The
battle for the soul of Republican conservatism elevated in recent days
as Ted Cruz came under attack from members of his own party over the
issue of his Canadian birth, saying it disqualifies him to serve as
President. As a result, a number of conservative leaders and
commentators have sparked a backlash towards the "conservative"
attackers, citing their instigation of political strife for their
personal and political gain.
The "birther" movement, made up of people who believe President Barack Obama
is not a natural born citizen, may have had a much longer run in the
public eye than it deserved, but it made plenty of noise while it had
America's attention. By comparison, those who argued that John McCain
was not qualified to serve as President because he was born in the
Panama Canal zone never saw their cause gain real traction.
Of course, there are still those who believe that the President was not
born in Hawaii as he claims, mainly because he has never produced his
original birth certificate. What he did provide, a certificate of live
birth, doesn't quite have the legal same standing as an original birth
certificate and did not solve the eligibility issue. There are other
issues involved as well, which have been largely disproven. Of course,
what did end the debate for many was the birth announcement of Barack
Obama in two different Hawaii newspapers in 1961. While it doesn't prove
Obama was born in Hawaii, it makes it nearly impossible to believe he
was born in Kenya as some contend. It would have taken almost
supernatural foresight to have planned a cover-up just days after the
President's birth.
The question now is, who is to blame for allowing the issue to fester?
The President holds some responsibility by not releasing his original
birth certificate, but consider how much blame his wife Michelle holds.
We submit for your consideration the following video, recorded in 2008
when Mrs. Obama was speaking to a gay rights organization. She states
the exact same phrase many "birthers" have been criticized for saying
themselves, that the President's home country was Kenya. Was it a purely
symbolic statement, or was it a Freudian slip of historic proportions?
At least liberals can't blame the right for starting the controversy.
For more information regarding the citizenship of President Obama, visit the urban legends website snopes.com.
