Thursday, July 30, 2009

Where's Obama's Birth Certificate?

By Alan Caruba

It’s the question and/or controversy that will not go away. Where was President Barack Hussein Obama born and why won’t he produce a birth certificate?

Sometime ago I received an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, by Philip J. Berg, an attorney who briefly gained media attention when he asserted that President Obama is not a natural born citizen of the United States and, under the U.S. Constitution, was disqualified from running for or holding the position of President.

The problem Berg presents is that he reportedly was a supporter of Hillary Clinton’s bid for the Democrat nomination and thus had a very political reason to challenge Obama’s citizenship. The courts, however, appear to have been extraordinarily reluctant to address the question.

Among the Berg documents I have seen is an affidavit attesting to a transcribed conversation between Bishop Kwele Shuhudra, Bishop of the Anabaptists Churches of North America, and Sarah Obama, the President’s grandmother or aunt, who confirmed that she was present when he was born in Kenya. Could she be mistaken? There also appears to be some confusion over which hospital in Hawaii Obama was born; if he was born there. No attending physician has ever stepped forth to confirm it.

Democrat spin doctors are, of course, circling the wagons around Obama who is alleged to have spent nearly a million dollars on lawyers to keep his birth and other public records secret.

The obvious question is why.

The problem for his defenders is that no birth certificate has been made available to the public and the Hawaii Certificate of Live Birth that was briefly shown on an Obama website has raised more questions than answers about its authenticity and has been challenged as a forgery.

Obama’s birth father met his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, when they were students at the University of Hawaii. It is entirely possible that she gave birth to Obama in Hawaii though there is some question whether a ceremony occurred generating a marriage certificate. Obama senior was already married to an African wife at the time. What is known is that Obama’s mother later married an Indonesian in 1965 and Obama spent his early years in Jakarta, starting in 1967.

The reason I am a “birther”, i.e., someone who remains skeptical, is fairly simple. I began my career as a journalist. I was trained to be skeptical and to expect to see documentation and proof that whatever is asserted is true.

This means that I am suspicious when a candidate for president has virtually no paper trail of documents. No journalist has seen Obama’s alleged birth certificate because it is “under seal” in Hawaii at the order of its Governor. Why?

Here’s a list of documentation that, as of 2008, was “unavailable”:

1. Occidental College records -- Not released
2. Columbia College records -- Not released
3. Columbia Thesis paper -- "Not available"
4. Harvard College records -- Not released
5. Selective Service Registration -- Not released
6. Medical records -- Not released
7. Illinois State Senate schedule -- "Not available"
8. Law practice client list -- Not released
9. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate -- Not released
10. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth -- Not released
11. Harvard Law Review articles published -- None
12. University of Chicago scholarly articles -- None

What does anyone REALLY know about Obama? They “know” the life story he put forth in two memoirs, one of which was published before he ever ran for a public office. Even here, his authorship of the books has been challenged because the text to an astonishing extent resembles books and articles written by Bill Ayers, a close friend and best known as having been a domestic terrorist, a member of the Weatherman in the 1960s.

Does it matter? The answer is yes. It matters in the most serious way possible. We cannot have someone holding the power of the presidency that does not qualify under the provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

It should be a cause for genuine concern that he continues to stonewall all attempts to determine his place of birth, his citizenship, or any of the other major parts of his life leading up to having first served in the Illinois legislature and then as a U.S. Senator.

The mainstream media have been extraordinarily disinterested in any credible documentation of Obama’s life story. Something is very wrong about that.

Something is bizarre that Time Magazine is putting Obama’s picture on the cover for a twelfth time in twelve months!

Obama’s rise to power has been meteoric. His path there remains shrouded in deliberate obscurity.

Obama’s popularity and approval ratings by both the Gallup and Rasmussen polling organizations have been dropping precipitously. All the spin in the world will not reverse this, but one step in the right direction would be to produce his birth certificate.

21 comments:

Red said...

Hope you don't mind but I reposted the list of documents plus a link to your article on my site.

Rich Kozlovich said...

Alan,

As I have said in the past, I originally thought this whole brouhaha was whacky; if for no other reason I didn’t think that anyone could be that stupid and secondly because Berg seemed....well....a bit whacky. However, after a while I kept coming back to the same question. Why don’t they just show the original?

O’Reilly smugly states that they checked it out and dismisses the whole legitimacy thing. Great! How did he determine that? I can’t wait for him to show everyone his evidence? It is forthcoming isn’t it?
Right?

CNN claims that they vetted this issue and have declared that everything is A-OK. Great! Now all they have to do is to show everyone the evidence and stop this constant stream of extremism.
Right?

I must assume that all the above will be presenting their proof forthwith.
Right?

Oh….wait…..Perhaps I am misinformed, but I do think that seeing the original can be the only evidence that can put this issue to bed.
Right?

To the best of my knowledge no one except Hawaiian officials (allegedly) have seen the original.
Right?

Well, perhaps I missed something.

Unknown said...

Bill O'Reilly stated, that the question had been answered, that Obama was born in Hawaii. To my understanding, they came up with newspaper articles confirming a live birth. Will they please publish it, so all can see?

As far as, Bill Ayers is concerned-those were different times. Yes, Bill Ayers went to extremes...but that was, a crazy war (Viet Nam). The only thing I can see him influencing Obama with, is a joint.

By the way, do you have an Obama translation book of what he really means to say? I couldn't find one on Amazon.

Alan Caruba said...

I don't think I am going to give Bill O'Reilly the final word on this...and neither will a lot of other folks.

What does Obama mean? He means to "transform" the US from capitalism to communism.

Alan Caruba said...

Red, you, like others are free to post anything from this blog. The effort to to address various issues and debunk hoaxes, scares, etc.

If Obama was not born in Hawaii, that will be a hoax for the history books.

Louise W said...

Alan, Great commentary.

Because of Obama's deceitfulness and arrogance, it is difficult to believe the man about anything. He is not forthright and he is secretive even in everyday conversation. He weighs every word before uttering a syllable. Of course, the Cambridge Police "stupid" remark was an exception. He did not weigh that word.

I believe that he and his handlers are holding tight, hoping the public will get tired of the birth issue. Some are giving up, e.g. O'Reilly. I guess you will have to be the one, Alan, who is "looking out for us."

Carolyn said...

Thank you Mr. Caruba. There are a whole lot of us "birthers" who are very frustrated at our own talkig heads who think this is not important, let alone the liberal media. If there is no story as the libs claim- then show us. I want to see it. I have to have mine if I want to become a citizen, and I have to find it before my next immigration visa hearing. I have to find it or get a new "copy" to get a passport.
What's the big deal they ask us. Yes- obama, what's the big deal. Show it to us and we will go away.
By the way, Dave Jeffers has been posting a lot on this as well.
http://www.saltandlightblog.com/1140/thank-you-andrew-mccarthy/

God Bless you Mr. Caruba

Ted said...

The time lines, places, actions, motives, when analyzed, support, and are consistent with, what is the answer to the Obama birth puzzle:

Obama’s grandmother is his mother and his mother is his sister.

Think about it. Review all the facts and claims.

Alan Caruba said...

No, Ted. You are either terribly confused or just not that bright.

No one disputes that Obama's mother was Stanley Ann Dunham or that his father was a Kenyan.

Red said...

Thanks Alan. I just wanted you to know in case you might have had objections. You bring a lot of issues to light with the way you write and you're perspective is valuable. Keep up the great work and I'll help spread the word!

Guy said...

We'll never see a true birth certificate. If he had a valid birth certificate that proved he was a US citizen, it would have been produced a LONG time ago, if for no other reason than to shut up people like us. No, it's become painfully obvious that Obama is NOT a US citizen, and has pulled every string and "Chicago thug" trick he can to conceal that fact. To top it off, our courts have turned a blind eye to most, if not all legal challenges, in complete violation of our right to know who is governing us. It's a very sad day in America when our courts have no interest in the truth.

Rich Kozlovich said...

There has been a great deal of snickering about the "birthers" being weird, and I have to admit that at the beginning there was reason to look at them in that manner. However, there was an article in the Huffington Post by Mark Joseph who makes the statement that “The only thing weirder than the Birthers are the anti-Birthers, who blame the Birthers for being conspiracy theorists yet actively feed the conspiracy by refusing to call for President Obama to release his birth certificate.”

He also noted in his article that, “During the last campaign, John McCain faced similar questions and promptly responded by releasing his original birth certificate. That's how normal people with nothing to hide handle these things.“

I do believe that we have to keep coming back to the crux of the matter. Why don’t they just show the original? Why is everyone so upset that there is a request for the original? If there is nothing to hide, then why hide it? Seems a little “weird” doesn’t it?

scripto said...

Great research. So Obama doesn't even exist? What are you worried about then? The Kenyan Intelligence Agency (KIA) planted a fake birth notice in the Honolulu Advertiser and waited 47 years to spring their Manchurian Candidate on the American people? And the Hawaiian State government is in on it, too? Please.

Alan Caruba said...

Scripto: If you want to let the world how ignorant you are, that's fine with me, but you are unlikely to have your comments posted here again.

Not one single assertion of yours has any basic in logic or fact. Chill out!

Anonymous said...

He claims to be a Christian, but no one has seen his baptism record. Also missing is his marriage license. He's also not released his passport records, which would tell us what nationality he traveled to Pakistan under. And, just what the heck was he doing in Pakistan in 1981? Some, "class trip!" I suppose that at best he could just be lying about having gone? I wouldn't put it past him.

There are newspaper "birth announcements," but at that time someone else lived at the address they give for Obama's parents. Also, such evidence is NOT conclusive, and if is all they have, they are in very poor shape.

WND is also on top of the issue, with details and an example of the real thing.

When someone goes to the trouble and very great expense to keep others in the dark, he HAS something to hide.

Guy said...

Arguing with these people is like getting stuck in a revolving door. They keep pointing out the same "facts", and we keep pointing out that until the ACTUAL birth certificate, from the ACTUAL hospital, with the ACTUAL attending physician's signature on it is produced, we won't accept their "facts". The statements they keep referring to, from Hawaii's Department of Health, are useless. Their statement that "The Birth Certificate exists ... we have seen it" means NOTHING to me, or anyone else with a brain. Especially since that department is currently held by a Democratic administration. Would anyone expect them to say anything else? Photographs, or even the actual document, which was produced by the same department, are also useless. SHOW US THE DAMN BIRTH CERTIFICATE! The REAL one. Why is that so hard to do? I have a copy of mine, and there is no sensitive personal information on it that would warrant hiding it from anyone. Why can't Obama just let us see his? I could contact the County of Los Angeles where I was born and get one of their "Certificates of Live Birth" and it will probably have all the correct information on it, but it is not my actual "Birth Certificate". My REAL Birth Certificate is a historic document, not something issued by the government and subject to fabrication. It is ironclad proof or where and when I was born, and who delivered me. I have no problem with showing it to anyone. But then again I don't have anything to hide, and I am not the most powerful man in the Democratic Party. If I were, I'm guessing I could get a document from the Democratic offices of my birth state that said pretty much any damn thing I wanted it to say. Again, SHOW US THE ACTUAL CERTIFICATE Mr. Obama. Give us the name of the attending physician so we can ask HIM if he delivered you in Hawaii. Put this whole issue to rest once and for all. You can't, can you?

Anonymous said...

MORE INFO

Long Version
Short-Attention-Span Version

Note that many "Birthers" cite the official Hawaii website as proof that the COLB is NOT equivalent to the COB, but if you go there, that's not what it says, ...anymore. They changed it, and give neither acknowledgement nor explanation of why. It could be just an innocent correction of a bureaucratic error, but, under the circumstances, that's not something I'm willing to just accept without proof.

Anonymous said...

AN INTERESTING ASIDE

I went to "Search Engine Colossus" and did a search on an Kenyan/African engine that come up with a link to an article on Obama...
http://encyclopedia.kenyacrawler.com/barack-obama.html

When I went there, it said no such article existed. So, I then went to the (often useless when it counts most) WaybackMachine, and discovered that I couldn't access the article from there. But the reason was not that it didn't exist; rather that "robots" had been put in place TO BLOCK ACCESS.

Oh, and I almost forgot, but it appears that he selective service registration is also a, ...uh, ...."problem."

It's so frustrating that as much as is problematic about Obama, and as legion are his anti-American friends and associates, that no one seems to care.

Unknown said...

Jeeze, Alan, not you too.

David

Alan Caruba said...

Here's the text of a comment that I want to share with you:

You may be aware of another discrepancy that hasn't appeared in
any commentary I've seen; yet when I explain it to people they invariably recognize it as a valid indicator of forgery.

(1) Following the mother's and father's name is "Race." For Stanley Ann Dunham, "Caucasian" is listed, which is legitimate.

But for Barak Hussein Obama Sr., the "Race" = "African" was an immediate\red flag for me.

African isn't a race. One might come from Africa and be Caucasian, Negro, Arab, or even Oriental.

When I did genealogical research, the LDS classes emphasized the need to examine documents with your mental clock turned back (as much as possible)to the time the document was executed, and that failure to do that limited
the value obtained from the document.

In 1961 (even in Hawaii), no one would have put "African" as someone's race--that's a politically correct term of today. Anyone who gives it
thought realizes that a white, black, yellow, brown or other person could qualify as
"African." The term is worthless.

Back in 1961, one of two possible terms would have been used: "Colored" or "Negro"

(2) BOs accounts of college living. I read one of his books that he told of living in college dorms with students from India, Paki and other Pacific Rim countries. BOs college years were in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

At that time, college dorms housed foreign students together, not assigning them with Americans. So if BO was living WITH foreign students, it's likely
because HE was classified a foreign student himself.

Thanks so much for being a Canadian willing to expose this when the American media is too lily-livered. It's a disgrace that the SCOTUS is manned by craven cowards who won't defend the Constitution.

Sandra Miller
Phoenix

RhymesWithOrange said...

Funny parody! But I don't think these "birthers" are really that dumb -- they are just sucked in by propaganda, misinformed, and blinded by ideology. I think it's important for liberals to not stoop to their level by implying that they are really as stupid as this parody implies.