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Ask A Birther: Message To Elspeth Reeve At Atlantic Wire; YES! Now Report Obama Forgeries
Birther Report
8/21/2013
Excerpt:
Ask A Birther: Are You Convinced by Ted Cruz's Birth Certificate?
Excerpts via Elspeth Reeve @ Atlantic Wire
Ted Cruz is trying to nip Cruz birtherism in the bud by releasing his birth certificate and renouncing his Canadian citizenship — though the de-Canadaization process could take up to eight months. Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, so he is an American citizen. But that is not good enough for some birthers. The GOP's winking not-quite-embrace of birther movement and the nativism it represents is not without consequence. At the core of birtherism is the sense that an outsider has infiltrated the nation and clawed his way to illegitimate power in order to serve foreign interests. For a party that is worried about its standing with Latino voters, it's not a good look.
But don't take our word for it. Orly Taitz, long known as the Birther Queen, wove these two issues together seamlessly when we spoke to her about Cruz. Some people in Congress, Taitz said, are "pushing this huge amnesty" bill, which would offer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants that she says will cost Americans jobs. "They're saying, 'Trust us, we'll check E-Verify,'" Taitz says, "but they're failing to address the issue that Obama failed E-Verify." [...]
"With Ted Cruz we have similar issues as we do have with Barack Obama," Taitz told us. She's focused on two problems: verifying the documents, and dual citizenship. Even if you believe President Obama's birth certificate and Social Security number are genuine — Taitz does not — you still haven't settled the problem of dual citizenship, she says. Obama's father wasn't an American citizen, therefore, she claims, Obama was also a British citizen at birth, and a Kenyan citizen at age 2. "There has been no decision by a court about whether someone who was a dual citizen at birth, and has split allegiance, is eligible" to be president, Taitz says. And that goes for Ted Cruz. Renounce his Canadian citizenship? So what? "How did he gain his American citizenship? He wasn't born in the United States of America… He inherited his citizenship from his mother. But at the same time his father was a citizen of Cuba."
Further, she asks, "If you renounce your foreign citizenship, is it enough?" She floats the idea of a Muslim Brotherhood member born in the U.S. with dual citizenship in a place like Iraq, who traveled to Iraq for some time and then came back the U.S. and renounced his Iraqi citizenship. Would that be good enough? [...]
When we spoke to Taitz, she sounded frustrated. She's annoyed that some reporters have referred to her as a dentist with a hint of derision. ("I'm a licensed dentist and a licensed attorney," Taitz said. "When people read about eligibility, they're not coming for dental work.") And it's not just the press that doesn't take birthers seriously. "Congress said 'it's not up to us,'" she complains, while the courts said it's up to Congress. State court said go to federal court, federal court said go to state court.
Indeed, those frustrations came through with other birthers I spoke to. Some sensed that implicit in my question was the suggestion that their attention to the birth certificate issue did not stem from a sincere concern about constitutional law, but something else. They did not like this. Reader Larry Johnson said:
Mickey Mathis, another reader, was especially upset: [...] Continued at The Atlantic Wire.
More from Atlantic Wire: Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ereeve@theatlantic.com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire. [.] Hat tip George. @elspethrb:
View the complete Birther Report presentation at:
http://obamareleaseyourrecords.blogs...-reeve-at.html
Birther Report
8/21/2013
Excerpt:
Ask A Birther: Are You Convinced by Ted Cruz's Birth Certificate?
Excerpts via Elspeth Reeve @ Atlantic Wire
Ted Cruz is trying to nip Cruz birtherism in the bud by releasing his birth certificate and renouncing his Canadian citizenship — though the de-Canadaization process could take up to eight months. Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, so he is an American citizen. But that is not good enough for some birthers. The GOP's winking not-quite-embrace of birther movement and the nativism it represents is not without consequence. At the core of birtherism is the sense that an outsider has infiltrated the nation and clawed his way to illegitimate power in order to serve foreign interests. For a party that is worried about its standing with Latino voters, it's not a good look.
But don't take our word for it. Orly Taitz, long known as the Birther Queen, wove these two issues together seamlessly when we spoke to her about Cruz. Some people in Congress, Taitz said, are "pushing this huge amnesty" bill, which would offer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants that she says will cost Americans jobs. "They're saying, 'Trust us, we'll check E-Verify,'" Taitz says, "but they're failing to address the issue that Obama failed E-Verify." [...]
"With Ted Cruz we have similar issues as we do have with Barack Obama," Taitz told us. She's focused on two problems: verifying the documents, and dual citizenship. Even if you believe President Obama's birth certificate and Social Security number are genuine — Taitz does not — you still haven't settled the problem of dual citizenship, she says. Obama's father wasn't an American citizen, therefore, she claims, Obama was also a British citizen at birth, and a Kenyan citizen at age 2. "There has been no decision by a court about whether someone who was a dual citizen at birth, and has split allegiance, is eligible" to be president, Taitz says. And that goes for Ted Cruz. Renounce his Canadian citizenship? So what? "How did he gain his American citizenship? He wasn't born in the United States of America… He inherited his citizenship from his mother. But at the same time his father was a citizen of Cuba."
Further, she asks, "If you renounce your foreign citizenship, is it enough?" She floats the idea of a Muslim Brotherhood member born in the U.S. with dual citizenship in a place like Iraq, who traveled to Iraq for some time and then came back the U.S. and renounced his Iraqi citizenship. Would that be good enough? [...]
When we spoke to Taitz, she sounded frustrated. She's annoyed that some reporters have referred to her as a dentist with a hint of derision. ("I'm a licensed dentist and a licensed attorney," Taitz said. "When people read about eligibility, they're not coming for dental work.") And it's not just the press that doesn't take birthers seriously. "Congress said 'it's not up to us,'" she complains, while the courts said it's up to Congress. State court said go to federal court, federal court said go to state court.
Indeed, those frustrations came through with other birthers I spoke to. Some sensed that implicit in my question was the suggestion that their attention to the birth certificate issue did not stem from a sincere concern about constitutional law, but something else. They did not like this. Reader Larry Johnson said:
I see that you still have your head squarely placed up your ass. So the issue is what? Ted Cruz released his birth certificate with no hesistancy? I'm not a Cruz supporter, but his conduct in this matter stands in stark contrast to what Obama did.
Cruz's status as a "natural born" American was and is a valid question. Unlike you, I don't pull my punches depending upon the political affiliation of the subject. You do.
Cruz's status as a "natural born" American was and is a valid question. Unlike you, I don't pull my punches depending upon the political affiliation of the subject. You do.
Mickey Mathis, another reader, was especially upset: [...] Continued at The Atlantic Wire.
More from Atlantic Wire: Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ereeve@theatlantic.com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire. [.] Hat tip George. @elspethrb:
View the complete Birther Report presentation at:
http://obamareleaseyourrecords.blogs...-reeve-at.html