Ken Bennett, Arizona Secretary Of State, Gets Response From Hawaii On Obama Birth Certificate Request

Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett.

Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett has reportedly received a response from the state of Hawaii regarding his request for verification that President Obama was born in the United States.

According to KTVK in Phoenix, the Hawaii attorney general's office told Bennett that he must take a number of steps, including proving that the confirmation is necessary to update his office's records, in order to receive the verification.

Bennett, in a radio interview last week, said he had petitioned the Aloha State to verify the existence of the president's long-form birth certificate, which the White House released last spring. According to Bennett, the request was made on behalf of over 1,200 Arizonans who had emailed him with concerns over Obama's eligibility for office.

Bennett further fanned the flames of birther rumors by threatening to keep Obama off his state's ballot if Hawaii failed to comply.

"I'm not a birther. I believe the president was born in Hawaii -- or at least I hope he was," Bennett said. "But my responsibility as secretary of state is to make sure that the ballots in Arizona are correct and that those people whose names are on the ballot have met the qualifications for the office they are seeking."

Although birther conspiracy theories have had something of a resurgence in recent months, the movement peaked prior to the White House's official birth certificate release last year. In 2010, Hawaii received so many requests for copies of the document that the state's governor, Linda Lingle, signed a bill allowing state officials to ignore the constant inquiries.

The state's current governor, Neil Abercrombie, has also expressed exasperation with birthers.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[ClunkersfromChicago]

09:02 AM on 05/24/2012

The idiot in Arizona accepted the same old April 27th, 2011 document as proof. The document is a forgery as attested by any reputable document expert who looked at it. The forgery is such poor quality that people in the business of examining documents laugh at it. They cannot believe anyone would allow the public to see such a poor forgery. That should tell you something about the media that we are dealing with here in America. This Secretary of State in Arizona needs to resign for being that dumb.

[bdaved]

02:27 PM on 05/24/2012

No "reputable document expert" has made such an attestation. "People in the business of examining documents" actually examine documents before determining forgery, not pdf's of documents. That's why no qualified examiners participated in the WorldNet Daily-sponsored publicity circus in Maricopa County.

[ClunkersfromChicago]

03:40 PM on 05/24/2012

Hey I am all eyes and ears, lets see your experts. Here are a couple of experts who examined the forged document and attested to it being not just a forgery but an absolute worse forgery they have ever come across. Mara Zebest, a nationally recognized computer expert who has served as contributing author and technical editor for more than 100 books on Adobe and Microsoft software. She has made a career out of this field and she declares this to be a pitiful forgery. Doug Vogt, an international expert on scanners and document-imaging software filed a 22 page criminal complaint with the FBI proving the April 27th document is a forgery. Hell he put his career on the line, the FBI could have came after him for attempting to take down the President of the United States. Major Genera Paul Vallely, a contributor to media outlets had three CIA agents, retired, and some of their analytical associates look at the document, and all TEN declared the document to be a forgery. Paul Irey, a retired professional typographer with 50 years experience in the business said it was a pitiful forgery. There are others but I will wait to see who you may come up with. I would take these guys to court with me any day of the week. Nice try!!

[dianebk2003]

02:05 PM on 06/02/2012

You know, all this back-and-forth means nothing. The whole point is moot. Whether or not he was born in the United States has no bearing on his citizenship - his mother was a U.S. citizen, making HIM a U.S. citizen, regardless of birthplace.

I never could understand why "birthers" don't accept this. They seem to have no problems with McCain (Panama) and Romney (Mexico).

No, wait - I do understand. Obama is "the Other". You know, "He's not MY president." "He's the most dangerous president ever." "He hates America." "He hates white people." In other words...the problem they have with Obama is that he's black. I suspect they will never stop having this problem, long after he's no longer president. How long will they work to have his presidency removed from the history books? Probably until we've had another couple of black presidents, a woman, a Latino, and an alien or two.

[Eric Boyer]

09:54 PM on 05/23/2012

Is it fair here to point out that Ken Bennett is not only Romney's Arizona co-chair, but he's also a fellow Mormon?

[RWB Girl]

07:37 PM on 05/23/2012

Just to clarify, Kenya was known as the British Colony of Kenya until 1964 and the name of the hospital was the Kopialani Maternity hospital for Women and Children NOT a medical center. Just sayin.....

[Terri Teague]

12:57 PM on 05/23/2012

Attempting to argue with a "Birther" using logic is like fighting a fire with gasoline. Many of these people are either so under educated and/or intrenched in their bigotry and hatred that it is impossible to correct their misconceptions about anything. The sad thing is that most of the people falling for the conservative propaganda are the exact people that the conservative agenda hurts the most. It never fails to amaze me how many Americans vote against their own best interest in every election.

[ClunkersfromChicago]

09:09 AM on 05/24/2012

Obama said he was born in Kenya in the bio he gave Dystel & Goderich in 1991. The publicist attempted to lie for Obama calling it an oversight but was refuted because all of the folks in the booklet said they submitted their own bios. We have Obama's wife on record saying her husband was born in Kenya. We have his grandmother in Kenya saying she witnessed his birth in Kenya. We have Kenyan government officials on tape saying he was born in Kenya. And now a document from Obama saying he was born in Kenya. Obama funneled millions of dollars into Kenya to influence an election there. We are leaning toward Kenya as place of birth wouldn't ya say. All we have showing Obama was born in Hawaii is an April 27th, 2011 computer generated forged document. Not looking good for the Liar in Chief.

[bdaved]

02:34 PM on 05/24/2012

What nonsense.
"All of the folks in the booklet" aren't even alive.
You do not "have Obama's wife on record saying her husband was born in Kenya."
You do not "have his grandmother in Kenya saying she witnessed his birth in Kenya."
To what "Kenyan government officials" are you referring? Can you provide a link to the tape you say you have?
You do not have "a document from Obama saying he was born in Kenya".
Can you substantiate your claim that "Obama funneled millions of dollars into Kenya to influence an election there"?
No qualified, credentialed examiner has claimed that President Obama's birth certificate is a "computer generated forged document".
You've fallen for a bunch of scam artists, Clunk.

[scotch43]

01:22 AM on 05/23/2012

I just realized it doesn't matter to me whether the President was born in USA or not when it comes to who I will cast my vote for...I'd still vote for President Obama, regardless of where he was born, over any candidate this republican, teapublican party would run...hell I'd work to have the amendment in the constitution containing the criteria to be President changed....really!!!!!

[Razpooten]

12:27 AM on 05/23/2012

Dang, 1,2000 birfers in Az? They neet to start keeping pople off the sun out there.

[Boopsie2008]

11:03 PM on 05/22/2012

Hah! The State of Hawaii asked Bennett to demonstrate that he has the authority to request a birth certificate. And today, Bennett said one of his future options is to request birth certificates from all candidates.

So, he hasn't asked for Mitt's birth certificate? This is JUST a witch hunt against President Obama?

[bdaved]

12:06 AM on 05/23/2012

Ken "Alfalfa" Bennett folded.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/ken_bennett_apologizes_obama_birther_hawaii_arizona.php

[bdaved]

12:13 AM on 05/23/2012

Now that he's playing nice,
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/hawaii-verifies-obamas-birth-for-arizona-secretary-of

[bdaved]

09:41 PM on 05/22/2012

Ken Bennett's changed his tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEMjeYPfqSg

[bdaved]

08:53 PM on 05/22/2012

Well now.
http://ktar.com/6/1544638/Bennett-If-I-embarrassed-the-state-I-apologize

[blizno]

09:20 PM on 05/22/2012

"What is so sacred or untouchable about this question that you can't even ask the question," he said.

That question has been asked over and over and has been answered over and over.

"...you can't even ask the question..." - LIE!

[bdaved]

09:49 PM on 05/22/2012

A special dedication to Secretary Bennett:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjHJ_snG3RI&feature=related

[O Really]

07:32 PM on 05/22/2012

For the umpteenth time..
This is not about his birth certificate.

[blizno]

08:22 PM on 05/22/2012

Agreed.
This is the Republicans grabbing every possible sound-bite non-issue to distract us while they pursue their agenda to take USA away from its citizens and give what is left of USA to the Uber-wealthy.

Demand that your Republican politicians tell you EXACTLY what they intend to do if they gain overwhelming power, as is, of course, their goal. Do not let them get away with sound-bites. Demand that they tell you EVERYTHING in their agenda.

You will find, if you can pry the truth out of them, that their agenda is to cripple democracy and put the handful of the richest of the rich in command of USA, so that those few can become much, much richer.

[Boopsie2008]

11:11 PM on 05/22/2012

Big time fanned!

[Rodger leMonde]

06:42 PM on 05/22/2012

What these fools really want is for there to be one definitive document delivered into their hands so they can burn it.

[Lady1genius]

09:01 PM on 05/22/2012

They have already been issued the ONLY document they're going to get. The president's Hawaiian birth certificate, with the state's verification.

[yukidongo1]

11:20 PM on 05/22/2012

Which of the three fakes are you referring to? The first two were issued simultaneously and had different hospitals on them, and the last is an obvious fake that even an unskilled computer person can unlayer. That is fake. Some of the best experts in the country have proven it, several times, with explanations of how it was created.

[Teri Springer]

05:12 PM on 05/22/2012

I love the stuff some people present as "facts."

"One copy of the birth certificate has already been proven to be a forgery."

"He was born in Kenya."

"He said he was born in Kenya."

"He renounced his citizenship when he went to school in Indonesia."

Wow....do you people have ANY idea how stupid you look when you write this stuff?? Do a little research.....not one of the above statements is true except that you look stupid when you write this stuff.....

[Beowoof]

05:42 PM on 05/22/2012

NIce! Their reputation was never on the line to begin with.

[Boopsie2008]

11:19 PM on 05/22/2012

Fanned for sanity.

[Andrea in the City]

04:08 PM on 05/22/2012

He was born in Hawaii. Enough. That said, I don't understand why he stated that he was from Kenya on his author bio. The publishers say it was an editing error but it stayed "incorrect" for years and Obama had seen in during those times...why didn't he correct it? Did he think he would come across as more "interesting" if he said he was from Kenya? I don't get it.

[bdaved]

04:59 PM on 05/22/2012

How do you know that "Obama had seen in during those times"?

[Teri Springer]

05:14 PM on 05/22/2012

Obama didn't say it. The author did. A bio is not written by the person it is about....that would be an AUTObiography.....

Apparently he didn't proof read it. I have done plenty of proofing of short stories, fiction, non-fiction....believe me, the easiest errors to miss are the ones regarding facts you are most familiar with.

[Beowoof]

05:51 PM on 05/22/2012

Well put. The idea about Obama stopping whatever he was doing at the time to make a correction regarding a biography that never got off the ground seems obvious.

[eenp718]

04:08 PM on 05/22/2012

When you try to re-hash, false data, like it was new, shows poor memory tactics and capability. The 2008 elections in Arizona, must have been false. The people who verified those candidates, must have been inept. Or is it, he just wants to have someone, anyone, think, he's working for Arizona, and not his conservative, low-effort, non-thinking friends.

[moricone]

05:02 PM on 05/22/2012

He is Mo.rm.on for Pete's sake. What do you expect?

[eenp718]

05:28 PM on 05/22/2012

so true. a cult follower, trying to be recognized.

[ArizonaDavid]

09:52 PM on 05/22/2012

I expect RED BULLY drinking MORONMON myself.

[PatA]

10:35 PM on 05/22/2012

eenp718, fanned and faved. 162

[eenp718]

06:58 PM on 05/23/2012

thanks, back to you.

[Cross1234]

03:14 PM on 05/22/2012

Arizonian Officials are sick people...Gov, Sheriff, etc are just plain full of hate! It is amazing how backwards these people are. They think like its 1912 and not 2012!

[Sorcha054]

04:41 PM on 05/22/2012

Boggles the mind, doesn't it.

[Japippy]

04:49 PM on 05/22/2012

Better be careful the way you talk about us Arizonans, or we're liable to come and get you and bring you back here and feed you to a pack of HUNGRY COYOTES. LOL LOL.

Jim

[Sorcha054]

05:13 PM on 05/22/2012

I AM an Arizonan, born and raised, but I was raised not to hate and coyotes don't scare me. :)

[Japippy]

05:51 PM on 05/22/2012

A Coyote shouldn't scare people. Not just a Coyote. As a rule they are only dangerous if you have a pet rabbit or perhaps a couple of chickens in your back yard. One family I know of lost a Labrador Retriever when TWO COYOTES attacked it. But if they (the Coyotes) are in a pack and they are hungry, then you should fear them, because they become very brave and very dangerous when hungry. If you live in Arizona, (depending on which part) maybe you remember the news of the young gal that used to jog up in the mountains just below what is know as the Mogollon Range?? North East a considerable distance from Phoenix. She was attacked by a pack of them, and then she WAS NO MORE.
Of course I was only joshing the poster who was trying to intimidate Arizonans, and Jan Brewer and Joseph Arpaio in particular for being bad people. I've found extremely few bad people out here and I'm a relative newcomer, having been in the Peoria area for just 9 years.

Jim