

[TwinX]

03:40 PM on 10/21/2011

They were 'grandfathered in' by the phrase

'No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constituti­on, shall be eligible..."

So anyone who became a citizen at the adoption of the Constitution was deemed eligible, regardless of birthplace.

All generations to follow had to be 'Natural Born' which for hundreds of years simply meant 'born here' until the Birthers started with their fantasy version of what the framers *really* meant.

[Zork4]

08:39 PM on 10/21/2011

Born here is good enough for me.

[Magnus Johansson X]

02:31 PM on 10/24/2011

"All generations to follow had to be 'Natural Born' which for hundreds of years simply meant 'born here' [...]"

Ha, ha, ha! No, you are making things up. "Natural-born" has never meant simply "born here". What source gives you your definition?

[DTree]

03:16 PM on 10/21/2011

So the article says "bi-partisan" birthers to mean the targets of the accusations are no longer from one party - not to mean that the people hurling the accusations are "bi-partisan."

It's a semantic quibble, but it makes a difference: the people who are obsessed with conspiracies of citizenship are still the same old lunatics that accused Obama of not being eligible to serve as President.... no bi-partisanship there!

[TwinX]

03:41 PM on 10/21/2011

Yes, it's misleading because as you state, these are the same mad 'ole birthers as the ones who are after Obama.

[Political Avatar]

05:56 PM on 10/21/2011

Its about race.

You never once heard them complain about Arnold. as a matter of fact there was loose talk a long time ago about changing the rules so he could run for the presidency.

[DTree]

07:22 PM on 10/21/2011

So true - you don't see them questioning the fact that McCain was born in another country either.

[chomedey]

02:55 PM on 10/21/2011

I hope that Rubio will vote with dem,,,,on every part of the job act,, that will be fun