It’s not just for evil right wing rethuglicans anymore!
A prominent Philadelphia attorney and Hillary Clinton supporter filed suit this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee. The action seeks an injunction preventing the senator from continuing his candidacy and a court order enjoining the DNC from nominating him next week, all on grounds that Sen. Obama is constitutionally ineligible to run for and hold the office of President of the United States.
Phillip Berg, the filing attorney, is a former gubernatorial and senatorial candidate, former chair of the Democratic Party in Montgomery (PA) County, former member of the Democratic State Committee, and former Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania. According to Berg, he filed the suit–just days before the DNC is to hold its nominating convention in Denver–for the health of the Democratic Party.
“I filed this action at this time,†Berg stated, “to avoid the obvious problems that will occur when the Republican Party raises these issues after Obama is nominated.â€Â.
Berg cited a number of unanswered questions regarding the Illinois senator’s background, and in today’s lawsuit maintained that Sen. Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen or that, if he ever was, he lost his citizenship when he was adopted in Indonesia. Berg also cites what he calls “dual loyalties†due to his citizenship and ties with Kenya and Indonesia.
Even if Sen. Obama can prove his U.S. citizenship, Berg stated, citing the senator’s use of a birth certificate from the state of Hawaii verified as a forgery by three independent document forensic experts, the issue of “multi-citizenship with responsibilities owed to and allegiance to other countries†remains on the table.
In the lawsuit, Berg states that Sen. Obama was born in Kenya, and not in Hawaii as the senator maintains. Before giving birth, according to the lawsuit, Obama’s mother traveled to Kenya with his father but was prevented from flying back to Hawaii because of the late stage of her pregnancy, “apparently a normal restriction to avoid births during a flight.†As Sen. Obama’s own paternal grandmother, half-brother and half-sister have also claimed, Berg maintains that Stanley Ann Dunham–Obama’s mother–gave birth to little Barack in Kenya and subsequently flew to Hawaii to register the birth.
Berg cites inconsistent accounts of Sen. Obama’s birth, including reports that he was born at two separate hospitals–Kapiolani Hospital and Queens Hospital–in Honolulu, as well a profound lack of birthing records for Stanley Ann Dunham, though simple “registry of birth†records for Barack Obama are available in a Hawaiian public records office.
Should Sen. Obama truly have been born in Kenya, Berg writes, the laws on the books at the time of his birth hold that U.S. citizenship may only pass to a child born overseas to a U.S. citizen parent and non-citizen parent if the former was at least 19 years of age. Sen. Obama’s mother was only 18 at the time. Therefore, because U.S. citizenship could not legally be passed on to him, Obama could not be registered as a “natural born†citizen and would therefore be ineligible to seek the presidency pursuant to Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution.
Moreover, even if Sen. Obama could have somehow been deemed “natural born,†that citizenship was lost in or around 1967 when he and his mother took up residency in Indonesia, where Stanley Ann Dunham married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian citizen. Berg also states that he possesses copies of Sen. Obama’s registration to Fransiskus Assisi School In Jakarta, Indonesia which clearly show that he was registered under the name “Barry Soetoro†and his citizenship listed as Indonesian.
Of course, factcheck.org (among others — some, notably, on the political right) has tried to put paid to these kinds of desperate procedural niceties, but evidently — had they hoped such would kill a Clinton — they should have written their report in garlic on paper made from a slurry of wolfsbane and had it blessed by a priest.
Otherwise, the beat goes on, I guess…
(h/t STACLU)
This is going to be a farking great convention.
I can only sit back and chuckle. Interesting.
As noted PUMA TexasDarlin pointed out, Factcheck is cousin to the Annenburg challenge:
http://tinyurl.com/5rjsn8
Heck, even the Annenburg Foundation says so:
http://tinyurl.com/5hjzjw
This is kinda like asking Maria Shriver to determine the validity of a Ted Kennedy claim.
I’m not certain how a “natural born citizen” can lose the right to claim US citizenship based on something his mother and stepfather did after he was born.
But I’d love it if Barry had to execute an affidavit that he renounces any citizenship in Indonesia or Kenya that may be his right to claim, as well as the faith of his father(s).
You just have to know that if anyone connected to Berg’s complaint is ever found to have even passed through a county where anyone related to Karl Rove, by blood or marriage, ever set foot in the last 250 years, the O!borg will claim this is all a VRWC setup.
the O!borg
That sounds so apt.
I have to wonder just what kind of sanctions a Federal judge will level if this suit is as spurious as it appears, given the information (I know, not evidence, but this horse is almost pudding it’s been beat so bad) already in the public eye?
But in all truth, I think come September we’ll all look back on this modest opening shot as one of the more sane stratagems to unfold in the convention pie fight.
I get tingles, I tell ya. And bring more butter!
“…“I filed this action at this time,†Berg stated, “to avoid the obvious problems that will occur when the Republican Party raises these issues after Obama is nominated. ”
I suppose the Dems will be saying, “Let this be a lesson to George W. Bush and his followers for advocating pre-emptive war in Iraq.”
It still is the Repuiblicans’ fault!
What an election year! One laugh riot after another! And, beginning next week, one racial racketeer riot after another!
Ah yes, the ANNENBERG political fact checker…
Un. Real.
I’ve never seen so much pre-emptive blame in my life. “Well, they’re going to do something bad, so we’re just getting it out there first.”
Is this really the best that the Democratic party could come up with?
What a waste of time. If this were true I think it would’ve already been proven long ago. Then again, I try to avoid going down any conspiracy theory paths as they all lead to looneytown.
Still, in looneytown you might get looneytunes, and bugs bunny cracks me up.
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–> heh.
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Huh?
We have the real birth certificate. Can we just put this matter to bed now?
Take it up with the Hillary backer. We essentially wrote this story off here a month ago.
Is there anything in that cerificate about money held in a bank account and I can get it if I deposit soem other sum somewhere…huh? Huh?
As much as I dislike the idea of an Obama administration I don’t think the election should turn on these types of technicalities. Even if there is discovered to be some truth to some of these speculations it is clear that Obama is at least a de facto American, and there is no factual basis to assume that he holds conflicting loyalties toward Kenya or Indonesia.
Undoubtedly the MSM will blame the Republicans for this lawsuit. I remember when Larry Johnson was pushing the rumour that Michelle Obama had referred to “whitey” in a speech at some conference or seminar. Every single right-wing blogger I read, without exception, expressed skepticism and noted that Johnson is a known crackpot. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened my LAT to find a pious column by James Rainey blaming the whole rumor on the right-wing blogosphere.
I’m not willing to write off FactCheck just because of the Annenberg money behind it. That’s really a stretch.
So do I have to be the first to say frankly that this whole idea is fucking stupid?
And in my experience FactCheck has been pretty accurate and non-partisan in the past; their column on the “31 words” Yellowcake pseudo-scandal was good and fair. (Which is why whenever I mention it to some leftist trying to call the President a liar over it, they reject it. Because, hey, it’s only the Annenberg Foundation, notorious right-wing bigots, right?)
@ #16: LOL! I love the smell of chum in the water!
I question the timing.
Haven’t y’all wondered why the Clintons have been so….QUIET….for the last couple months?
Isn’t it kinda suspicious that this lawsuit is being filed right before the Convention?
Doesn’t this look like more gristle for the supers to chew on?
“Are we SURE that we want this man as our candidate? After all, the Evil Rethuglican Fascists will do ANYTHING to defeat the Pure Saintly Anointed One…”
Nobody has said it yet, so let me be the first: ROVE, YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD!
I blame racism.
Almost forgot: I denounce myself in advance.
And Bush.
And Kyoto.
Took the words out of my mouth, Pianoman. There is no way the Clintons go quietly. None. They just are not built that way. I doubt they will succeed in removing Obama from the ticket, but I’m convinced they are up to something. And it will be ugly, ugly, ugly.
Not for me, though. I like my popcorn sprinkled with a heaping dose of schadenfreude.
Is it too soon to start the “inauthentically black” meme? I’ve got several guys from West Phillie ready to go with a rap song “Half a Brutha From a Honky Ho.”. They’re going to crash the PUMA caucus and add their new song “Obama Say Yo Honky Ho’s” while throwing patchouli and IUD’s at the crowd.
Somebody needs to have Rove get in touch with me so that we can coordinate.
JD, please take care of the usual denouncements.
And especially BJ Texs, a bigot the likes of which this world has not seen since the Grand Kleagle Byrd donned the bedsheet.
Memo,
Stock up on popcorn and video tape, 8hr ones.
He’s still really a lot unamerican with how much he hates America. He and that woman.
It doesn’t really matter anymore. His Oilyness is toast, no matter what.
The only question is whether he will be nuked at the Dem convention, or in the GE. He has absolutely no substance, and stutters in a way that would make GWB jealous.
This convention is gonna be an asskicker! I agree with pianoman. The Clintons went away much too quietly. I will not be surprised if Hillary! emerges from the convention as the nominee. I’m pretty sure they have a nuke up their sleeve that they are just waiting to drop at the perfect moment.
And I also won’t be surprised when every major (and minor) urban area is overwhelmed with rioting. I know that I can be called racist for saying that, but who among us doesn’t know this? Because the only possible reason for voting for McCain is that you are a RACIST!
ObamaLamaDingDong’s empty head can not be a reason to vote against him, you white motherfuckers! He is (sorta) black, and therefore deserves to be president, even if he is a pinhead.
Sweet dreams, and aloha! Or is it Allah ahkbar?
“Half a Brutha From a Honky Ho.â€Â
Mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-chonny-ho
/peeweeeeeee!!!!1!
urthshu,
Thanks for making me spit half chewed potato chips all over my keyboard.
Breaking…Obama’s half white!11!!!11!!
Comment by kelly on 8/22 @ 3:23 pm #
Breaking…Obama’s half white!11!!!11!!
Yeah, and his ideas are half-assed!
You’re giving him too much credit, 7-11!.
Quarter-assed?
The suit was filed because Barack Obama’s campaign forged the online document, they brought it forward. They opened the door.
They cracked the egg. Barack was wrong about not looking like the men already on our currency. I could edge towards the precipice overlooking racism land but I won’t Why because Barack’s true color is green, not pail green, not dark green, just money green.
Now the lawsuit is filed let the screaming begin. Ultimately it will get weird because election law is strange and designed to protect those running their mouths for office. Whats weirder is citizenship laws. Both are convoluted quagmires designed to protect the innocent or the merely accused.
The courts are not however servers, or slaves to memes, social networks or dog whistles. Will BHO be disqualified who knows? If he is elected and it is then resolved that he was ineligible will he step down or will he try our collective patience.
Lisa @ #16 two thumbs up!
My problem with this alleged tempest in a teacup — and I know I’m way over my pay grade in commenting about it here — largely rests with the 2000 election: If the DNC deliberately appointed a known-ineligible candidate some months ago just to knock Her Inevitableness down a peg or two — never expecting B’Iraq to actually catch on or anything, but thinking that in any case they’d done an adequate job of Asscovering — but the sumbitch actually wins, not only the nomination but also the Presidency itself, then the Left gets itself the Golden Goose; because, weren’t they shrieking back in 2000 that Gore won the popular vote! How dare you try to deny The Will Of The People
‘s Republic?…… and there goes the Constitution (which the Left thinks of as merely An Inconvenient Truth anyway)….
Whether or not this pans out doesn’t matter. Obama is getting all the karmic love he deserves.
I wonder how much he would have to pay at the airport if he didn’t have that tricked out hoopty O-plane: http://www.orlandobusinessguide.com/baggage.jpg
I don’t know. Maybe it’s a play by the Dems for sympathy votes when this doesn’t pan out. Especially since it seems this was put to rest long ago.
I can’t wait for a post-election Supreme Court decision nullifying Obama’s victory because he was not eligible to run in the first place, and appointing McCain the President. OMG!
If it comes after the election, it won’t be President McCain, but President Biden.
Whose inaugural speech will begin, “Fourscore and seven years ago…”
What Problem?
If Obama was ACTUALLY BORN in Hawaii, and his birth Certificate is Legit.
ALL he has to do is order another one!!