Sunday Roundup

This week, the House unanimously approved a resolution recognizing that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii. You'd hope that would signal an end to the birther virus infecting the GOP -- but just a day later Roy Blunt, the former Minority Whip and current Senate candidate, called Obama's place of birth "a legitimate question." It's time for these folks to put up or shut up. Show me a Kenyan birth certificate, Lou Dobbs, or zip it. Also this week, the NFL reinstated dog-killing quarterback Michael Vick, leaving sports fans to ponder which team might sign him. Probably best to avoid those with an animal mascot. The Saints wouldn't be a good fit either. He should stick with a team like the Giants or Steelers or Vikings. Why go looking for trouble?

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[missouriwatcher]

Ho-hum (yawn). This birther crap has gotten old, they need to learn to read and get a life. Blunt is nothing more (or less) than a pandering politician hoping to win conspiracy theory votes for his bid for the Senate. (I hope he loses. Big time.)

[LucianaB]

Hi there,

I just wanted to let you all know that Arianna Huffington will be in The Bob Rivers Show tomorrow Tuesday August 4 at 9:40 AM ET.

If you have any questions you'd like us to ask you can send them to bobrivers.comvers.com or call during the interview @ 1-800-252-1025 and leave your questions with our director, Arik.

In Seattle: 102.5 FM, KZOK @ 6:40 AM PT
In the web: www.bobrivers.com (follow our audio and video live stream)

Thanks
Luciana

[max08]

"It's time for these folks to put up or shut up. Show me a Kenyan birth certificate, Lou Dobbs, or zip it. "

Dead right. And the logic that Obama's mother and father would go to a Mombasa hospital 500 miles from his village and would bypass Nairobi, the capital city halfway between these two places is bizarre.

Further, flights those days were $5,000 per person -- it was cheaper to go by ship -- and Obama's mother would have had to travel when she was seven months pregnant because you are not allowed to travel when you're eight months preggers. That means she would have missed her final university exams in June that year.

Kenya was a British Protectorate until 1963. The Brits kept hospital records. Huffington is right: cough up the Kenyan birth certificate.

[LMPE]

The world is probably laughing at us for the birther stuff.

[Lavina]

What can you do? Blunt is a hard nosed Republican---facts don't matter.

[tkondaks]

Correct me if I'm wrong here but didn't the birthers movement start in the Democrat Party with pro-Hillary people?

There are still a heck of a lot of Democrats unhappy that she didn't become the nominee and who can't stand Obama...wh­y is this all focused on the GOP?

[oregonbird]

Because Hillary is now a grand poobah, and the GOP is officially wing.nuts?

[max08]

You're wrong. Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak explains it here, which also explains the southern US concentration of these people: http://tr.im/vdNP

[freshnotbitter]

Vick should play for the Texans and they should give the cheerleaders leather masks and a chain saw to wave around in the air every time Vick makes a touchdown.

Was that a joke? Maybe not to Vick.

Everybody deserves one second chance in life so Vick has one coming. I'm sure corporate America will step up to the plate and give Michael Vick his opportunity at redemption.

[truthyguy]

"It's time for these folks to put up or shut up. Show me a Kenyan birth certificate, Lou Dobbs, or zip it. "

Good point. They should have to prove what they claim.

[danang]

Get off Vick. He did his time. Enough. You have at least two NFL players who have killed people while DUI and no one says bleep. After everything he has lost and completing his sentence you all begin to sound racist.

[Philosim]

Well, I think Wilford Brimley, cock-fight proponent, should also have trouble getting work, and brimley wasn't even convicted of a crime. I guess he's not getting much work these days, but I've decided that my point still stands. As an aside, the only reason I know Brimley is a cock-fight proponent is because I was trying to find out if he is still alive. I'm still not sure that he is.

[My-Two-Cents]

I think there’s a distinction between drug abuse and sadism. One is more of a victim, the other more of a maker of the same.

[lily of the valley]

The GOP wasn't upset at all that John McCain was not born in the USA.
There are separate Constitutional regulations as to who is an American citizen vs. who may run for POTUS.
The regulation for who can run for POTUS, automatically disqualified John McCain.

[IssuesInFocus]

As they say this is getting to be too much.
I have a great deal of respect for Senator McCain, but must say unlike where he was born Hawaii is among the 50 states.. Panama isnt. If Senator McCain had won the elections would Birthers be asking the same questions on his Birth place? Over and over again ? I doubt that given the relationship America had with Panama at that time, and the Senator's father, then a Naval Officer. A few of the truly uniformed, would try to beat that to death, but certainly not Senators and their like in Congress. This is a shameful assault on a son of the United States. Yes a "Son." Geez... stop!" Spare us further embarrassm­ent.. the world is watching! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUATnWCmri4

[beartrack]

My dad was in the Navy at the end of WW II so, I was born at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, with two parents from Texas. Oops, I must not be a citizen twice.

[dessertsfirst]

Issues: John McSame is not b.l.a.c.k. If he were it would have become an obstacle for him to run for POTUS.

[Zerep11]

If you read the US Constitution, it clearly states that if a child is born of US born parents abroad (as in another country), that child is considered a natural born citizen. Read it, it's there. Now having lived in the Panama Canal Zone for three years, it is common knowledge. Funny how you libs seem to forget that not only was McCain's parents American Citizens, but his father was stationed in the Canal Zone, which was at that time US Sovereign Territory, since he was an Admiral in the United States Navy. So what part don't you all get? Or is it still too complicated?

[lily of the valley]

Correct. John McCain's father was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. However, John McCain was NOT born in the US Sovereign Territory of the Canal Zone, but outside the Canal Zone in the country of Panama. Legislation at the time specifically EXCLUDED, by name, the country of Panama being included as part of the Canal Zone.. Therefore, John McCain was foreign born of American parents, not a natural born citizen. Naturalized is not the same thing as natural born.
This issue was raised in the Senate by the GOP in March of 2008. The Senate passed the issue on to Committee. It was returned to the Senate without any action resulting. This was obviously of concern to John McCain because it was brought to the Senate for resolution. Don't Ask, Don't Tell doesn't only apply to the military.

[swanie]

Two quotes:

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Gandhi

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men..." - St. Francis of Assisi

No one can say it any better than St. Francis.
.

[JohnnyChristmas]

Regarding the birther movement:
At what point does this nonsense qualify as sedition?

[hark]

You have to wonder just how many people at the top are vicious and cruel, that simply don't get caught, are too cunning to expose themselves as the monsters they are. You have to think getting to the top requires a certain level of ruthlessness, that talent and hard work aren't nearly enough. We tend to think that sociopaths are down in the sewer and don't rise to the surface very often, but I suspect there are a higher percentage of them among the ultra-successful than among us ordinary peons.

[Just a Mote]

Well said hark. I have had experience with sociopaths. My experience has taught me that they often rise to the top because they are not constrained by morality.

[ranthny]

I'd love to see more in-depth reporting on "The Family" and its apparent political machinery being run out of C Street in DC. Americans always freak out about the "power of cults" yet we see very little press coverage of this group! I think everyone should flood their specific reps and senators as well as all online news blogs with emails and calls for more investigation.

[oregonbird]

Maddow was a lone voice for a long time. In TV time.

[Cyclone]

Me too! I know there's a huge story there. Actually the whole thing sounds creepy and frightening. If the media wants to report on something easy because healthcare is boring and complex, here it is. Talk about ratings. There's got to be a journalist who can make this story their mission. Rachel Maddow is trying but she's got a show to do. Where the hell are all the investigative reporters?!

[eagleye]

Show me Sarah Palin's high school diploma, and I'll show you Obama's birth certificate.

*Bill Maher

[Nelson Jackson]

Bill Maher, we don't always agree, but you nailed it this time. If fact this could be more sinister than we think. I wonder how many elected officials have a made up diploma. Perhaps we should pass legislation to check out all politician's pedigree..­.