Thread: Candidate accused of being a 'birther' walks back statement

July 23, 2010

TRENDING: Candidate accused of being a 'birther' walks back statement

Posted: July 23rd, 2010 02:21 PM ET

Kansas congressional candidate Tracey Mann says he is not a ‘birther.’

(CNN) - Two days after a Kansas newspaper revoked its endorsement of a Republican congressional candidate because it came to believe he is a so-called "birther," the campaign is telling the paper the candidate is no such thing.

Twice in the span of 30 days, Republican Tracey Mann has called on President Obama to come forward with proof of his American citizenship. But now his campaign tells the Hutchison News the candidate "misspoke" and has long believed the president has proved his citizenship.

The pushback from Mann's campaign comes after the paper, emphatically withdrew its endorsement of him.

"The reason [for withdrawing the endorsement] is that it turns out Mann is what is known as a birther," the newspaper's editorial board wrote Wednesday night. "He questions the citizenship of President Barack Obama despite evidence that is irrefutable to most objective, rational people – including a birth certificate released by the Hawaii secretary of state and birth announcements printed in Honolulu's two major newspapers."

The newspaper based its judgment on Mann's most recent comments Tuesday, made after the endorsement was published, that he did not believe President Obama's American citizenship was a proven fact.

"I think the president of the United States needs to come forth with his papers and show everyone that he's an American citizen and put this issue to bed once and for all," Mann said on KSAL's "Friendly Fire" radio show. He made similar comments during a candidate forum in June.

On Thursday, Mann's campaign manager, Jake DeVantier, told the Hutchinson News that Mann "misspoke" on the radio show and that he "has seen sufficient evidence to prove Obama is a citizen."

"He believed Obama was a citizen when he said that on the air," DeVantier added.

According to the newspaper, Mann is a frontrunner in the race for Kansas' first congressional district.

DeVantier, nor anyone from the Mann campaign, responded to CNN's calls or e-mail for comment.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/20 ... ore-114685

Chicken S.... I don't care one way or the other but I do want to see the Constitutional requirments for eligibility upheald.