Radical Right -- 'The Wacko Wing'

July 27, 2009

by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Matt Corley, Benjamin Armbruster, and Nate Carlile

RADICAL RIGHT

'The Wacko Wing'

Last Thursday, CNN President Jon Klein sent an e-mail to a handful of the network's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" staffers informing them that he considered one of the stories pursued by the infamously anti-immigrant host to be "dead." On his radio show the week before, Dobbs declared that President Obama needed to "produce a birth certificate," picking up on a thoroughly debunked conspiracy theory that claims Obama was not born in the United States, and the birth certificate released by his campaign last year was fake. Dobbs repeatedly pushed the "birther" cause despite the fact that his colleagues at CNN have repeatedly called the story "total bull." In fact, while guest-hosting Dobbs' own show on July 17, Kitty Pilgrim refuted the fringe theory, saying, "CNN has fully investigated the issue, found no basis for the questions about the president's birthplace, but the controversy lives on, especially on the Internet." But Dobbs has persisted, attacking his critics as "limp-minded, lily-livered lefties" who hate him because he has "the temerity to inquire as to where the birth certificate was." As Dobbs continued to air the conspiracy theory, Klein backed off his admonition of the host, telling the Los Angeles Times that Dobbs had handled the issue in a "legitimate" manner and "if there are future news pegs, then we have to take that story as it comes." On Sunday, Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz used his CNN show to chastise media outlets that "give the birthers any airtime" to repeat their "ludicrous claims." Kurtz specifically criticized Dobbs for not acting "responsible."

BORN IN THE USA: Obama was born on Aug. 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. This date is on the Certification of Live Birth released by the Hawaii Department of Health last year at the request of Obama. Birthers like Dobbs point to the fact that the campaign released the "short form" certification rather than the "long form" -- which is drawn up by the hospital and contains more information -- as the crux of their argument that the President is hiding something. But as FactCheck.org noted when they investigated and debunked claims about Obama's birth certificate, "the Hawaii Department of Health's birth record request form does not give the option to request a photocopy of your long-form birth certificate," and "their short form has enough information to be acceptable to the State Department." Birthers, like conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi, claim that the certificate posted by the Obama campaign was "a false, fake birth certificate," but its authenticity has been independently confirmed by FactCheck.org, which examined it in person and declared that "it is real and three-dimensional." Additionally, on Oct. 31, 2008, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the Hawaii Department of Health, issued a statement saying that he had "personally seen and verified that the Hawaii State Department of Health has Sen. Obama's original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures." Definitive proof of Obama's Hawaii birth has also been found in the archives of two Hawaii newspapers, the Honululu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin, which both printed birth announcements days after Obama was born in 1961. Birth announcements in those papers are placed by the state Department of Health, not the family.

RIGHT-WING MEDIA GIVES VOICE: Dobbs isn't the only media personality giving voice to the birthers. As PolitiFact's Robert Farley wrote last month, "the conservative WorldNetDaily.com Web site is the conductor of the Birther train." The far-right outlet, which sells "Where's The Birth Certificate?" bumper stickers, convinced someone to ask White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the conspiracy in May. The birther theory has also been pushed by bigger names in the right-wing media. Before the 2008 election, radio host Rush Limbaugh speculated that Obama may have gone to Hawaii to visit his dying grandmother to take care of "this birth certificate business." Since then, Limbaugh has joked, "[W]hat do Obama and God have in common? Neither has a birth certificate." Earlier this month, Limbaugh stepped it up a notch, declaring that "Barack Obama has yet to prove he's a citizen." Fox News has also elevated the birther conspiracy, running headlines like "Should Obama Release Birth Certificate?" on its Fox Nation website and running reports on birther-based lawsuits on its news shows. Fox's Sean Hannity has aired claims that "the president is not, in fact, a legitimate citizen by birth" and asked a caller on his radio show if he had "ever seen" Obama's birth certificate.

THE BIRTHER BILL: In March, Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) introduced legislation requiring "presidential candidates to produce copies of their birth certificates and other documentation to prove natural-born citizenship." Posey's bill has gathered nine co-sponsors in the House. Trying to explain why he introduced the bill, Posey issued a statement saying, "This bill, by simply requiring such documentation for future candidates for president, will remove this issue as a reason for questioning the legitimacy of a candidate elected as president." But Posey has undermined this seemingly innocuous rationale for his legislation by outright accusing Obama of hiding something on a right-wing Internet radio show. "The only people that I know who are afraid to take drug tests are the people who use drugs," said Posey. Claiming that he hadn't looked at the evidence, Posey previously told the Orlando Sentinel, "I can't swear on a stack of Bibles whether he is or isn't" a citizen. On MSNBC's Hardball last week, host Chris Matthews challenged one of the bill's co-sponsors, Rep. John Campbell (R-CA), telling him that "what you're doing is appeasing the nutcases...you're verifying the paranoia out there." Asked if he believed Obama was a citizen, Campbell responded, "as far as I know, yes." Matthews retorted, "as far as you know? I'm showing you his birth certificate!" Matthews is correct that many conservative lawmakers are comfortable "feeding the wacko wing." Just today, Politico reported that Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) said birthers "have a point." "I don't discourage it," said Inhofe.

PUBLIC CORRUPTION -- TEXAS TECH FACULTY CIRCULATE PETITION PROTESTING ALBERTO GONZALES: Earlier this month, Texas Tech announced that it had offered former Bush attorney general Alberto Gonzales a position to teach political science during the upcoming fall semester. Gonzales will be a visiting professor leading a course on "contemporary issues in the executive branch" and focusing on "recruiting and retaining first generation and under-represented students." Students and angry alumni quickly spoke out, starting Facebook groups and writing scathing editorials. Now, approximately 45 Texas Tech faculty members have signed onto a petition calling Gonzales' hiring "objectionable." They charge that Gonzales is nothing more than a "celebrity hire" who won't be worth his $100,000 salary, while questioning whether his service as attorney general was "particularly distinguished." The faculty members also take aim at Chancellor Kent Hance, who said one of the reasons he hired Gonzales was because he's a "good friend" The petition goes on to outline Gonzales' conduct in the White House that "demonstrated significant ethical failings," including rejecting the Geneva Conventions and frequently misleading Congress and the American people. Hance has already dismissed the faculty’s efforts, saying "you don't go around making decisions based on faculty positions." In an interview last week with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Gonzales gave a preview into some of the topics he will be discussing in his political science class, including, not surprisingly, the "accomplishments" of the Bush Justice Department. "We did some very strong work on behalf of the American people during my tenure as attorney general and I’m very proud of that record," he said. Gonzales added that his class would also examine "some of the problems the current administration is confronting."

Sarah Palin officially stepped down as Alaska's governor on Sunday, with a speech that "blamed the news media and declared government spending can destroy 'everything that is free.'" Speaking to the press, Palin said that U.S. troops were fighting to protect their freedoms, adding, "So, how about, in honor of the American soldier, ya' quit makin' things up?"

President Obama has sent letters to at least seven Arab and Gulf states seeking confidence-building measures toward Israel. A former U.S. official aware of the letters said they reinforce "the Mitchell message re: the need for CBMs [confidence-building measures] in exchange for [settlement] freeze and to [get] peace talks restarted."

Israel signaled a disagreement with the U.S. today, over a potential military action to halt Iran's nuclear program. "We clearly believe that no option should be removed from the table," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said following talks with Defense Secretary Robert Gates. "This is our policy; we mean it," Barak continued. "We recommend to others to take the same position."

According to a report by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), HBO scored highest among 15 networks for its representation of gay characters last season. "Television shows that weave our stories into the fabric of the series present richer, more diverse representations," said Rashad Robinson, GLAAD's senior director of media programs.

Citing discouraging poll numbers, proponents of marriage equality are considering delaying a campaign to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage until at least 2012. "[W]e will step up to the plate -- with resources and talent -- when the time is right," said philanthropist David Bohnett. "The only thing worse than losing in 2008, would be to lose again in 2010."

The Obama administration is vastly expanding a federal effort, started in Houston under President Bush, "to identify and deport illegal immigrants held in local jails." The program is being used in 70 counties across the country, though "federal officials say that while they are pleased with their new ability to identify illegal immigrants, they do not have enough agents to deport all of those identified."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that she "does not favor a second economic stimulus package," while appearing on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. Pelosi added she would "rather just stick with" the $787 billion package adopted in January and "get it out faster if we can."

And finally: Are you looking for a new home? Do you have a spare $1.6 million laying around? If so, you could be next owner of Karl Rove's home. The Washington Post reports that Rove is "unloading the Federal-style home in D.C.'s Kent neighborhood he bought eight years ago for $799K. Five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, brick-and-stone exterior, built 1968. Real estate photos show sunny kitchen, big entertaining spaces, pleasant yard, lots of bookshelves, one wall-mounted deer head."

Shorter Sarah Palin: "MSNBC didn't care" enough.

Memo to the media: President Obama is not responsible for congressional polarization that pre-dates him.

Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) calls Sens. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and James Inhofe's (R-OK) remarks on health care reform "unfortunate."

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) says "there are no Americans who don't have health care."

The biggest Supreme Court case you've never heard of.

"Who actually quotes Michelle Malkin in a news story?"

Everything you knew about congressional earmarks is wrong.

The Congressional Budget Office vs. the White House on the impact of the proposed Independent Medicare Advisory Council.

"I have yet to talk to a doctor who is supporting the plan that is moving through the House."
-- House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), 7/23/09

VERSUS

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, I am writing to express our appreciation and support for H.R. 3200, the 'America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.'"
-- American Medical Association CEO Michael Maves, MD, 7/16/09, in a letter to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)

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'The Wacko Wing'

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