Rather than engage in further discussion regarding birth certificates, I thought it may be enlightening to research the vetting process of candidates, and in particular, the most recent Democratic Presidential candidate.
Specifically, Page 18 of the national party rules states, in part:
" K. 1. Based on the right of the Democratic Party to freely assemble and to determine the criteria for its candidates, it is determined that all candidates for the Democratic nomination for President or Vice President shall:
a. be registered to vote, and shall have been registered to vote in the last election for the office of President and Vice President; and
b. have demonstrated a commitment to the goals and objectives of the Democratic Party as determined by the National Chair and will participate in the Convention in good faith.
2. It is further determined that these requirements are in addition to the requirements set forth by the United States Constitution and any law of the United States. "
So, how is eligibility determined? In the last Presidential election, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as Chair of the Democratic National Convention, certified that Barack Obama was Constitutionally eligible to serve as President.
Interestingly, M's. Pelosi was required to certify Mr. Obama's Constitutional eligibility to election officials in Hawaii. Ironic that Nancy would have to certify to Hawaii when the birth records were available at the DOH.
As to various state applications to be placed on the respective Presidential ballot, candidates merely have to sign a document attesting to the fact that there are eligible to serve. No substantiation as to date of birth, place of birth or citizenship is required. All a candidate has to do is make a sworn statement that the information is true. Copies of the filings for Presidential candidacy are available on line. In fact, a copy of Mr. Obama's filing in the state of Illinois is available for review.
Apparently, the whole vetting process relied on the honesty and integrity of the candidates, the state party chairs, and the chair of the Democratic National Convention.
It would be enlightening to interview M's Pelosi to determine what investigation or documents she may have reviewed before issuing her sworn certification of eligibility. Perhaps this could clear up the eligibility question
That's the dumbest argument yet.
That's the dumbest argument yet.
I'm not arguing whether or not Obam is actually a citizen, I'm arguing the defects in the system which you take for granted to be entirely aboveboard and reliable. Hillary probably would've been Obama's undoing, if she really knew of any defect in his application; then again she might not have. The really important question to me, and many others I assume, is what would Obama or even Nancy Pelosi have done to insure the candidate was fully and properly qualified for the office as required in the constitution. Obvously there has been some doubt in the minds of many.
Your points:
For one thing, when are "sworn statements" considered invalid based solely on who was doing the swearing? It's taken for granted that a "sworn statement" is "swearing" to its honesty and authenticity. The POTUS makes a "sworn statement" when he takes the Oath of Office. So we should no longer believe he means it? Seriously?
We know that Nancy Pelosi is no paragon of honesty. Less than a year after 9/11, Pelosi attended a briefing along with (future CIA Dir.) Rep Porter Goss. (Four people attended these briefings/two from the house and two from the senate - the so called gang of four) Goss and the briefers all say that Nancy (as witnessed by Goss) was fully briefed about Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EIT), and in February of 2003 she was again briefed and was told about a videotape of Abu Zubaydah being water-boarded. In 2009, for partisan reasons and to defend her newly constructed partisan position she denied she was ever informed about EIT. CIA sources said both Pelosi and Goss asked if the interrogators were doing enough to extract information. Obama’s CIA director (at the time) supported the CIA’s version of the briefings.
So yes, I challenge Pelosi’s reliability to honestly and forthrightly certify a document of such significant importance to her political party’s electoral chances by calling into question any “detail” that would reverse and undo the work of a presidential hopeful leading up to an election.
As for Obama, if he was at the point of going forward with seeking the presidency, he would’ve long ago made the decision to certify it to be accurate and a truthful representation: who but gullible liberals believes he would not do that; Isn’t it the old liberal maxim that sometimes “it’s better to ask forgiveness than to ask for permission” which, of course only applies when permission would not be forthcoming, and once the deed was done there would or could be no going back.
Second, the DNC doesn't do the "vetting" of candidates for security purposes. They must pass a background check just as any other person holding high office with potential access to the highest level top secret material. The agencies are capable of finding out if you picked your nose in grammar school and stuck the booger under your desk. I know that; as an enlisted man I had a top-secret crypto-clearance while in the USMC - BUT..
..There is no vetting of elected federal officials for security purposes until after they take office. To pre-vet them would be seen as disenfranchising the electorate. As for house members and senators, they are backgrounded after election, and they are sometimes but not always kept off committees which handle sensitive classified information.
Judge Alcee Hastings, a judge serving in Florida was impeached for bribery by the U.S. House of Representatives, and removed from office. He ran for and was elected to the US House. In 2006 Nancy Pelosi announced she would place Hastings on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Her motivation was widely suspected to be her jealousy towards Jane Harmon, a fully competent, long serving, widely respected, and well informed house member serving on the committee as the ranking member. Later in the month Pelosi nominated Sylvester Reyes instead. If she hadn’t backed down, Hastings, a convicted of bribery, would have been chairman of that committee. A known bribery felon would never, as a in the private sector, or in the US military be allowed a security clearance for viewing classified information; but as a congressman, Hastings would’ve been, on a need to know basis.
As for presidents, having full confidence of the electorate, they have full access to all classified information as needed. The president himself would be denied access to cryptographic key-lists. All other information would be under the perusal and authority of the president and would be available on “need to know basis”
I ask you to do a search of US Security Codes Title-18. They are the federal security codes for classified information and extend to the physical security of high ranking public officials like the president.
Nowhere will you will find in those codes (or anywhere else) anything about vetting US presidential candidates, except that they are required to, on their own honor, swear that they are qualified.
The background check you claim comes after the election and not before it. Issues raised about McCain came from the media and political opponents.
Nancy Pelosi was the Chair of the Democratic National Convention in 2008, as such once the nomination was complete, she certified candidate Obama.