GOP Rep. Decries Uncivil Responses To His Birth-Certificate Bill
Freshman Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) has told the Orlando Sentinel just how he felt about the negative reaction he experienced to a bill he introduced: A bill to require presidential candidates to submit birth certificates to the federal government.
"I expected there would be some civil debate about it, but it wasn't civil," Posey said. "Just a bunch of name-calling and personal denigration ... There is no reason to say that I'm the illegitimate grandson of an alligator."
When he first introduced his bill -- which to date has not picked up even one cosponsor -- Posey said it was about dispelling from the get-go in future campaigns the sort of rumors that were spread about President Obama, and was not aimed at denigrating the president. However, the Sentinel does point out that while Posey now says he has "no reason to question" Obama's citizenship, he did tell them at the beginning of this controversy that he wouldn't "swear on a stack of Bibles whether he is or isn't" an American.
Josh
Matt
Eric
What a stunt. And the 'swearing on a stack of bibles' comment tells us who he wants to notice.
April 9, 2009 1:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think we should submit to this kook all the names we can come up with to show how disgusted we are with stupid politicians!
April 9, 2009 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree,obama fst. This incendiary name calling by people who do and know nothing has got to stop... Call them and tell them to do the peoples business...not the nonproductive BS of partisen losers. 1.800.828.0498.
April 10, 2009 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, clearly, calling this guy out on being a horse's ass is clearly the most egregious example of incivility in political discourse in our nation today.
April 9, 2009 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
And a real insult to horses in the bargain...
April 9, 2009 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
"There is no reason to say that I'm the illegitimate grandson of an alligator."
I beg to differ, sir!
April 9, 2009 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now just a second there, bud! What have you got against alligators that you are blaming them for this twit? I'll have you know that alligators are dedicated parents who are also responsible for making the habitat livable for other species. I take umbrage with people who try to connect a decent, hardworking alligator with this sorry specimen of a slime mold.
April 9, 2009 10:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is no reason to say that I'm the illegitimate grandson of an alligator."
Well, I think you need to prove that you're not, buddy.
And that proof has to be notarized.
Tick tock, dude. We're waiting.
April 9, 2009 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
They're ought to be a bill for Congresscritters requiring them to demonstrate by genetic testing that they have no alligator genes in their DNA. I am not impugning the honor of the Congressman from Florida, nor do I mean to imply that one of his ancestors did the nasty with an alligator. I am simply saying that there is a legitimate question out there and it needs to be settled once and for all with all the certainty that science can muster (for our purposes today, we believe in science). Because I'm pretty sure that alligator ancestry disqualifies one from serving in government.
April 9, 2009 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Bachmann's office can offer up a resolution to that effect.
I guess it's a positive sign that no one wants to be a co-sponsor of this. Shows you how batshit crazy you have to be before you start turning off other Repubulicans.
April 9, 2009 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I for one have never seen Rep. Bill Posey produce a birth certificate. I'm not saying he is the illegitimate grandson of an alligator, I'm just saying, he hasn't shown otherwise.
April 9, 2009 2:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think someone needs to ask Posey what bothered him more: the implication that he was descended from alligators or that that descension may have been illegitimate!!@#$!!$$
Think how the alligators feel about this.
April 9, 2009 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, he's not the illegitimate son of an alligator as far as I know.
April 9, 2009 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
heh.
i called bill's office. i told the staffer i thought the claims were a little over the top, but that until Bill posey produces a birth certficate proving otherwise, I'm not willign to go to the mat for him.
I'll give posey;'s staffer credit: he has a sense of humor better than his employer's, he finished my sentence for me and started laughing.
April 9, 2009 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
All of the comments about this alligator gar are right on target. But the one by CT Voter is priceless; way to go CT!
April 9, 2009 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
O/T: TPM? That picture of Tom Cole with the word "charm" in the caption is just comedy gold. I laugh every time I see it.
A visual oxymoron.
April 9, 2009 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
"There is no reason to say that I'm the illegitimate grandson of an alligator."
No sir unless you can't prove otherwise. And no phony birth certificate documents!
April 9, 2009 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
It should be obvious to the most casual observer that Bill Posey (R-FL)isn't swift on the uptake. His grandpa should have told him when people question his ancestry all he needs to do is show his birth certificate. That way no one will every confuse a snake with an alligator.
April 9, 2009 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Read the article, and the best part was where he opposed the stimulus but made sure to insert an earmark (filthy, evil things!!!! BAD Democrats! Bad!) to benefit his district.
April 9, 2009 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
i didn't want to, but the democrats made me do it!!!
April 9, 2009 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
"There is no reason to say that I'm the illegitimate grandson of an alligator."
I think that came from a Colbert episode making fun of the bill.
April 9, 2009 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep, came from Colbert.
But now Colbert can revisit the whole question, and demand, not a birth certificate, but a marriage certificate. The question is legitimacy, not the alligator heritage.
Heck, maybe in Florida Alligator/Human marriages are allowed?
April 9, 2009 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can't speak to that, but I do know* that in Georgia, they ask if you're related to your intended. They don't prohibit anything because of it, as far as I know, they just seem to want to know.
* Someone I know got married in Georgia.
April 9, 2009 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
"...now if you are, that won't prohibit you from getting married we just need the info for record keeping."
April 10, 2009 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think this calls for a constitutional amendment prohibiting Human/Alligator marriages in Florida -- we could call it the Defense of Mammalian Marriage Act (DOMMA) so that we make it clear that traditional marriage everywhere is threatened if marriage rights are extended to reptile/mammal couples....
April 9, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
In a crossover news world, Congressman Posey would be traded to the Somali pirates (highjackers is a better term, by the way) for the safe release of the Captain Phillips.
April 9, 2009 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sneaky, my comments not here, 2nd try.
Hello, lots of Obots here! Posey got you guys scared? Is Master "O"'s job in jeopardy. Don't fear Posey, he just wants to see an old piece of paper. We got all the information we need right out of "O"'s mouth. You see he admitted his dad was a Kenyan Brit. Daddy "O" being a British Citizen at the birth of his son "O" makes baby "O"'s birth come under British Common Law. Have some fun look up, (BRITISH COMMON LAW, ALIEN BIRTH TO BRITISH CITIZEN),(no not Martian alien, American alien, as Stanley Ann Dunham was to Daddy "O"'s home country, England)NO! don't say this is America and British Law doesn't count. It does to British Citizens and their offspring. Look it up. So we now know baby "O" was born a Brit. Cool! He could have been born an American also, but we'll have to let the American courts decide that. We don't know where he was born, how old his mother was, on and on. That's OK we got enough. Being born a British Citizen, or a Dual Citizen if it is ever proven he is an American Citizen, proves he is not a NATURAL BORN AMERICAN! I can hear the Fat Lady singing, it's over! Now Guys, who you gonna run against old Jeb Bush this November? Better find Howard Dean. Where's he been anyway? Still gonna keep Biden as VP or are you gonna give him a chance against Jeb? This is better than White Water and Vince Foster put together!
April 9, 2009 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is that you, "John"?
April 9, 2009 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Grouch, who's John?
April 9, 2009 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just more troll droppings.
April 9, 2009 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Josh and Co.
We need to start a list of the top 10 Congressional Crack pots like how the wire service ranks college sports teams. This guy shows why there is a democracy in America where all the lame brains, nutcase, lunatics congregate. Actually it is the consequence of the FOX News phenomena and the last two generations that critical thinking was not developed in many of our nation's schools.
These nutballs need to be rated.
Let us start with my list:
1) Backmann
2) Posey
3) Lamborn
4) Duncan Hunter
5) Sen Inofe
6) Boehner
7) Canter
8) Brown (TX)
9) Cornyn
10) Vitters
April 9, 2009 5:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't forget King in Iowa. And Coburn in OK isn't playing with a complete deck either. Something about OK?
April 9, 2009 10:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
His name and title is now "Congresscritter Bill Posey".
Think about it.
April 11, 2009 1:00 AM | Reply | Permalink