Thread: Ex-Hawaii official denounces 'ludicrous' birther claims

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Originally Posted by cayla99

Originally Posted by TexasBorn

Originally Posted by HighlanderJuan

This should get everyone's blood to boil.

http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2011/ ... an-people/

I'm assuming that this is a legitimate press piece. If so, how much more information must be presented to prove that we have an illegal usurper in the WH? I want justice!!!!!!!!!

There are too many gullible people out there who believe everything they are told by either the liberal media or unknown sources with impressive names like snopes.

This is true Cayla.disinformation is the name of the game when it comes to politics and the media nowadays.

I came across several renewed posts (courtesy of Trump's involvement in politics) regarding obama and his birth location, including the following. I should note that I am not convinced that Politifact is an unbiased source for commentary, and so I have linked in the actual Sarah telephone audio clip and the bishop's letter.

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http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter ... other-cau/


Says President Obama's "grandmother in Kenya said he was born in Kenya and she was there and witnessed the birth."

Donald Trump on Thursday,
April 7th, 2011 in a "Today Show" interview
Donald Trump Says President Obama's grandmother caught on tape saying she witnessed his birth in Kenya

It's early, but Donald Trump is emerging as a significant player in the Republican race for president. The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey found that among people planning to vote in the Republican primary, Trump placed second, tied with Mike Huckabee and behind Mitt Romney.

On MSNBC's Morning Joe on April 7, 2011, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell warned, however, that Trump's economic commentary is being "trivialized" by his association with the so-called birthers, people who doubt that President Barack Obama is a natural-born citizen of the United States, and is therefore ineligible to serve as president, because he has not provided a copy of his original birth certificate.

"Get off the birther stuff," Rendell said.

Trump, who is considering a run for president, said in a telephone interview on the program that he would not back off the issue, and that over the last few weeks he has only become more skeptical that Obama was born in the U.S. (His campaign released a Certification of Live Birth, which Hawaii officials say is an official birth certificate and sufficient to prove he was born in Honolulu. Trump and others have said that is not sufficient and that they still have doubts. We've gone over this ground repeatedly at PolitiFact.)

Trump also defended his position, saying, "His grandmother in Kenya said, 'Oh no, he was born in Kenya and I was there and I witnessed the birth.' Now, she's on tape and I think that tape's going to be produced fairly soon ...The grandmother in Kenya is on record saying he was born in Kenya."

Trump made an identical claim in a Today Show interview the same morning: "His grandmother in Kenya said he was born in Kenya and she was there and witnessed the birth, okay?"

This is actually an old claim that has been bouncing around the Internet for years. But keeping up with the latest birther claims is often like playing Whac-A-Mole, and we never got around to this one. So here we go.

The claim is based on an Oct. 16, 2008, telephone call between Bishop Ron McRae of the Anabaptist Churches of North America and Sarah Obama of Kenya, Barack Obama's elderly step-grandmother. The interview is complicated by the addition of at least one translator, because Sarah Obama, then 86, spoke Swahili.

The edited portion that often makes the rounds on the Internet includes this part of the interview:

McRae: "Could I ask her about his actual birthplace? I would like to see his birthplace when I come to visit Kenya in December. Was she present when he was born in Kenya?"

"She says yes she was. She was present when Obama was born," said the translator.

Smoking gun? Only if you stop the tape there and don't listen to the rest of the interview.

McRae immediately followed up by saying, "Okay, when I come in December, I would like to go by the place, the hospital where he was born. Could you tell me where he was born? Was he born in Mombasa?"

The translator can be heard translating, and then, he said, "No. Obama was not born in Mombasa. He was born in America."

Said McRae: "Whereabouts was he born? I thought he was born in Kenya."

The response came back, "He was born in America, not in Mombasa."

"Do you know where he was born?" McRae continued. "I thought he was born in Kenya. I was gonna go by and see where he was born."

"Hawaii. She says he was born in Hawaii," the translator said. "In the state of Hawaii, where his father, his father was also learning there. The state of Hawaii."

"I thought she said she was present," McRae said. "Was she able to see him being born in Hawaii?''

"No, no," the translator said. "...She was not ... she was here in Kenya. Obama was born in America ... Because the grandmother was back in Kenya and Obama was born in America, where he is from, where his father was learning, learning in America, the United States."

Listen to the full conversation yourself. The parts in question begin about the 4:20 mark. http://s16v.com/americasright/8167169.wma

McRae -- who we should emphasize was not the translator -- has kept the theory alive. In a Dec. 5, 2008 article, Salon ran an affidavit from McRae in which he maintains Sarah Obama confirmed she witnessed Obama's birth in Kenya:

"Though some few younger relatives, including Mr. Ogombe (one of the translators), have obviously been versed to counter such facts with the common purported information from the American news media that Obama was born in Hawaii, Ms. Sarah Hussein Obama was very adamant that her grandson, Senator Barack Hussein Obama, was born in Kenya, and that she was present and witnessed his birth in Kenya, not the United States. When Mr. Ogombe attempted to counter Sarah Obama's clear responses to the question, verifying the birth of Senator Obama in Kenya, I asked Mr. Ogombe, how she could be present at Barack Obama's birth if the Senator was born in Hawaii, but Ogombe would not answer the question, instead he repeatedly tried to insert that, "No, No, No. He was born in the United States!"

That's not what we heard on the tape. What we heard was a very rough translation in which an elderly woman agreed to the leading question that Obama was born in Kenya and that she was present. But it was immediately and clearly corrected -- repeatedly.

When we contacted Trump’s organization, Michael Cohen, his political aide, referred us to Jerome R. Corsi, author of The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality, which makes a case against Obama, calling him a political extremist who associates with radicals and has disturbing connections to Islam. (PolitiFact found the book was riddled with errors). In a brief telephone interview with PolitiFact, Corsi said he has spoken to Trump and that the statement about Obama's grandmother was, in fact, based on her taped conversation with McRae. Corsi pointed us toward an article he wrote for the conservative WorldNetDaily, in which he says that he spoke to two unnamed Kenyans familiar with Sarah Obama's dialect, and that they claimed she was clear in saying that she witnessed Obama's birth in Kenya. Futhermore, Corsi said they told him it appeared her later efforts to recant appeared to be heavily coached by those around her. Corsi has a book questioning Obama's birthplace coming out next month.

We note that in a Chicago Tribune story in March 2007, national correspondent Tim Jones wrote that in an interview with Sarah Obama, she said she received the news of Obama's birth via a letter to her in Kenya and that she was "was so happy to have a grandchild in the U.S."

Trump is serving up re-heated leftovers that have long ago been debunked. Anyone who listens to the tape of the phone conversation with Sarah Obama can hear how tightly you need to edit this interview to present it as evidence of a presidential cover-up. We rule Trump's claim that Obama's grandmother in Kenya said he was born in Kenya False.

Addendum: While researching this story, we sent an e-mail seeking comment from Bishop Ron McRae, who conducted the trans-Atlantic interview with Sarah Obama. We received this letter from McRae after our story published.

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This is an audio recording of the Bishop McRae interview of obama's grandmother:

http://s16v.com/americasright/8167169.wma

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http://www.politifact.com/letter-from-bishop-ron-mcrae/

Letter from Bishop Ron McRae (date unknown)

Mr. Farley,

I have read a multitude of pro and con articles concerning the taped interview of Sarah, which most of both views, fail in a truly factual desire to discover anything beyond authors’ of those articles pre-conceived notions and beliefs about Obama’s birth prior to listening to the tape. The taped interview is only a small fraction of evidence, and honestly should only be used as perhaps an introductory to a much deeper issue than just Sarah’s initial response, or the exasperated attempts of her other grandson, who was the second translator to correct the verbal response of Sarah.

People want to ignore the fact, that there were two translators present on that phone interview. One was a step grandson of Sarah, and the other was our National Evangelist Kweli Shuhubia. His sworn affidavit has been submitted to the United States Supreme Court as well as my own. The question that I asked Sarah, was repeated to her twice, and both times she adamantly answered very proudly that yes she was present in Mombassa, Kenya when Barack Obama was born. Upon Sarah’s two admissions to having been present when Barach Obama was born in Kenya, her step grandson realizes the seriousness of his grandmother’s response and immediately begins to respond to the contrary, while moving his hand towards his grandmother’s mouth to silence her from saying anything further, while he tries to answer my pointed questions himself and correct what his grandmother has revealed. You see Mr. Farley, we have witnesses that were present during that conversation, including police officers and soldiers. All of my subsequent questions concerning Obama’s birth were not translated to Sarah, but the step grandson insisted on replying immediately to me himself in English, while continuing to move his hand towards Sarah’s mouth motioning her to be quite.

The only portion of the conversation and questioning that Sarah was allowed to respond to me about was the initial question if she was present when Barack Obama was born in Kenya. To that question she clearly responded twice, that Barack Obama was born in Mombassa, Kenya and that she was present when he was born. Mr. Farley, Sarah Obama is not a liar, and she is not ignorant or stupid. The most important aspect of her life and history as a mother and a grandmother is not just that her grandson is president of the United States, but that she was present when he was born. That is a culturally significant aspect of Kenyan life, that the grandmother be present to witness the actual birth of her grandchildren. She is not going to lie about that for anyone, including her famous grandson. For the grandmother to be a witness to the birth of her grandchildren is more important to African life, that the presence of the physician.

I have copies of Barack Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate. He was 7 pounds and 1 ounce, 18 inches long, and was 6 inches across his shoulders. The certificate is easily enough proven true or false, if Barack Obama wants to clear the record. His Kenyan birth certificate contains his feet print for his right foot. Now, lets just put everything to rest, and verify his foot print with the Kenyan record. Let Mr. Obama come forward and allow an independent expert in finger/foot printing technology take his foot prints before a panel of witnesses and examine the evidence from the Kenyan birth records. If there is not a match, I will personally lead the effort in telling everyone to shut about it, and let him be president.

Concerning my view of Barack Obama, he has performed as good as any of his predecessors in shouldering the blame for everything that is wrong in America. Concerning anything in his past as a muslim or a sinner, is of no concern to me, and I am not interested in his moral failures as a young man. As far as him being a Christian, he is not one. He is openly a better muslim than he is a Christian, and I would expound upon those testaments if you would like. Concerning my stand upon his presidency, I have no stand, for I do not consider him president, would not give any allegiance to him or demonstrate any regard for him or any document he signs, until he is man enough to step forward and prove his grandmother a liar. The Kenyan people are a grand people, but it is the most treacherous, and damnable lie that one can tell that makes his own grandmother out to be an ignorant native at best, or a liar at worst. To refuse the truth about one’s place of birth, is the lowest of moral character known to man, in any country.

Mr. Farley, I am a Christian and a preacher. I do not involve myself into politics, and could care less about the corruption or lack of it that promotes any citizen to the office of President of these United States. It is of no concern of mine that Congress, the Supreme Court or this entire nation ignores the Constitutional requirement to be a natural born citizen in order to be President. But I cannot tolerate a liar and a fraud, especially one so low as to dishonor his grandmother, or his father in denying the truth about his actual place of birth. That is the only issue this preacher has involved himself with in regards to Barack Obama. Until he steps forward and acknowledges his grandmother, and tells the truth, this preacher will continue to do what is not him to do or tell, “for you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you freeâ€

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On any given day, I receive hundreds of requests from television, radio and newspapers to provide comments on various topics. There is not one interview when the “birtherâ€

Our view: 'Birther' Trump revives dumbest political fight

Some segment of the population is always ready to believe just about anything.

TRUMP'S VIEW: Obama, come clean

Six percent of Americans believe the government faked the historic 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, according to a 1999 Gallup poll. There's the lingering theory that the 9/11 attack was an inside job by the Bush administration to provide a pretext for going to war in Iraq. According to various polls, 4% of Americans believe in the existence of vampires and 34% in the existence of ghosts. The Loch Ness monster has its believers, and yes, there are still people who believe that the assassination of John F. Kennedy was a plot by the CIA, big business and/or assorted other villains. It must be true, right? Oliver Stone made a movie about it.

Which brings us to real estate mogul Donald Trump, who has single-handedly reinvigorated the crackpot theory that President Obama might not have been born in the U.S. Trump has been peddling this nonsense on TV in recent weeks to get attention for his presidential ambitions, catapulting himself to the top of the GOP heap in some polls. Trump even added his own twist: He has “people that actually have been studying it and they cannot believe what they're finding.â€

Where's the birth certificate?

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 -
Stimulus That! by Jim Picht

NATCHITOCHES, La., April 20, 2011 - Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal believes that President Obama is a U.S. citizen. He'll also sign Louisiana HB 561 if it reaches his desk. The bill, introduced by state Rep. Alan Seabaugh (R-Shreveport) and Sen. A.G. Crowe (R-Slidell), requires that all candidates for federal office present original or certified copies of their birth certificates before appearing on Louisiana ballots.

Similar bills have been drafted in other states, fueled by belief that Obama isn't really a U.S. citizen. Donald Trump has hammered the issue, claiming that there is "a real question" about Obama's birth certificate.

Trump's stance on this has earned him derision from MSNBC and a spirited defense from Sarah Palin, who on Fox News' "Hannity" show argued, "When they’re hammering him about the one issue that he’s brought up and not been shy about, and that’s the birth certificate, he’s merely answering reporters’ questions about his view on the birth certificate, and then reporters turn that around and say, ‘That’s all he’s got, he’s only running on a birth certificate issue,’ when that’s not the case.â€

Donald Trump, Jerry Seinfeld upset over Obama birth certificate yada yada

April 21, 2011 | 10:33am

In what has to be a dark day for birthers, it seems Donald Trump, their most popular champion, has tired of talking about President Obama's disputed birth certificate.

At the top of an interview with CNN on Thursday morning, the brash billionaire bristled when the host asked him about the topic that has been on the tip of the tongue for months.

"You have to stop asking me about a birth certificate," Trump told CNN’s "American Morning" hosts Kiran Chetry and Ali Velshi. "You've got to stop asking the questions."

Trump, who has led numerous GOP presidential polls due, largely, to his beating the birther drum, complained that the issue doesn't allow him to talk about other problems like the trade deficit.

“The problem is every time I go on a show — like as an example, this morning — the first question you asked me is about the birth certificate," Trump, who has has yet to announce his intention to run for president said. "I think my strength is jobs, the economy and protecting our nation from OPEC, China and the other countries that are ripping us off.â€

What about his grandma’s claims?

Trump makes the claim that Obama's stepgrandmother in Kenya, Sarah Obama, said in an interview that he was born in Kenya. But the interview was done by a man characterized as a “street preacherâ€

Conan O'Brien #1
“The governor of Hawaii said he first met President Obama just days after he was born.
He knew it was Obama because he kept pointing at his diaper and calling for ‘change’.â€