It's been more than a year since what should have been the end of the right-wing obsession about whether President Obama was really a natural-born U.S. citizen — when the White House provided a copy of his long-form birth certificate for all to see. But "should" doesn't really apply when it comes to this issue.
Some Republican politicians have continued to refuse to believe that he could really be the legitimate president of the United States. Now, after a back-and-forth of nearly three months, Hawaii has verified Obama's birth records to Arizona's elections chief, against the backdrop of threats by the state to leave the incumbent off the November ballot.
From the Huffington Post:
Joshua Wisch, special assistant to Hawaii Attorney General David Louie, told The Associated Press in an email late Tuesday that the matter is resolved after Hawaii gave Arizona the verification it was looking for.
Hawaii — which has vouched for Obama's birth in the state several times as early as October 2008 — didn't bow to the request easily. The Aloha State told Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett he had to prove he needed the records as part of normal business.
Wisch says Hawaii got what it needed, so it gave Bennett's office the verification.
It's not immediately clear whether the information will satisfy Bennett. Bennett spokesman Matthew Roberts said the office received the verification and planned to comment Wednesday.
Roberts did not say whether the information would end the flap with Obama's name on the ballot.
But even if this issue is resolved for Arizona, don't get your hopes up that questions about the president's citizenship will die anytime soon. TPM reports today that Birtherism is alive and kicking elsewhere, and some Republicans wouldn't have it any other way, especially with the election approaching:
From TPM:
But birtherism is hardly an Arizona-only phenomenon. Signs of life from the birther hive have also recently been reported in Iowa, Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina, and Florida. (It is also worth noting, as TPM reported last week, that some of the most hardcore birthers are now so far gone that they’re saying Obama was born in America after all, only now they think his Kenyan father was a cover for his “real” father, communist Frank Marshall Davis..)
Just this week, TheIowaRepublican.com and other outlets acquired a draft of the proposed platform Iowa Republicans will adopt at their state convention on June 16. The document contained the following line: “We believe candidates for President of the United States must show proof of being a ‘natural born citizen’ as required by Article II, Section I of the Constitution — beginning with the 2012 election.” In an interview with Radio Iowa on Monday, Don Racheter, chairman of the Iowa GOP’s 2012 platform committee, said the section was “a shot” at the president.
Read more at the Huffington Post and TPM.