Comments on: Political Insanity and Journalistic Hypocrisy

By: Debra

Debra — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:01:59 +0000

I think some people put that news in papers so that people familiar with the family will be aware if the news, even if they are not at this time in the area. I don’t have any knowlwdge at this time about the cetificate.

By: Debra

Debra — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:49:02 +0000

My face book page has been shut down and I have been shut out of all facebooks. I’m always respectful. I wonder if thee are more people that this is happing to?

By: Izzz

Izzz — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:45:20 +0000

For a “post-political” president who will unite the country, he seems to be doing the Clintonesque (Olinskyesque?) Republican-baiting specifically designed to leave Repubs frothing at the mouth. “Listening” to Republican ideas for the Stimulus Bill – then incorporating none of them. Placing into every bill a few provisions that Republicans – at least conservative ones – could obviously never accept, and then chiding them for being the “Party of No”. Discounting Tea Parties and those who attend them (remember the scatological teabaggers designation?). Stating that Republicans have no plan of their own within a couple of days of the release a Republican 12-Point Plan. Laughing at Birthers, while being unforthcoming with school records and other items presidents typically release. Aiming derision at those who believe a “Public Option” would lead eventually to rationing with hedging political double-speak (”This is simply not true. There is no rationing IN THIS BILL.”). Holding angry demonstrators up as Brooks-Brothers-wearing Astroturf Rent-A-Mobs.
If I wouldn’t know better, I would say that Obama wants to wave a red cape in front of the bull – a cape which has a white side that faces the spectators. The bull gets madder and madder, as the spectators assume the bull is simply deranged.
It’s working on me for one – Obama is making me paranoid. I fear a fascist takeover, a concern I never had under Carter or Clinton.

By: mvfreeman

mvfreeman — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:41:51 +0000

Where is that law listed?

It not here…

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode08/usc_sec_08_00001401—-000-.html

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_citi.html

By: Troy

Troy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:39:51 +0000

but someone with duel citizenship at birth is not considered natural born.

By: Troy

Troy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:32:35 +0000

As someone pointed out earlier, you don’t have to be born in the state to have a birth announcement. His grandparents lived there, they could easily have had the birth announced.

By: Troy

Troy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:26:36 +0000

I am not a birther but I am part of the unsure crowd. I have not seen one thing to dispel the accusations and this could be easily done. Provide the birth certificate. If Bernie and Bill have seen something so conclusive I wish they would share with us what so utterly convinced them. All I have heard from both is that the issue is dead and beyond debate. I just wish they would tell me why. I have never seen either make such statements without further evidence before.
Please Bernie, tell me why you so strongly believe this and I can move out of the unsure crowd and quit being a semi loon.

By: Troy

Troy — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:23:08 +0000

I try to watch other news channels just to get insight into their way of thinking, but after watching Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews talk after the vice presidential debate when they dismissed Sarah Palin’s strong showing with “Well, now we know she can memorize and regurgitate fact” while pretending everything Biden said was spot on and from the cuff. No commentator on Fox would have said that and any guest who put that nonsense forward would have been challenged.

By: mvfreeman

mvfreeman — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:01:32 +0000

“a person who is automatically granted another citizenship does not risk losing U.S. citizenship. However, a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship.”

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html

Try being a little better informed.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:41:54 +0000

Bernie,

Thanks for the commentary. I agree that, if he has nothing to hide, then reveal the birth certificate already. When you do things that make you look guilty, even if you’re not, it still colors people’s perception.

And I’d look into possibly removing Google Ads from your site if I were you – there was one on your home page that asked people to “help Barbara Boxer congratulate Sonia Sotomayor” for her confirmation as Supreme Court justice. I removed them from my blog for a similar reason. They don’t accurately reflect the content of your site, they just pick key words and throw up ads relating to them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an “OFA” ad next.

By: frankr

frankr — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:28:29 +0000

Hi Bernie. I am a “Birther” – a newspaper notice published by who knows that has the wrong address listed is hardly documentation enough to prove citizenship. It is more likely laying the groundwork for receiving US benefits when combined with pseudo official COLB. I think the word of his grandmother (and others) that she was there in Kenya when he was born is more meaningful. Regarding the “Certification of Live Birth” (NOT “Certificate”), Obama’s Kenyan born sister also has one so it too is not enough to prove citizenship. The one document that CAN PROVE his citizenship is hidden from us, while several documents that could disprove citizenship (school records, passports, etc.) are also hidden from us. He’s never even cleared up the fact that TWO hospitals in Hawaii take credit for his birth, one on fundraising letters. The list of evidence FOR birthers far outweighs the “evidence” against – a meaningless document and an incorrect newspaper announcement.

I can accept that you are a “Birther Denier”, but what I would hope you would do is what you do so well – challenge the media on this. Would they EVER allow a Republican to get away with the same evasiveness on a constitutional requirement??

CNN Prez Joel Klein said the issue was dead when he first ordered Dobbs to stop reporting on it because he had it investigated and Obama’s birth records were conveniently destroyed but the state denies that – WHICH reporter said that, what was his source and isn’t it news that the State denies it? Annenberg outlet FactCheck.org continues to show the meaningless COLB as “proof” and yet the COLB is NOT proof, and yet no one calls them on that.

It is simply wrong to say that Birthers are insane unless there’s some evidence out there that we’ve missed – and yet no one can tell us what it is.

By: Joel

Joel — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:26:28 +0000

Thank you for your take-down of the lunatic ‘birthers’. I not only compare them to the 9/11 troofers, but to the Andrew Sullivan “Trig troofers” whose mantra goes like this: “I am not saying that Trig is not Sarah Palin’s biological son, I am only posing the question that others are asking that maybe Bristol is the child’s real mother”.

By: Debra

Debra — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:49:17 +0000

I humbly apologize for putting on a post that you felt needed to be taken down.

I truly respect you.

By: Debra

Debra — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:31:57 +0000

It feels like our Whitwhouse is having a nervous breakdown!

How many people against the healthcare take over cannot get to the Whitehouse? Lots! They can however get to their own state houses. We should call for a protest at the same hour on the same day at every state house in every state in this country. Two o’clock eastern standard time. That way even on the west coast it will still be at least 11.
Bernie you can get this done. You are so well connected.

They could never get past that visual.

By: Sparkleplenty27

Sparkleplenty27 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:47:44 +0000

WRONG – BOZO – Fox is highly rated because it has a larger audience than any other cable channel, and larger than CBS news – and it is because they honor their motto “fair and balanced” – for those in NEWS, you get both sides of any issue, with the conclusion – “We report, you decide” – that is about as honest as it gets on TV anymore. Commentators are not bound by the credo – they commentate, so they give their personal opinions. But even they do a lot of research and uncover stuff that MSM is not reporting. I never watched Fox before because I believed them to be biased. I then caught CBS, MSNBC AND NBC in outright lies, and in making disparaging comments far beneath any decent news organization. Fox attracts people of all persuasions – who seek FAIR AND BALANCED – and trust me, one can do their own research and verify – I’ve done it and so I know first hand.
wake up and get your narrow progressive mind out of your arse -

By: Sparkleplenty27

Sparkleplenty27 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:37:40 +0000

I did not hear Bernie attribute blame to Rather – I believe he is questioning what Rather knew and when did he know it! There is a huge amount of blame to be passed among most media outlets – for outright lies, distortions, misrepresentation, or utter avoidance of a hot topic that would bring bright lights on Obama.

If you want to know facts, then you have to get off your ass and dig – dig deep. There is a ton of information available from a myriad of sources, and ways to double check. You seem to want to be handed neatly packaged news without controversy – and you can get that on any major network. But to find out for sure what is what, you have to do your own digging – something I have done exhaustively for over 1.5 years. What I have found has been illuminating, causing me to switch candidates in mid stream, and to keep digging. It still shocks me how much I have found out and how convoluted a web there is out there that 99.999% of people are totally unaware of -

By: Sparkleplenty27

Sparkleplenty27 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:30:06 +0000

You are correct – an announcement can be placed by anyone without regard to location. I have done a good deal of research on this matter – and I hold that the main question is WHY would Obama pay attorneys a ton of money to fight lawsuits around the country, and to keep ALL his records sealed? Why if he had nothing to hide? Makes NO SENSE. I believe that his Occidental records would show that he was given financial aid as a foreign student; I believe he traveled to the Middle East in the 80s on a foreign passport (since the area he went to was closed to Americans). Further, I found 2 missionaries in Africa who told me that it is general knowledge Obama was born in Kenya, and warned me to be very careful because Obama was a dangerous man. I still have those emails – and I have seen the ‘certification’ – it proves NOTHING. so the question is – where is your birth certificate Obama?

By: Debra Palardy

Debra Palardy — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:31:25 +0000

We are now more afraid of Oboma than we are of Osoma. He is the president of a country that is two thirds opposite of him. If all this wasn’t upsetting enough, now we hear one of his people say that doctos take their oath too seriously.

By: Paul W

Paul W — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:32:23 +0000

Good Job, Bernard!!
The mainstream liberal media are champions of one-eyed selective outrage.
They strain at a knat and swallow a bull elephant. They didn’t even blink
over Obama’s recent praise of the “tolerance and justice” of Islam. They ignored the Stanford study that said that the George Bush aid to Africa saved more lives than any other government action in world history!! BLACK lives.
THEY DON’T WANT TO BRING UP THE FACT THAT BARNEY FRANKS DEFENSE
OF FANNIE MAE AND CHUCK SCHUMERS DEFENSE OF CORRUPT WALL ST PROTECTED THE PEOPLE WHO DESTROYED OUR ECONOMY!! No outrage over
the utter illogic of Obama cutting our Missile defense at a time when we can’t
even defend our cities against vintage 1940s missile technology.

By: flowergirl1516

flowergirl1516 — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:57:29 +0000

Both when I was married and when my children were born, my mother had announcements put in her local paper. We didn’t live there, we lived in another state. I’m not saying, necessarily, that I believe that he wasn’t born in the US, but a birth announcement in the newspaper proves nothing.

By: Billy G in NoVA

Billy G in NoVA — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:45:09 +0000

Read MR. GOLDBERG’S books.
His statements of media bias are backed up by facts.
As to people being uninformed, 58% of people who said they voted for the current administration didn’t know that the Dems controlled both House and Senate.
If we are uninformed on health care, thank the Administration. Look at the facts of the British system, of people diagnosed with treatable (almost 100% cure rate) colon cancer, 1 in 5 progresses to terminal (100% mortality rate) before they can be treated.
The 47 million uninsured figure includes illegals, non citizens, people who chose not to be insured (as they can more than afford it) and people who are eligible for many programs they don’t take advantage of. That brings the figure down by three-quarters.
Our health care system needs work, but it’s still the best. Fix insurance and call for tort reform and that will go a long way. Don’t destroy the whole system for those who don’t have, find a way to help them.
You want to have real debate, talk about the health care facilities CLOSED in poor areas by illegals who don’t pay bills.
Where is the Administration and media on that one.

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:43:09 +0000

I had to submit a birth certificate to work for the same government for which President Obama works. Birth certificate, not birth announcement from the local paper.

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:21:49 +0000

I don’t believe that Obama was born in Kenya. The key to ending the “birther” movement (quickly or otherwise) lies with the President. All he needs to do is release his birth certificate. I had to furnish a birth certificate to join the Army; I don’t see what is so difficult about that concept.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:48:03 +0000

Read my posts above about a possible reason he’s not releasing his full birth certificate, which I also believe he should.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:46:27 +0000

Not yet, Cathleen.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:45:44 +0000

He may ineed be hiding something. All I’m saying is why would someone — his mother, his father, anyone! — put a birth announcement in the Hawaii paper if he was born someplace else? I guess this is a possibility: They figured that 47 years later he might run for president and they wanted to cover their tracks. If you believe this, there’s no room for a discussion.

As for why he doesn’t just release the damn birth certificate: I agree, he should. But I think the pols around him figure the longer this craziness goes the better it is for Obama and the Democrats. Because the longer it goes the easier it is to conflate the right-wing nut-jobs with regular conservatives and Republicans.

By: brg

brg — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:40:11 +0000

Great idea. Simple, easy, makes a lot of sense. Bernie

By: brg

brg — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:39:24 +0000

You’re right — there is a difference between being stupid and simply being unconvinced. And your examples of Watergate and the Gulf of Tonquin are good ones. Not so much, in my view, your conspiracy theories about JFK, RFK and MLK. But if a birth announcement in the local paper — at the time of his birth — isn’t enough to prove that Obama was born in Hawaii, then nothing will convince you. The people who believed W was behind 9/11 are indeed fools. Same with the “birthers.” Sorry.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:31:49 +0000

When I see posts in all caps, I reflexively go for the “delete this message” key. I held off, this time, in your case. But be assured that I won’t allow this site to become a sewer like so many others. Keep it civil or go someplace else.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:28:42 +0000

Sorry, my friend, but I never attributed “problems with the media to one source: Dan Rather.” I said that Dan’s use of either bogus documents, or at absolute least unverified documents, erodes public trust in the media. On many other occassions on The Factor, I have said flat out that the biggest single reason for the media’s bad economic shape is technology — the Internet; they haven’t figured out ways to “monetize” the Internet. I welcome your comments, but don’t jump to conclusions that aren’t warranted.