Centrist Democrats or Independent

Daisy,

He, by definition is a true African American in my book.  African father, yes he left, but no BO's fault. American, hardworking maternal family.  His sister is half Indonesian and gorgeous.  She was at the Inaugural events and at the concert. Very "in the picture" ...   I sometimes wish others would remember that he is bi-racial not just a Black American.  But truth be told, if I saw him at Starbucks and he was just some guy, if I was asked to describe him, I would say, he's a tall black man. So, the guy did have to live in America as any other Black American -- he could never have "passed" for a white man back when color dictated which water fountain you drank out of. 

You, me, anyone can attach any other labels we want .. whether it be an opportunist, good guy, bad guy, liar, smart, inept, inexperienced, fresh .. but race isn't the problem with him.  Although I do think that OTHERS voted yea or nay based on color.

I was like Diane, cried both on the night the Dems elected him to run, and on Inaugural Day. MLK, Booker T, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Sidney Poitier ... all must see this event in our lives as a milestone.  Is he the right MAN or to be pc, is he the right PERSON to do the job, I have my opinion and others have theirs. 

Gee Daisy6 that was kind of vituperative.  I don't know how many times BO saw his father and I don't know what the book was about.   Seems like he saw him once as an adult, I managed twice with my absentee father.  Should I have any half siblings through my biological father, I  surely don't feel any obligation to support them.  So I guess I'm equally blameworthy.

I've seen pictures of BO's half-sister and her family.   She is married to a man of Chinese descent I think.  There was a picture of her daughter napping through the inaugeration ceremony in the Toronto Star this weekend and an interview with her mother-in-law.  His half-sister is quite lovely, I can't imagine why he would want to hide her.  Perhaps she and her husband value their privacy.

Just the facts?  Well no not really, some facts and a whole lot of opinion and conjecture. 

I'm not a Obama maniac, but I am willing to assume that his sister likes her privacy.  Think about it, the poor woman and her family are sitting ducks for the various nutbars out there.  I'd sure want to be keeping a low profile, the Secret Service can't protect everybody.

You on the other hand think "Barry" is "hiding" her because of her colour.  I don't get it.  Is she too white or not white enough?  Is her Chinese husband a problem?  

I think Daisy, that he wants it sealed from the public now, I thought he'd already produced it.

I, too, think that since all of our birth certificates are public, so should all public office holders. It is not like someone can use it to steal his identity. 

Actually, are birth certificates public?  I had to jump through hoops to prove my identity and right  to get a good copy of my birth certificate last year for a passport. 

I think having the power in the house to block the voices of the Republicans is not right.  We've always heard that you should not silence the voice of the minority.  Just because the majority can push thru everything won't make it right -- just bossy. 

I believe in a balance of power, give and take.  All republican ideals are not wrong while all democratic ideals are not wrong either. 

Clinton passed laws encouraging welfare reform not it's end. The news is reporting that Obama is swiftly undoing all the good Clinton did in encouraging people to step up, step higher and towards a better life.  

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The point is that it HAS been proven that Obama is a U.S. citizen. 

All of our birth certificates are not public. Many states have laws that only allow relatives with identification are allowed to ask for copies of a birth certificate. Many times, those who steal identities go after birth certificates of those for whom there is a death record--and they DO use that information to steal someone's identity.

He was born in HI, and the last I read, HI was a state of the US when he was born. I think the matter of his birth certificate has been debated ad nauseum. 

Virginia and Ohio ruled Barack Obama's birth certificate valid.  The Supreme Court dismissed Philip Berg's appeal as groundless.

Furthermore, the title of this thread is "Centrist Democrats and Independents."  So I was a little confused to see "Go back to the dem thread" -- posted by a person who didn't start this thread.

I'll bite.  I googled it and here's one of the things that came up:

Conspiracy Lawsuit Watch: Alan Keyes Sues Barack Obama

posted by Scott Moss

Alan Keyes has completed his path from the establishment (Harvard PhD, Reagan's UN Ambassador, two-time Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, 1996 Republican primary Presidential Candidate...) to the world of conspiracy theory. Dr. Keyes has sued to halt the allocation of California's electoral votes to President-Elect Obama on the theory that Obama was born in Kenya and therefore is not a natural-born U.S. citizen, as the Constitution requires for election to the Presidency.

At first I thought that, like many conspiracy theories, this one is wacky but ultimately non-disprovable unless Obama indulges the accusers by producing his birth certificate for public view, which I thought unlikely (because then any accuser could make something up to demand access to Obama's original personal documents). It turns out, though, that, as FactCheck recounts in detail (with pictures), Obama did disclose his original birth certificate, thereby disproving claims that Obama's alleged U.S. birth certificate lacked a raised seal, etc., and therefore is a fraud. FactCheck also cites a birth announcement for baby Barack Obama in a 1961 Honolulu newspaper, which is hard to explain away.

Yet the lawsuit still exists, filed by a highly intelligent guy (whatever else may be said about Dr. Keyes). I suppose he still could claim that (a) the Honolulu newspaper doctored its 1961 microfilm to support Obama's claim of Hawaii birth, (b) Obama spent millions on machinery and staff capable of creating flawless counterfeit birth certificates, (c) etc.

I've always been oddly intrigued by conspiracy theories (though I haven't made it a field of scholarship like Mark Fenster!), but it's always hard to define "conspiracy"; is any lawsuit lacking direct evidence a conspiracy theory, and if so, doesn't that include a lot of discrimination claims based on circumstantial evidence, antitrust claims, mafia/gang prosecutions, etc? It's an interesting question, and it's always struck me as unfortunate that I don't have more than an "I know it when I see it" definition of a conspiracy theory.

I suppose a relatively narrow definition of a conspiracy theory is "an accusation (a) that is disproven by tangible evidence and (b) that therefore posits a massive conspiracy (i) involving many people (ii) to falsify complex and historical documents (iii) in various established institutions." Congratulations to Dr. Keyes for qualifying as a conspiracy theorist under even this narrow definition!

Birth certificates are not public records.  My birth certificate is sealed, I was born out of wedlock and I think the doctor was responsible for sealing the birth certificate.  I cannot get a copy of my birth certificate, what I can get is a certified document of "registered live birth".  I know it sounds odd, but that really is the case.  I'm sure the doctor thought he was doing a favour for me but it's been a pain in the butt all my life. 

LOL...I've always thought that it's weird that I'm adopted, yet I have an "official" (raised seal) birth certificate with my adoptive parents' names on it.

Ok...let's move past the birth certificate issue, shall we?  What's on your mind today?

Daffodil - Happy Presidents Day to you. Spring is right around the corner, I have daffodils in full bloom in the rain all over my yard, I see you!

Hoping for the best for everyone as a compassionate centrist. Imagine for just one moment,  things stop getting worse and turn around for the better.

I am going to hold that thought. That is what is on my mind, lol..... 

Jader and Daffodil -- I was only referring to one person -- the person who said "go back to the Dem thread."  Sorry -- I found that frustrating!