Birther Bill in Congress

[Alferd_Packer]

Freshman congressmonkey Bill Posey has introduced a bill (http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/files/ppm119_090313_posey_smith1.pdf) requiring candidates for president to supply the federal election commission with a birth certificate and other information to satisfy eligibility requirements.

Posey stated the reason for his bill

Opponents of President Bush used the 2000 election results and the court decisions to question the legitimacy of President Bush to serve as President. Opponents of President Obama are raising the birth certificate issue as a means of questioning his eligibility to serve as President. Neither of these situations are healthy for our Republic. This bill, by simply requiring such documentation for future candidates for President will remove this issue as a reason for questioning the legitimacy of a candidate elected as President.

Yet, if this bill wasn't intended to fan the controversy and pander to the idiotic birther minority, then why did Posey fail to include the office of Vice President in his bill?

Last time I checked, the VP was subject to the same eligibility requirements as POTUS.

[mortimer]

Freshman congressmonkey Bill Posey has introduced a bill (http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/files/ppm119_090313_posey_smith1.pdf) requiring candidates for president to supply the federal election commission with a birth certificate and other information to satisfy eligibility requirements.

Posey stated the reason for his bill



Yet, if this bill wasn't intended to fan the controversy and pander to the idiotic birther minority, then why did Posey fail to include the office of Vice President in his bill?

Last time I checked, the VP was subject to the same eligibility requirements as POTUS.
How would the failure to include the VP be pandering to the birfers? If Posey is indeed a birfer, his intention would be to bring the birfer angle back when Obama runs for reelection.

[Alferd_Packer]

If he was truley trying to avoid controversy, then he would have included the VP as the VP has to meet the same requirements. By omitting the VP, it shows that he is just focusing on Obama.

There is a trend among the birthers that is focusing on 2012 as the next showdown since they realize that this is going nowhere fast.

The birthers don't care about Biden.

[mortimer]

If he was truley trying to avoid controversy, then he would have included the VP as the VP has to meet the same requirements. By omitting the VP, it shows that he is just focusing on Obama.

There is a trend among the birthers that is focusing on 2012 as the next showdown since they realize that this is going nowhere fast.

The birthers don't care about Biden.
If the VP was subjected to the same rules as Prez under this bill, would it be any less of a birfer bill?

I think you have it right... it's likely a birfer bill. But not because VP was left out. Unless you think it was purposely left out in case the Repubs want Ahnold as a VP candidate...

[Alferd_Packer]

Unless you think it was purposely left out in case the Repubs want Ahnold as a VP candidate...


That would be dumb on their part, since he is constitutionally prohibited.

[mortimer]

That would be dumb on their part, since he is constitutionally prohibited.
But if the bill passes, it requires the FEC to check the Presidential candidate's birth certificate to confirm his/her eligibility to hold the office. Since the VP is not listed in the bill, the FEC wouldn't be allowed to check the VP's (Ahnold's) birth certificate, making him eligible </birfer>

[gdnp]

There is a trend among the birthers that is focusing on 2012 as the next showdown since they realize that this is going nowhere fast.


Silly birthers. Don't they realize that when Planet X returns on December 21, 2012, (http://www.2012warning.com/) the world will end regardless of who wins the presidential election?

[Puppycow]

Yet, if this bill wasn't intended to fan the controversy and pander to the idiotic birther minority, then why did Posey fail to include the office of Vice President in his bill?

Last time I checked, the VP was subject to the same eligibility requirements as POTUS.
Maybe it just didn't occur to him. Which is a lame excuse, but a possible one.
Clearly, if it makes any sense at all, it also makes just as much sense for the VP. But people often forget about the VP. He's sort of an afterthought.

[Beerina]

But if the bill passes, it requires the FEC to check the Presidential candidate's birth certificate to confirm his/her eligibility to hold the office. Since the VP is not listed in the bill, the FEC wouldn't be allowed to check the VP's (Ahnold's) birth certificate, making him eligible </birfer>

Perhaps, but he can never become the president since he violates the rules of the presidency. This definitely does not seem to be in the spirit of the nature of the VP position. If pushed, I wonder if all rules that apply to the president's eligibility would be applied to the VP candidates.


One other thing, birfer or not, when and how does the government check that someone was born in the US, or is 35 years old, for that matter? Someone does...right? They don't just rely on "well, everybody knows it's true", do they?

[jberryhill]

One other thing, birfer or not, when and how does the government check that someone was born in the US, or is 35 years old, for that matter? Someone does...right? They don't just rely on "well, everybody knows it's true", do they?

...or that shall have resided in the US for 14 years.

I've seen birfers claim that Obama is ineligible since he visited the middle east and Europe during 2008, thus failing to reside in the US for 14 years prior to being elected.

[DC]

who is now checking the birth certificate, or who decides who can run and who not?

[jberryhill]

who is now checking the birth certificate, or who decides who can run and who not?

Elections are conducted by the states. Who goes on the ballot is determined by the respective secretaries of state.

[DC]

Elections are conducted by the states. Who goes on the ballot is determined by the respective secretaries of state.

i guess those people check the birth sertificate, or not?

[Alferd_Packer]

But if the bill passes, it requires the FEC to check the Presidential candidate's birth certificate to confirm his/her eligibility to hold the office. Since the VP is not listed in the bill, the FEC wouldn't be allowed to check the VP's (Ahnold's) birth certificate, making him eligible </birfer>

Ah, that is it.


But who wants that skinny wife of his for a first lady?