Here it is. Now can we deal with the real issues?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 28th, 2011
Good morning!
Obama Birth Certificate Released By White House
WASHINGTON — The White House released on Wednesday President Barack Obama’s “long form” birth certificate, the document whose absence has long been at the heart of the conspiracy-riddled discussion over Obama’s legitimacy to serve as the nation’s commander in chief.
(SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO OF BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND VIDEO OF OBAMA’S RESPONSE)
The move came as a surprise to the press corps, many of whom had not shown up for Wednesday’s early-morning White House briefing. By the time word had spread that Obama would be making a 9:45 a.m. statement on the matter, however, the top anchors at all the networks had scurried into the briefing room.
Once there, they received a presidential scolding for their concern with “silliness.” Obama began his five-minute statement with the complaint that he wouldn’t be able to get the networks to break into their regularly scheduled programming for a speech on policy proposals.
“I know that there is going to be a segment of people for which no matter what we put out, this issue will not be put to rest,” Obama said. “But I am speaking for the vast majority of the American people as well as for the press. We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We have better stuff to do. I have got better stuff to do. We have got big problems to solve.”
“We are not going to be able to do it if we are distracted, we are not going to be able to do it if we spend time vilifying each other … if we just make stuff up and pretend that facts are not facts, we are not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by side shows and carnival barkers,” the president declared earlier.
The document released by the White House differs from the one that Obama’s aides made public during the 2008 presidential campaign. Instead of a “certification” of live birth, this was a “certificate,” clearly recording that the president was born on Aug. 4, 1961 in the Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu.
For years, Obama’s circle of aides had resisted calls to make the latter form public, noting that a certification is legally sound and what any citizen of Hawaii receives upon requesting documents of birth. And indeed, for some time, that explanation — supported by a a wide swath of other contemporaneous evidence – seemed to suffice.
But some who challenged the president’s citizenship remained unsatisfied, and in recent weeks they found a high-profile megaphone for their cause: business tycoon and presidential flirt Donald Trump.
“This issue was resolved in 2008. It has not been an issue,” White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said during a morning briefing in which he and other officials took care not to mention Trump’s name. “None of you have asked about it, called about it or reported on it until the last few weeks … [not releasing it] would probably be good for the president politically. Despite that, the president said he was struck by how this was crowding out the debate.”
Last Friday, the president himself wrote Loretta J. Fuddy, the director of health at the State of Hawaii, requesting “two certified copies of my original certificate of live birth.” Fuddy complied. Shortly thereafter, the president’s counsel, Judith Corley of the firm Perkins Coie, flew to Hawaii to pick up two copies of the form. The trip was not taxpayer funded but, rather, paid out of the president’s personal account. Corley returned on Tuesday at roughly 4 p.m. with the copies. The White House announced a “morning gaggle” for reporters shortly thereafter. One aide explained that they did not want to “hold” on to the documents for release on a later date.
Many members of the press confessed to being “stunned” as it became clear what was about to be discussed. White House press assistants handed out a six-page stapled packet of photocopies showing the new and old birth certificates as well as the White House’s legal correspondence with Hawaii’s Department of Health.
And yet it was the press that played a large role in forcing the administration’s hand. CNN’s Ed Henry had pressed White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on the issue just one day earlier, despite the fact that his own network had done a thorough investigation debunking the claims of the conspiracy theorists.
“There will always be some selection of people who will believe something. That is not the issue,” Pfeiffer said when asked if Wednesday’s move would silence the doubters. “This issue is, this is not a discussion happening just among conspiracy theorists. It is happening here in this room, on all of the networks, and it is something that every major political figure of both parties — instead of talking about real issues — is being asked about this. So the president decided to release this.”
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
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Social Butterfly: All I want to say if thanks to for giving us the recent on BP. It is infuriating…and frustrating.
And Robert: All I want to say to you, is thank you for your comment. You certainly got it all in, very concisely. And I especially like your last paragraph that I want to repeat it here, because I feel as if I am continually making the same comment to friends and family who want to blame Obama.
“Then that same white Senate and House works the media and the sound bites to make it appear this was done by the executive branch run by the black President. And those whites who know that it is the Legislative Branch of the federal government that write the laws actively encourage those that don’t know shit about how their government works to continue to believe in their stupidity that Obama gave those tax breaks to BP.”
Readers: If you have something to say, say it here. From what I’ve been told, this is the place. :) Blog me.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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April 28th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
I got my American citizenship recently. You make a very important point. I am a republican, but it is true that most Americans no next to nothing about how our government functions.
I had to take several civic, American history and english courses to prepare me for citizenship. The thing I learned is that the Constitution and Democracy most Americans are so proud of and brag about most they know the least about.
I can proudly say, I a citizen of less that one year know more about America’s political and governmental process that 90% of americans. I joined the Republican Party because their leadership has the will to get things done. They care less about the right or wrong of how it gets done, they just want it done.
I want to bring other members of my family here and get them citizenship. If I work my way up through this party, I will be able to do just that.
The rank and file of the Republican Party is more ignorant that any other party. It is often bragged about among the elite of the party. I was encouraged to come to America and apply for citizenship. A very important member of the party said that America needs more white citizens who can lead the ignorant by motivating them to go to the polls.
I intend to do that. If I can show my skills and devotion, I will move up and accomplish my goal of bringing my relatives to this great, but ignorant country.
Amelia
April 28th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Lessons from the “Super-Agers”
James Berlau, PhD
Want to live a long, healthy life? To learn how, just ask a “super-ager.”
That was the thinking of researchers at the University of California, Irvine, who recruited more than 1,000 residents from a retirement community to study what exactly caused these people to live to age 90 and beyond.
Known as the “oldest-old,” this group is comprised of about two million Americans and is the fastest-growing segment of the US population.
The 90-Plus Study, which is ongoing, holds important lessons for all of us who hope to reach advanced age with our mental and physical faculties intact.
What’s been discovered so far… *
THROW OUT YOUR SCALE
Obesity is harmful for everyone, but older adults who carry a few extra pounds are more likely to live longer than those who are lean.
Surprising result: Adults in the 90-Plus Study with a body mass index (BMI), which is weight relative to height, of 25 to 29.9 — a range that is considered “overweight” — lived longer, on average, than those with BMIs of 18.5 to 24.9, the “normal” range.** (Participants’ average age was 72 when their BMIs were measured.)
It is not clear why these extra pounds appear to be protective in older adults. It is possible that people who are somewhat overweight have better nutritional status overall than those who are lean.
In addition, people with extra fat reserves may be better able to circumvent “wasting,” the age-related loss of muscle tissue and strength that can lead to frailty and an increased risk for illness.
Caution: In our research, being obese (a BMI of 30 and higher) at any age was not associated with a longer life span. And being overweight or obese at age 21 was associated with a shorter life span.
EXERCISE WORKS
Study participants who exercised for 45 minutes or more a day, most days of the week, were 27% less likely to die within an eight-year period than those who exercised less than 15 minutes daily.
Their activities included swimming, biking, tennis, vigorous walking and dancing. They also were more likely to retain more of their memory and other cognitive functions.
Striking research finding: Even participants who got very little exercise — as little as 15 minutes a day — lived significantly longer than those who were completely sedentary.
Dementia risk is quadrupled: Among the oldest-old, those who scored in the lowest 20% in physical performance — which measured such factors as balance and the ability to walk a certain distance — were four times more likely to have dementia than those who scored in the highest 20%.
Physical activity not only improves cardiovascular and cerebral blood flow, but also increases circulation so that brain cells receive more nutrients.
There is also strong evidence that exercise promotes neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells (neurons) and the connections between these cells.
MONOPOLY, ANYONE?
The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is one of the greatest fears of older adults. The incidence of dementia from all causes, including Alzheimer’s disease, doubles every five years between ages 65 and 85.
Key finding: Participants in the 21-year Bronx Aging Study who spent three hours daily engrossed in mental activities, including playing board games, reading, dancing or playing a musical instrument, were significantly less likely to develop dementia than those who spent less (or no) time doing these activities.
Examples: Specifically, participants who spent hours playing board games had a 75% lower risk of developing dementia… and those who spent a similar amount of time playing a musical instrument had a 70% lower risk.
For optimal results: Aim for three hours of such activities daily. Shorter periods of mental focus can also decrease the risk for dementia, but three hours a day seems to be optimal.
*To read about other research from the 90-Plus Study, go to http://www.alz.uci.edu/research/the-90-study-2.
**To learn your BMI, go to the Web site of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.
Health interviewed Daniel James Berlau, PhD, an adjunct assistant professor in the department of neurology at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine.
He specializes in neurobiology and memory and is a principal investigator in the ongoing 90-Plus Study.
April 28th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Superman has sparked a whirlwind of controversy by renouncing his US citizenship in a shocking twist in the Action Comics’ record 900th issue this week.
The Man of Steel is not giving up his nationality because of heavy taxes or health care reforms. He makes the move after being caught in the middle of a diplomatic row between Washington and Tehran. But it effectively leaves him as an illegal alien.
The storyline has incensed some comic book fans who claim it is a slight on the US.
‘Besides being riddled with a blatant lack of patriotism, and respect for our country, Superman’s current creators are belittling the United States as a whole,’ Hollywood publicist and Republican activist Angie Meyer told FOX411′s Pop Tarts column.
‘By denouncing his citizenship, Superman becomes an eerie metaphor for the current economic and power status the country holds worldwide,’ she added.
In the story, Superman gets panned for making an appearance in Iran to support the country’s rebel protests. It mirrors the comic book trend to mirror real life events. But it is still a radical departure for the character in his iconic red, white and blue suit, first created in 1938 by Jerry Stiegel and Joe Shuster.
‘Truth, justice and the American way – it’s not enough
“I intend to speak before the United Nations tomorrow and inform them that I am renouncing my US citizenship. ‘I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of US policy, he adds, explaining that he wants to help wherever and whenever he’s needed. ‘I’ve been thinking too small. I realize that now.’
But DC Comics co-publishers Jim Lee and Dan Didio insisted Clark Kent’s alter ego is not turning his back on America.
‘Superman is a visitor from a distant planet who has long embraced American values. As a character and an icon, he embodies the best of the American Way,’ they said in a statement to the New York Post. ‘In a short story in Action Comics 900, Superman announces his intention to put a global focus on his never ending battle, but he remains, as always, committed to his adopted home and his roots as a Kansas farm boy from Smallville,’ the statement added.
He is not the only comic book character to be swayed by politics. Captain America briefly hung up his cape because he was frustrated with the level of corruption before returning as the star-spangled avenger to defend the American dream rather than the US government.
‘Superman has always been bigger than the United States. In an age rife with immigration paranoia, it’s refreshing to see an alien refugee tell the United States that it’s as important to him as any other country on Earth — which, in turn, is as important to Superman as any other planet in the multiverse,’ wrote Wired blogger Scott Thill.
‘The genius of Superman is that he belongs to everyone, for the dual purposes of peace and protection,’ Mr Thill added. ‘He’s above ephemeral geopolitics and nationalist concerns, a universal agent unlike any other found in pop culture.’
April 28th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
What you and Robert said is like growing up in a small town. Everybody thinks they know who you are. But they don’t know shit. I have been killing for over 31 years and never been caught.
I’m 48 years old and I laugh at the dumb bastards as they greet me in streets. I’ve been killing and raping their daughters, just killing their sons, and though I have killed a minority or two in my life I don’t usually like to soil my hands on that filth, in and around this state at my leisure.
I kill them because they are stupid and because it is so easy for me. I got your blog address about 4 months ago from a letter in a purse of one of my selections. She was writing to a girlfriend about your blog.
I love where I live. We are kind of old fashioned. We believe in God, Almighty and we say yes ma’am and no ma’am. Out here if you are a white man, you are a gentleman or you are nothing but scum like the negroid, breeds, or mongoloids.
I could say I kill because I am doing God’s work or cleaning out the liberals of my race. But I do it because I like it and because I am good at it.
Why am I telling you this you maybe asking yourself. Well it is because I am thinking of leaving the South and taking my talent to the mid west.
I just want you to be the first to chronicle my deeds. I’m going to add significantly to the 183 I got down here.
Keep up with the news coming out of the mid west after May 17, 2011.
Lenny
April 28th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Bennet, talk about heaping hypocrisy upon bullshit. The white boy makes the claim that Superman was an american citizen. That would be strange coming from a republican since they are the ones who make it so difficult for emigrants, illegals, etc to become american citizens.
Under their laws Superman would have been arrested and shipped back to Krypton. So please explain to me if it is the hypocrisy from Angie Meyer’s rhetoric or pure bullshit from the white boy in general to be considering Superman an American.
Longevity wouldn’t give him citizenship. We see the republicans fighting tooth and nail to keep the “illegals” from claiming citizenship just because they have been here for decades.
What would the republicans substitute for bullshit? Where would they be without it? ‘Cause that would be the only way Superman could claim American
Citizenship.
Growing up as an illegal child of the Kents wouldn’t entitle Superman to claim American Citizenship. According to the laws enacted by republican dominated legislatures that would not help his illegal status.
When one considers that back when the white boy put the phrase “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” into the american vocabulary, the white boy wouldn’t know Truth if it bit him in the ass.
Then we are left with the realization that what that expression really meant was Truth, Justice “THE” American Way, without the “and,” but with a special emphasis on “THE.” Of course back then “The American Way” really meant the White Boy Way.
Now you see that would have been more accurate because Truth and Justice back then the american way, being that the white boy was all the law, government, and justice, was a mere facade.
For you dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks white boys, what I pointing out is that all the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of any level of government(for you fucking morons that would be City, State and Federal) could only be held by a white boy.
No OTWs, or women could hold any governmental office or impanel a jury or be a judge, cop, or lawyer. The white boy was America’s Affirmative Action Beneficiary(AAAB) so only they could benefit from those positions.
Explain to me or any intelligent person how embracing “Just-Us” American values would be something a fair minded alien from another country much less another world would want to emulate?
It takes a white boy mentality to get behind that kind of nationalistic bullshit. The “Never ending battle for Truth , and Justice, would be NEVER ending if Superman stayed exclusively on American soil.
Case in point is the recent Supreme Court decision written by their House Nigger, and the fact that the white boy still enjoys his status as AAAB.
Robert
April 28th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
The people on Guam keep hearing the lies that people aren’t abandoning Japan in panically droves. But so many are leaving that Continental Airlines has started flying non stop from Okinawa to Guam.
Get you geiger counters out folks. You need to check your surroundings to be sure the panic is bringing radiation to your doorstep.
Hafa Adai
Lars
April 28th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Michelle, I received this from Move.On.
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Representative Paul Ryan—the architect of the Republican plan to kill Medicare—was booed at his own town hall meeting this week.
2. His detractors—including MoveOn members—were among the chorus of constituents across the country denouncing the blatant Republican attack on working Americans.
3. Polls show that the Republican plan is deeply unpopular, with 80% of registered voters opposed, including 73% of Republicans and even 70% of tea party supporters.
4. Republicans have clearly overplayed their hand, but polling won’t be enough to save Medicare from their radical ideology.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned together from years of MoveOn activism, it’s that you have to seize the moment.
The press is hot on the story, with coverage by CBS, MSNBC, The New York Times and The Washington Post on the voter backlash to the Republican plan. This is the crucial tipping point, but we’ll lose out if we don’t act on it.
Right now we need to fund advertising, online actions, viral content, and a continued grassroots field effort targeting and punishing every House Republican who voted to kill Medicare (that’s all but 4 of them)
It is about the lies being fed the public concerning the republicans trying to kill Medicare.
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Is there anything that can be done about the ignorance of the american voter?
The ignorance is palpable.
Carol
April 28th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
Hafa Adai, Michelle, Pabst is selling alcohol loaded drinks to our young people. It is called “Blast.” What did San Francisco do to get it off your shelves?
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Guam- Attorney General Lenny Rapadas is joining 16 other Attorneys General from different states and the City of San Francisco to express serious concern over a new drink called “Blast,” which they say is a “binge-in-a-can product.”
He and the other attorneys have written a letter to the Pabst Brewing Company, urging it take immediate steps to reduce the alcohol servings. Rapadas notes the product contains an alcohol concentration of 12% for a 23.5 ounce can. He says this is equivalent to 5 drinks and encourages binge drinking.
With an assortment of fruit flavors, Rapadas mentions he’s concerned the product is being marketed to a younger crowd. He adds his investigators are looking for any stores on Guam that sell this alcoholic beverage.
“I’ve got word there may be one or two stores out there but we’re trying to confirm that” said Rapadas. “If we do find that, we’ll reach out to the distributors and share our concerns and share our letter with the different Attorneys General.”
Rapadas says they can’t stop the distribution of these products, but can share their concerns with the stores that sell it.
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These big companies always prey on the OTW, especially our youth.
Ila
April 28th, 2011 at 9:44 pm
Here’s a post I read somewhere
“I am sure that the Chinese are watching this all with glee. While we put our energy into racist dramas, they are silently carting away our wealth.”
What the fuck are we doing to our country? Will you leave the nigger alone.
April 28th, 2011 at 11:54 pm
We are in the year 1869:
Bridget Fury alias Delia Swift, Virago of New Orleans, Jailed
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Since the disappearance of Mary “Brickktop” Jackson after her release from prison seven years ago. Delta Swift of Cincinnati has beee the savagest virago in New Orleans. In the 1850s she and “Bricktop” terrorized sailors on the night-time streets. She soon earned the nickname “Bridget Fury.”
In 1858 she received life imprisonment for murder, but the general amnesty of 1862 which returned Bricktop to liberty and disappearance, also put Bridget back in business.
A few tears ago she gave up robbing, pocket-picketing and selling her unlovely body anonymously in the streets and opened a brothel. Here she was arrested this year for robbing two Texan visitors. A fixed abode is not an advantage to a thieving whore!
Miss Fury has gone to prison again, and it is hoped she may emerge tamed and disappear like her hideous predecessor.
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I promised Bita we would make love in the capitals of Europe during the entire year of 1870.
April 28th, 2011 at 11:59 pm
I’ll leave you with the thoughts of The “Onion’s” Baratunde Thurston, who basically just went off today when he heard what was happening.
Of Trump’s birther binge, Thurston says, “It’s embarrassing to the entire nation that we would sit and let this happen.
We have all been debased by this incident. By this charlatan, by this con man, by this mere promoter of himself.”
“No one has ever asked [Trump] to prove anything,” Thurston points out. That should change!
October 9th, 2011 at 8:43 am
aleve…
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November 17th, 2011 at 12:26 am
plombier drancy…
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