Damage Control: GOP Bosses Coming Down Hard On Birthers
Until recently, this wasn't the situation at all. Indeed, prominent Congressional Republicans were openly entertaining this stuff. A bill to require birth certificates from presidential candidates has picked up 11 total co-sponsors; Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) declared that the Birthers "have a point," and that he doesn't discourage it. Even House GOP Vice-Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), a member of the leadership, was saying she wanted to see the documents.
But now there's a pattern from on high -- in both the punditocracy and from the party leadership -- of Republicans backing away from this:
• Of course, all House Republicans who were present voted Monday night in favor of the resolution to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hawaii's statehood, which included language recognizing the state has Obama's birthplace. This included Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), the lead sponsor of a bill to require presidential candidates to present birth certificates, and House GOP Vice-Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). Only 20 GOPers missed the vote, which can happen for any number of reasons on a non-binding resolution.
• Last night on his TV show, Bill O'Reilly comprehensively debunked the Birthers:
O'Reilly said to a letter-writer who declared himself not convinced that Obama is an American: "That is because you don't want to be convinced, Larry." That's as good a summary of the Birthers' motivations as any other.
• Even Ann Coulter, who normally can't resist the opportunity to attack Democrats as evil and un-American, calls the Birthers "cranks."
• After Birther leader Orly Taitz made the peculiar claim that the GOP leadership was on board, claiming as evidence that multiple high-ranking GOPers had accepted her Facebook requests, they all prominently said no way.
• Greg Sargent asked RNC chairman Michael Steele's office about his views of Birtherism -- and they unambiguously shot it down:
"Chairman Steele believes that this is an unnecessary distraction and believes that the president is a U.S. citizen. Chairman Steele wants to move beyond this conversation and continue discussing the real and immediate concerns that face American families like the economy and health care. Americans are concerned with President Obama's health care plan, a failed stimulus package and a ballooning deficit. Chairman Steele has many other issues to take up with the president that have to do with policy, not a birth certificate."
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Slow as snails. Should have doe this at the begining.
July 29, 2009 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Finally, these three fine men debunk this hateful myth.
July 29, 2009 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Weird.
Good, but weird. Why? Particularly Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter? The politicians, I can understand--perhaps they've been getting some pushback via polling numbers or constituents. But the media personalities?
July 29, 2009 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because they realize that this nonsense is hurting the republican party.
Orly Taitz was on Colbert last night. Only the most profound lunatics are still claiming he was born in Kenya so Taitz has changed her story. Obama is now ineligible because his father was not an American citizen. According to her, both parents must be American citizens for a child to be considered natural born.
July 29, 2009 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
If we're making up rules as we go along, my new rule is that elected officials must pass an IQ test with a 130 minimum IQ. And nobody gets grandfathered in.
July 29, 2009 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I saw her. They couldn't have chosen a worse representative than Taitz.
Wonder if the Birthers are aware of her? It's hard to take someone complaining about citizenship seriously when you can barely understand them because of their accent.
July 29, 2009 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think she is one of the founding Birthers.
July 29, 2009 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
And she filed the lawsuit on behalf of the "Major" who is refusing to serve on the basis that the President is not a citizen.
The woman is absolutely nuts.
July 29, 2009 8:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't it odd that the Party who despised and hated Communism and Russia would so gladly accept the rantings of a Russian transplant? Furthermore, being a Russian on American soil would open her up to argument and criticism by them as to what would a Russian would know about American and her politics? So why are they so enamored with this woman? Just because she agrees with them? Sounds like they don't realize they're victims the propaganda they use to preach.
July 29, 2009 10:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I tend to think that the majority of Birthers have no idea who she is. Given the rampant xenophobia of Birthers, I'd predict that they'd be seriously turned off by Orly.
It's really funny.
July 30, 2009 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have a slightly more cynical take, given that it's O'Reilly and Coulter (and also Malkin), who retain their salaries and influence on the discourse whether the GOP is up or down.
O'Reilly and Coulter are quashing it because Dobbs, Beck, and Limbaugh aren't. This is a turf war, and if a hundred thousand birthers are watching Dobbs every night now, it cuts down on the number of eyeballs that also tune in for O'Reilly's show.
Something that is only rarely remarked upon is how little love ANY of the big right-wing noisemakers have for each other. They rarely if ever make appearances on one another's shows. You never hear O'Reilly say, "You know, Sean Hannity had a great point yesterday on his show..." even though they all ostensibly believe the same things. And if you want to make another few blood vessels burst in Limbaugh's forehead, all you have to do is muse about what an up-and-comer that Glenn Beck kid is. They're business rivals, and that's about it-- the content of the things they have to say to get attention is only of passing interest. Thus you have Beck nonchalantly reading from the TelePromTer about how Obama is a racist. Well, we're paying attention, aren't we? He might privately hope that Republicans get elected, but he'd trade that for market share in a heartbeat.
The neat little twist about the whole Birther kerfluffle is that it's hard to believe ANYONE actually believes it's even remotely true in any way. It's not even a conspiracy theory--the people flogging it aren't cranks; they're opportunists. I'm just waiting for one of them (probably Coulter) to lose patience and just scream, "Oh, come on, Rush, none of us believe any of this crap we spout all day, much less this Birther stuff!"
July 29, 2009 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kablooey ...I love the smell of fracturing parties in the afternnon. I think you nailed it - every man for himself. These guys (and gals get paid millions of dollars to stand on the virtual soapbox and shout crazy stuff like a scizoprhenic street person.I want to see them try to walk back Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck.
July 29, 2009 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can't be bothered with yesterday's worn-out lies when they have to inveigh against the plan to euthanize our seniors!
Got to get their big-lie priorities straight.
July 29, 2009 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I detect a grain of truth here.
They realize this whole "birther" thing is never going to go anywhere and is diverting their blithering idiot followers from what they REALLY want to focus on at the moment, that under health care someone from the government will ask each senior citizen how they want to die.
July 29, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remember the movie Solyent Green ...
Wanna bet the old movie will be used to validate their cause with this crowd?
July 30, 2009 5:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Euthanize our seniors"? I just thought the black helicopters were going to take them for a ride.
July 30, 2009 3:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
NO!!! Embrace the birthers! They're your base! Don't abandon the wingnuts now! They're all you've got!!!
Oh well, I tried.
July 29, 2009 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm surprised that Josh, the other TPM writers, and TPM readers haven't figured out this latest birther gambit yet. Isn't it obvious? The birther story has been allowed to fester for almost a FULL YEAR now. It's firmly rooted in the minds of every single nutjob that the right-wing wanted to reach with the story. So, what's the cost of supposedly debunking the story now? Nothing! The wackos will remain convinced, and the right-wing pundits like O'Reilly and Coulter can use this to appear halfway reasonable; after all, they are being noble and admitting the obvious truth about this 'story', right? How honest of them; how honorable! Meanwhile, all of the political benefits of painting Obama as some sort of scary alien Kenyan person remain intact.
Of course they're willing to knock the story down! The lie has already had all of its intended effects.
July 29, 2009 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good catch Eric.
More evidence that the GOP power structure is in tact. They killed Palin. They wasted Bunning. They took out Mark Rubio. They stopped the frothing rebellion against the Wise Latina and retook control of the Senate confirmation process.
Reports of the GOP's demise are greatly exaggerated. The powers that be in the GOP are moving to regain control of their party from the Limbaugh loons and Beck bawlers.
Obama won't have the luxury of a feckless opposition very much longer
July 29, 2009 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
While I don't want to see anyone underestimating the opposition, I don't think the right is operating in "crazy like a fox" mode, just yet.
If these people are chess players, then they must be looking about 10 moves ahead of everyone else, because they sure haven't been accomplishing shit up to now.
I don't think they've had a workable plan since Karl Rove thought he had "the numbers."
July 29, 2009 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
You are joking, right?
July 29, 2009 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
GOP power structure? Huh?
July 29, 2009 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I dunno, I wouldn't be so quick to make that call, or to conclude that the grownups were back in charge. There were plenty of "Wise Latina" references in Republican statements before the Judiciary Committee vote was taken, and only one of their ranks voted in favor of the nomination there.
At the same time, Michael Steele and 3 Republican governors who had been invited to attend the 2009 NCLR conference all declined. And didn't decline individually; no, the RNC declined for them. I'm not sure how the party plans to win back Latino votes that way...
Tim Kaine, meanwhile, addressed the group in Spanish.
July 29, 2009 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
GOoPer rhetoric has become more shrill, more outrageous, and more laughable than at anytime I can remember. Could it be that the rethugs are starting to choke on their own bile? Clearly, no one of any importance wants to be seen as the last birther standing....
July 29, 2009 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
In addition to the factors noted by semiotix and jfields (pundit rivalry; political goal achieved), there is another, purely substantive pressure which the more astute rabble-rousers are probably alert to: the counter-evidence is too simple, too available, and too public. The whole house of cards is about to go down, unmistakably.
A good smear, with conspiratorial undertones, should be based on "facts" that are hidden, disputed, inacessible. When the shadow of an external world comes near -- run.
July 29, 2009 1:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, I guess the right wing nut jobs have finally read the handwritting on the polls....
July 29, 2009 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
What really strikes me about this is that the Fox folks and the heads of the GOP and Rush et. al. keep saying they think as individuals and don't talk to each other etc. blah blah.
But it's so obvious the Capo di tutti capi has decided that this is the new line. I think they read this website and others and watch the Daily Show to see what the rest of us think. Then they alter their plans. I wish we knew who the Capo di tutti capi was. It's certainly not Michael Steele. Roger Ailes? Karl Rove? Dr. Strangelove? If we knew we could cut off the many headed Hydra's many heads and be done with it and get our country back.
July 29, 2009 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
John R--When I first read "fracturing parties" in your post I thought it read "fracturing panties" and I thought well that's what happens when wingnuts get their panties in a twist. Of course we know Coulter wears boxers.
July 29, 2009 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yesterday, Ben Pershing, a reporter from the Washington Post just defended his practice of flogging the Birther story in his paper's pages! Wonder how long it will take the WaPo to adopt the new GOP party line on this? Someone in Michael Steele's office should make sure they're on the routing list for these things to avoid such embarrassing missteps in the future.
July 29, 2009 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't help but note that none of the "GOP bosses coming down hard on the Birthers" in this article are actually elected officials.
I know, this is hardly a novel observation, but it's worth reminding ourselves of that. Michael Steele? Honestly, does anyone in the GOP care what he says? No. It really comes down to Bill O'Reilly and freakin' Ann Coulter.
Those two are the GOP bosses? They're loud, yes, but large and in charge?
July 29, 2009 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only reason these weasels are backing way is it didn't gain any traction. It's a sure fire loser, doesn't harm Obama, and only makes them look stupid.
July 29, 2009 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I admit I have no idea or opinion about this "issue," and I can't even tell if it IS an issue. But, I do have a question... Has anyone ever produced a certified copy of this man's Hawaiian birth certificate? I mean, that would make this a total non-issue, like all you self-congratulators seem convinced that it is. So, why is this any kind of issue at all? Haven't they produced one? Or, won't they? If the answer to either question is, "No," then the next question is surely, "Why the hell not?" Has it occurred to anyone that there really is an issue here, and somebody is laying low, just sandbagging ... letting the fringe element trot the circuit looking whacky just to keep the ball in the air? I mean, why is this happening at all? If you've got a certified birth certificate -- I've got mine -- then that ends it, period. So, why hasn't this ended?
July 29, 2009 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know about Hawaii, but I had to get a copy of mine a few years back, and they won't issue one to just anybody (think about the identity theft issues). Obama ain't gonna give these idiots the satisfaction, and the Hawaiian government has come out, repeatedly, to say they his birth certificate in their official records.
Given the fact that his "controversy" just makes the Birthers look more and more stupid every day, why should we WANT to end it?
July 29, 2009 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's put it this way: If Obama produced a "certified" copy of his birth certificate, but the birthers refuse to acknowledge that he did, does that mean he didn't produce one? And, if everyone in the world, except for you, were aware that he'd produced the "certified" copy, does that mean that he didn't produce one?
The fact that you were able to find your way to this site, but you're still unaware of how many different ways that Barack Obama's birth on American soil, in the state of Hawaii, has been officially verified is just amazing.
Go look it up. Start with factcheck.org. Or try the Google.
July 29, 2009 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here. It's probably asking too much for you to go find out for yourself. Here's the link:
http://factcheck.org/2009/07/the-last-word-we-wish/
July 29, 2009 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
You can lead a horse to water...
July 29, 2009 5:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
. . . but you can't make it think.
July 29, 2009 8:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
. . . but you can't make it think.
July 29, 2009 8:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since you don't seem to be the reading type (love your preface), here's all you need to get caught up:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-22-2009/the-born-identity
July 29, 2009 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you've got a certified birth certificate -- I've got mine -- then that ends it, period. So, why hasn't this ended?
You do realize that there are people today who are members of the Flat Earth Society?
July 29, 2009 6:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Check this out. I believe you will find that this post covers every point and puts the matter to rest. Mkay?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/7/23/756088/-De-bunking-birther-talking-points
July 29, 2009 11:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are only two constitutional pre-requisites to becoming president of the United States: 1) You have to be at least 35 years old, and 2) you must have been born in the United States. Duh, producing a verified birth certificate would prove both qualifications -- and lay this "issue" to rest. Question: What would be the result if it actually is discovered that Obama was not born in this country? Answer: Every law, order, memo letter, statement, etc. that he signed, authoried or uttered as presidnet -- every single act he has taken -- would be absolutely void. See why somebody might be sandbagging this? If this turns out to be crazy like a fox, then we will all be left with our jaws on the floor.
July 29, 2009 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Constitution does not say a President must be "born in the United States." It says the President must be a "natural born citizen," a term about which there is all this controversy.
July 29, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
The birth certificate has been produced. It's on his website. No state will send you the actual birth certificate. They send out a Certificate of Live Birth or a Certification of Birth - it varies from state to state.
There is a notice in the Hawaiian newspaper of his birth on August 4, 1961. Are you saying that 48 years ago his mother knew in advance he would run for President so she put a notice of his birth just to establish a birth right.
Get a life. On the other hand, John McCain's birthright was never questioned and he was born in Panama before it was a U.S. Territory
July 29, 2009 8:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here ya go: All of you who were personally present for Barack Obama's birth please make yourselves known. The rest of you out there mouthing off on this are either just hoping, or just guessing, or both. Where are the people who actually know, o,r in the alternative, where is the original certified document memorializing the fact that he was born in the United States? Are you telling me that no one is able to produce either one? No personal witnesses NOR a certified record? Well, why the hell not? He was born in the 20th century, wasn't he? How hard can this be?
July 29, 2009 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Certified by whom? Hawaii officials have said they certify he was born there.
And what about the birth announcements in the local papers? Clever forgeries?
While we're at it, where's Abe Lincoln's birth certificate? Anyone seen *that* one?
July 29, 2009 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're confusing an "original" document with a "certified" copy.
Governments KEEP the original and issue certified copies. Hawaii put all its original documents in electronic form and destroyed the paper originals.
President Obama may or may not have the certified copy his mother got when he was born, but that DOES NOT MATTER, as Hawaii has confirmed more than once that a certificate of his birth is on file in their official records.
BTW, if you are so skeptical, why would you believe a piece of paper that could be pretty easily forged?
July 29, 2009 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, the persuasive argument for not producing a certified copy of Mr. Obama's Hawaiian birth certificate is that someone might steal his identity. That's funny. No, wait, that's just stoopid. If the state official affirms it, that's good enough for me, but obviously it's not ggod enough for quite a lot of others. Why not produce it to the public, if it really exists. All you have now is someone saying, Yes, it really does exist. Can't you admit that is insufficient for some people? Who believes everything some government shithead writes? You?
July 29, 2009 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
In our modern times, we have this thing called the "internets". Heard of it? It can be used to easily verify that Prez Obama is a natural born citizen of the USA. You can start with this link
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthcertificate.asp
July 29, 2009 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can only hope that you have some influence in your local and state Republican Party. Keep beating that birther drum; damn the facts, full speed ahead!
July 29, 2009 6:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shorter liberal orthodoxy:
Are you going to believe me or your own lying eyes?
July 29, 2009 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure, I can admit that. Having the director of the Hawaii Department of Health vouch for the authenticity of a document that is within her purview is insufficient for some people. Signatures, seals, eye witnesses, common sense--all of these things are insufficient for some people. And those people are called fucking idiots.
And, people who pretend that those people have valid concerns that need to be given full and everlasting consideration are called concern trolls, among other things.
July 29, 2009 8:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because its equally pointless, I enjoy answering birther challenges as much as they like slinging them. So I'll examine a few of their questions.
Why doesn't Obama submit to the demands of the birthers? The birthers are demanding that Obama prove himself innocent to the unobtainable satisfaction of the birthers on a matter that the birthers have zero evidence Obama has done anything wrong. "Prove yourself innocent." That's the recipe for a witch hunt.
Submitting to the birthers would make them feel empowered. All this "why doesn't he just fork over the certificate if he has nothing to hide" nonsense is ignorant. The birthers think they have a threat. "Submit to us, or we'll accuse you of something terrible." It also shows the impossibility of reasoning with birthers, as anyone who understands logic knows that absense of evidence is not evidence.
The birthers have no agenda but to destroy those who disagree with them. There is no search for the truth. There is a search for the most effective lie. The lies and accusations go on forever, no matter what is produced. It can only get worse.
There is no upside to proving anything. If Obama turns over a document that disproves what the birthers claim, the birthers will just call it a forgery, or just plain pretend it isn't there like the newspaper announcements of Obama's birth.
There is no downside to refusing to submit. The public sees the birthers as kooks, so there is no way the birther nonsense will snowball. In fact, the more exposure it gets, the worse Republicans look. Mainstream Republicans know that, so they have to distance themselves. That angers the birthers, who in turn reject the Republican party. The GOP could split.
The funniest part is, the GOP pushed hatred and lies through the right wing media to create a segment of the population that is stupid and furious. Now the GOP is getting strangled by the very Frankenstein they created. They have no way to turn it off.
Why would Obama stand in the way of that?
ALSO: The Constitution provides many safeguards when choosing a president. The last step is the certification of the election by Congress. That's final. If it turned out later that Obama wasn't a citizen, he'd still be president and all his actions would be valid. The only way to remove him is by impeachment. The courts have no power here.
July 29, 2009 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Man, I guess there are posters here who have not yet entered the 21st century. If any of you have had the experience of losing/misplacing your tattered, faded and shredded original BC, you will know that you can NEVER get a copy again. Ever. Truly---everything has now been digitized.
I was born (quite a while ago) in Long Island Jewish Hospital (now the Long Island Medical Center) in Queens. I needed my Birth Certificate when I moved, did not yet have an in-state driver license and needed to establish my identity for a bank account in a new state. I wrote to Nassau County where I was born, paid the fee and was sent small grey piece of paper with the particulars of the time and date of my birth. If I ever run for office I am sure a bunch of loonies will cook up a similar "controversy" over whether I was a "real" American since I, too, can no longer produce a "real" birth certificate. And if any of you lose yours and need it replaced, you too will find out you have none.
You know what I think? The GOP is now so thoroughly bankrupt of workable issues---and Obama has done such a smooth job pulling support from both parties--that they simply have nothing else to talk about. Their railing against nationalized health care is ludicrous, since the huge aging Boomer population is going to require a nationalization of this staggering spending. There is simply no other choice.
And what else have they got? They can't criticize his wars without looking ridiculous since they all supported the same wars when Bush was waging hem.
Result? Now they are stuck with this National Globe tabloid-trash-type stuff to throw at him. It's sad, really. They simply have NOTHING else.
August 2, 2009 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Make no mistake-- the newspaper announcement in 1961 was the thing that pushed this back from the brink. Anybody with two firing brain cells saw that and immediately realized the gig was up.
If it hadn't been for that, you can rest assured all these morons would be going full steam ahead on this.
Too bad, it would have been fun to watch the GOP go off the really deep end. But they're all political survivalists before they're anything else-- certainly before they're public servants for the greater good.
July 29, 2009 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know what's more important than where Obama was born? People dying of starvation! The Borgen Project has some good information on the cost of addressing global poverty (www.borgenproject.org).
It only takes $30 billion annually to end world hunger!
Yet... we are spending $550 billion annually on the defense budget.
July 29, 2009 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Intercourse the Borgen Project. You're as bad as those insufferable telephone solicitors.
July 29, 2009 8:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the Republicans started backing away from the birthers after the televised ranting of a birther at a townhall meeting. I don't think anybody wants to be associated with that exhibition of lunacy. Until then it was all internet accusations, now the birthers have a face and personality--and it's not pretty.
July 29, 2009 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anybody here know what it means to be truly American? A National Review columnist does not think the new GI Joe movie is American enough. He probably doesn't think Obama is either.
Here is a clip of him debating this point on MSNBC.
http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2331
July 29, 2009 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Only because it was backfiring and painting all Republicans as fringe loonies. Why were these "leaders" so late to speak against it - because they weren't going to stand up and stop it when it just might have made certain ground.
Now Billo the Clown and Coultergeist will say "I said those birthers were nuts, I'm bi-partisan".
July 29, 2009 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
"painting all Republicans as fringe loonies..."
If the shoe fits....?
They're the ones with the public paintbrush, so who's to blame for the backlash but their own misguided leadership.
The Republicans are wallowing, to put it kindly.
If ever a more rudderless ship plied the political seas, I can not recall it.
Every breeze blows them off course, as if they had any idea what course to take in the first place.
And right now, from this "birther event, which is evidence of their desperation, The Republican ship is in a trough they may not come out of.
The fact so many still cling to hopeless delusions about Obama's legitimacy is simple proof they are leaderless.
July 30, 2009 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is it just me, or does Ann Coulter have an Adam's apple?
July 29, 2009 7:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just notice that, did you? You should see what's under "her" skirt!
July 29, 2009 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
"She" does indeed have an Adam's apple. She's also rumored to be packing junk. Maybe we could get one of her fawning college Republican fanboys to find us proof to the contrary.
July 29, 2009 9:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think there's anything wrong with being transgendered. Ann Coulter should proudly come out of the closet. Hiding this sort of thing is so passe.
July 29, 2009 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Republicans' rebukes to these crazies seems pretty gentle - much more so than, say, their rebukes to Democrats favoring the public option, whom they typically label as socialist or fascist, or some other form of scary extremist.
July 30, 2009 7:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
So is this some sort of " Birther control"?
Would that there were a pill to make this paramount wingnut delusion disappear. But no doubt, a hundred years from now, anyone studying our era of inanity will find an asterisk linking to five Wiki pages all about it.
July 30, 2009 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) declared that the Birthers "have a point,"
"have a point?"
Yeah, well, so does Inhoffe, and it's at the top of his head.
Like Jeff Sessions and Cornyn and King, Inhofe will represent to historians of the future a vivid caricature of what early 21st Century pernicious Republicanism (with a capital R) looked like.
July 30, 2009 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans are always better at staying on message.
Since in this case it was obviously highly coordinated, does anyone know how the Republican Party actually conveys these marching orders? Did Steele host a conference call and tell them all that the birther nonsense is certifiably racist?
July 30, 2009 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink