I've been pointing out that conservatives, with their Ever-ready-powered Villager media stenographers in tow, are together reaching critical mass in their oppostion to Obama and the Democrats' attempts to reform health care in America.
Because the facts fly in the face of their complaints about health care reform, conservatives, reflexively, have turned to the only card they know how to play…..distraction. In fact, over the last 6 months, distraction is all conservatives, and their obedient corporate media partners, have worked hard on. I could have said that conservatives and their media partners have had a hard-on over distraction, but I chose not to.
I'm sure some have noticed the distraction being amplified over the Professor Gates arrest issue in the last few days. Besides trying to paint Obama as an angry black man, as they tried with the Reverend Wright issue, the distractors are using the Gates story to replace any serious reporting on, or consideration of, the genuine issue of health reform.
I'll be addressing the Gates story in another blog post…..but for now….the "birther" issue is the main distraction. (Note that the AB Journal gave valuable page A-2 space to this distraction Thursday.)
CNN, (often included in the conservative assertion that the media is oh-so-liberal), has their own distractor-in-chief in the person of Lou Dobbs.
Let's join Lou in progress…
DOBBS: President Obama promised transparency and openness in his administration. Yet, he's chosen not to release his original birth certificate or a copy of it.
DOBBS: I think the president of the United States is a citizen. But what I don't understand is why he hasn't just produced it to get this –this noise (Rev: which Dobbs helps to make) out of the way.
I believe Barack Obama is a citizen of the United States, folks. Don't you? But I do have a couple of little questions, like you. Why not just provide a copy of the birth certificate? That's entirely within the president's power.
Can you even believe the smarmy-f*ckerness of ole' Lou? To the immigrant-bashing Lou Dobbs, who "think(s) the president of the U.S. is a citizen", the "controversy" is about "transparency and openness". How disingenuous can a Village assh*le be?
Lou believes Obama is a citizen…."But", has, "a couple of little questions." That means that Dobbs doesn't believe Obama is a citizen, not really. Otherwise, if Dobbs actually believed Obama was a citizen, he wouldn't have those "little questions"….would he?….believing Obama was a citizen would be the end of it.
CNN contributor Roland Martin brings out the WTF paddle and swings it at Lou's ample behind….
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first and foremost, he's produced the document he received from the state of Hawaii.
Now, you are saying, where's the original? According to the state of Hawaii, that is the document that establishes where he was born. So, what is the issue?
In-freaking-deed. The "issue" is DISTRACTION. If Obama, as Lou says he believes, is a citizen, then there is no "issue" at all. But how can Lou Dobbs participate…do his part….in distracting viewers away from the important health care reform debate, and other important issues….if he can't harp on an "issue" that doesn't really exist?
Roland Martin….I don't know….seems, like, normal….with this comeback….
MARTIN: So, what — what is the point? I mean, exactly where is the story in this? If he has presented a document, the state of Hawaii has confirmed that — that he was indeed born there, what's the issue?
Very obviously….there is no story here….and the only "point"….is distraction.
Then, the "believing" Dobbs, not working for, you know, liberal MSNBC, but for the "most trusted news network", CNN, goes on to prove he doesn't really "believe" Obama is an American citizen at all…
DOBBS: … do we have a — could we just put up a copy of that certificate — certificate of live birth?
What you are looking at there, which I believe is the copy that comes from FactCheck.org or Annenberg, there's no reference there to the attending physician. There's no reference there to the hospital in which he was born. It is a certificate that refers to the fact that another certificate exists.
MARTIN: He has produced a document that is satisfactory, but it's not satisfactory to you.
So, Lou, he's not here to satisfy Lou Dobbs. He's the president of the United States. He probably has other things that's on his mind than satisfying Lou Dobbs.
DOBBS: Yes. And does that, then, what, just dismiss the concern?
See?…Lou "believes" that Obama is an American citizen, but he has "concern(s)" that Obama's Hawaiian certificate of live birth isn't on the up and up. Like I said….smarmy-f*ckerness.
What Lou, and his regular wingnut audience, really concern themselves over is a popular Democratic president who intends on passing sweeping changes, including, to our rotted health care system. Conservatives, like Lou, together with their Republican partners, realize that their greatest "concern" is found in the potential of Obama and the Democrats to successfully reform health care in America. That accomplishment would damage the GOP cause for a generation.
That explains the nonsensical distractions we've seen the last 6 months…and that will explain the distractions we'll be seeing for the next 7 1/2 years.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
You are kididng about the distraction tactics right Rev. The dems are using the old slight of hand around every corner trying to get these big tax increase bills passed. I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't feeding the press the birth certificate thing.
Why doesn't he produce the document? All of the other presidents had to. I could, could you?
Don't know where my birth certificate is…..and don't care.
How can you ask, "Why doesn't he produce the document?"….when he has already produced it?
I'm starting to worry about ya', average. Just joking.
But I'm not joking about the distraction stuff…..serious as a heart attack….and I know how serious that is.
Rev, I didn't realize health care was the only thing the media was allowed to talk about. I didn't get that memo.
It isn't, of course. It'd be a pretty boring 24 hr. news cycle if it was.
But I like the way you create these phony constructs and then knock them down.
And why DOESN'T Obama release his full birth certificate records and stop all this birther nonsense dead in it's tracks ? It's a good question. I've been wondering the same thing for over a year now.
Obama should have kept his yap shut about Gates and the policemen. He should apologize (better than the non-apology apology he gave today).
And if health care is the overarching issue of our time…………
why are your prattling on and on about Villagers ? Why aren't you writing about health care ? By your own definition, you are engaging in distraction.
Obama's floundering, Reverend. He sucks at the economy, he sucks at healthcare, he sucks at foreign policy, and he sucks at race relations. Re-hashing the birther movement won't change all that.
"Obama's floundering, Reverend. He sucks at the economy, he sucks at healthcare, he sucks at foreign policy, and he sucks at race relations. Re-hashing the birther movement won't change all that."
all true. yet amazingly he's much more competent then the last guy that was president.
thanks george bush for setting the bar so high!
you know you are truly partisian when you start calling Lou Dobbs a conservative….
please.
Reality is arriving and the mirage is fading:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
In all honesty, whether you support Obama or not, if someone really is questioning Obama as a citizen you either have to be an idiot or, well, an idiot!? Obama is a politician subject to do what politicians do. Difference between Obama and Bush? One is GOP and the other is a Democrat. The latter is A LOT smarter.
The certificate of live birth says, right on it, that it constitutes "prima facie" evidence that Obama was born in Hawaii. Does anyone out there other than lawyers understand what "prima facie" evidence means?
It means that it creates a rebuttable presumption that Obama was born in Hawaii – it does NOT constitute irrefutable evidence that he was born in Hawaii. In a court of law, if an attorney is presented with prima facie evidence by the other side, the attorney marshalls evidence to rebut the rebuttable presumption, i.e., to prove otherwise. This whole meme out there that the certificate of live birth constitutes "proof" of anything is the "big lie" that the media keeps repeating.
Check it out yourselves: http://www.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/birth_certificate_6.jpg
Joe Birther suggests by his comment that Obama's birth certificate isn't indisputable proof of his birth.
Question for Joe: How have those court cases been going challenging Obama's prima facie birth certificate? Any of them NOT get thrown out?
I believe what I read….challenges my characterization of Lou Dobbs as a conservative. Are you suggesting that when Lou nightly bashes undocumenteds, he's trumpeting soemthing other than a conservative cause?
If so…what would it be?
larry suggests that Obama simply sucks as president. I suppose that's why Obama has 59% approval ratings.
And surprisingly, King declares his birtherness….
"And why DOESN'T Obama release his full birth certificate records and stop all this birther nonsense dead in it's tracks ? It's a good question. I've been wondering the same thing for over a year now."
This is along the lines of….why doesn't Obama tell us when he's going to stop beating his wife.
You need to check some more recent polling data, Reverend. Last I saw he had dipped below 50 percent, but the trends are probably what's more important at this point and they're all heading toward the basement.
As for the court cases, I haven't seen any that actually looked at any evidence–they are all thrown out on technical grounds before it gets to that point. I couldn't get a drivers license by showing a certificate of live birth on a partisan website, so what's the big deal with obtaining the real deal and putting the issue to bed?
Doubts linger and I can only come to two possible conclusions: Obama is either hiding something or he likes to keep the birthers around so he can generate some demonization whenever his poll numbers dip or his nefarious plans are threatened.
Rev some polls are showing his popularity as low as 49%. That's not important, polls are like the stock market. What is a "birther"?
A "birther" is someone who believes that Obama is not a U.S. citizen.
larry puts on his brightest tinfoil hat.
Obama is either "hiding something" or he enjoys the "demonization" spectacle.
So far, if I'm not mistaken, all conservative commenters here think there is serious doubt whether Obama is our nation's legal president.
That's interesting…..dontcha think?
Why does the question bother you so much, Reverend? I never get upset when the crop circle or UFO nutcases have their say, because I don't secretly wonder if what they say is true.
The UFO and crop circle nuts….I mean usually….don't control the Washington D.C. political narrative.
This specific genus of malignant wingnut had their say on this issue a long time ago. These are the same malignant wingnuts who drove the media narrative with lies during the glorious Swiftboat days. It's arguable whether Kerry lost the election over that….so, yeah….there's reason for my concern.
Rev says, "And surprisingly, King declares his birtherness…."
Tsk, tsk, Rev. I said precisely the OPPOSITE of that. As I said before, I believe Obama is a U.S. citizen. Hawaii confirms that, and there's no proof to the contrary.
It's just that Obama hasn't presented an original birth certificate, just a laser-printed copy (there were no laser printers in 1961). That's simply a fact, and that's why this crazy birther stuff keeps going.
Obama has presented all he needed to present to document his Hawaiian birth.
Birthers say that's not good enough.
You are saying the same thing,…..it's not good enough.
What the heck should I conclude from that?
You shouldn't conclude anything. You should just take my words for what they are. Obama has never produced an original birth certificate. That is true. But the birthers are still nuts. They don't have a leg to stand on. That's also true. What's so difficult to understand ?
The birthers are way out there, but if Obama had ordered his original birth certificate to be released, there wouldn't be any conspiracy theories flying around, right ? Obama has been very secretive with his personal records, not only his birth certificate, but also all his educational records, which he will not release. That kind of thing is what gets the internet nuts going. They all start thinking he has something to hide. The same thing happened when all Bush's military records were not located.
Bush did have something to hide.
With birthers, complying with anything they demand, is only feeding the wingnut beast.
Rev, to your question, "Are you suggesting that when Lou nightly bashes undocumenteds, he's trumpeting soemthing other than a conservative cause?"
I ask you, "If Obama said he was going to extend tax breaks to corporations, would he then be characterized as a conservative? – No. His specific action would be, but he would not.
The same is true with Lou.