Birther

Among Birther Friendly Lawmakers, Mostly Radio Silence

Benjy Sarlin | April 27, 2011, 1:39PM

President Barack Obama's long form birth certificate.

President Obama's decision to release his long form birth certificate comes amid Donald Trump's three-ring circus on the issue, but prominent conservatives have flirted with the birther movement since its earliest inception. From insisting Obama release more records, to waffling on questions about his citizenship, to sponsoring legislation winking at conspiracy theorists, there's been no shortage of birther curious behavior over the last several years.

TPM reached out to over 20 lawmakers and public figures who have indulged in such behavior to determine whether Obama's release of the Rosetta stone of birtherism has settled the issue, receiving few responses.

TPM SLIDESHOW: There's The Birth Certificate: TPM's Best Of The Birthers

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Birther

Know Your Republican Birthers: Which Pols Have Dipped A Toe In The Birther Pool?

Jillian Rayfield | July 19, 2010, 8:37AM

For as long as there have been birthers, there have been politicians jumping on the birther bandwagon. And for as long as there have been politicians jumping on the birther bandwagon, there have been politicians who casually lean up against the birther bandwagon but run away before anyone sees them.

Here's TPM's roundup of politicians who have proven to be, for lack of a better term, birther-curious, before having to back things up a bit...

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Immigration

Immigration Reform: The Hot Tamale No One Wants To Touch

Christina Bellantoni | July 12, 2010, 9:27AM

Sign warning drivers of pedestrian crossing in Southern California along U.S.-Mexico border.

Attorney General Eric Holder Sunday denied that the timing of the Justice Department's lawsuit against Arizona's immigration law has anything to do with the looming midterm elections. But question remain about whether the Obama administration really did bring the lawsuit now to help Democrats with Latino voters and drive a wedge between Republicans this fall.

If so, the lawsuit is likely to be the only immigration policy action on which lawmakers will be able to campaign, if the Sunday show appearances by members of Congress are any indication of the lack of appetite for passing a comprehensive immigration reform measure this year.

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Birther

The Back Bench: Right-Wing GOPers You Don't Know...But Should

Jillian Rayfield | April 21, 2010, 8:49AM

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX)

Birthers, militias, Tea Partiers -- it's hard to keep track of all the fringe groups that have popped up across the nation. But what to do when the extreme ideas of some of these groups bleed into the politics of public officeholders?

We've rounded up some of the right-wing House GOP members who may not have the national presence (or charisma) of a Michele Bachmann or a Steve King, but who certainly share their penchant for appealing to the outer limits of the political stratosphere...

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Trent Franks

Trent Franks Clarifies Remarks About Obama Being "Enemy of Humanity"

Eric Kleefeld | September 29, 2009, 2:29PM

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) has clarified his comments from the How to Take Back America conference, where he called President Obama an "enemy of humanity" -- with his spokesperson saying that he should have made it clear that he was referring to Obama's abortion policies.

As the Associated Press reports:

Trent Franks of Arizona said in a speech to conservatives Saturday in St. Louis that Obama's decision to fund international family planning organizations that support legal abortion shows "he has no place in any station of government and we need to realize that he is an enemy of humanity."

Bethany Haley, spokeswoman for Franks, said the congressman was referring to "unborn humanity" and should have clarified his statement.