Earlier this afternoon, CNN's Rick Sanchez did a segment on the so-called "Birther" movement: that merry gang of wackjobs that gallivant around the country, bitching, moaning, and filing lawsuits because they believe President Barack Obama is not an American citizen. Rather, he is, in the fever swamps of their wretched imaginations, a citizen of Kenya, whose true citizenship has been covered up by an exciting conspiracy involving his parents, his friends, his in-laws, and government officials at all levels, from both parties, spanning several generations. And the malign goals of this conspiracy include...uhm...well, no one knows exactly! But it hardly matters. These are crazy people, who live in Crazytown, and eat, sleep, drink, bleed, and crap pure Nectar of Crazy all the days of their lives.
Earlier Rick Sanchez brought a copy of Obama's birth certificate on the air to debunk all the wackadoodle nonsense that Birtherdom holds dear. But I guess today is the day the media, after six months of the Obama presidency, finally decided they had the time to take on this issue. And so, on Hardball, Chris Matthews did his part for sanity, hosting California Congressman John Campbell, who is one of the Congressmen who have sponsored the "Birther bill" which "would require future presidential candidates to provide a copy of their original birth certificate." That bill's main sponsor is Florida Representative Bill Posey, who has never adequately explained to Stephen Colbert whether the rumors that his own mother is the mutant offspring of a human and an alligator are true.
Anyway, Matthews called the bill "crazy." Campbell retorted that it was all about "putting the matter to rest." I think that the matter, having been rested in the minds of all of those who can lay claim to functioning ones, does not require the attention of our Congress. But, Campbell insists that if John McCain had been elected, the same questions would be raised by other people. I think he's right! But those people would nevertheless be CRAZY PEOPLE.
Anyway, the exchange goes back and forth, with Campbell insisting that he's just supporting "implementing legislation" for the citizenship requirement, the absence of which is indicative of the Founders having given us far too much credit. Matthews accuses Campbell of merely "appeasing the wacko wing of his party," and suggests that he just mail a copy of Obama's birth certificate to all the insane people, which would probably violate his franking privileges.
Matthews ends up being right on the merits, and Campbell gives one of those "as far as I know" answers when pressed about Obama's citizenship, but I have to take Campbell's side on one thing. About five minutes in, Matthews starts brandishing Obama's birth certificate, hectoring Campbell to take a look at it. An exasperated Campbell finally protests, "I can't see it! I'm looking at a camera!"
Anyway, Sanchez this afternoon, Matthews this evening, but I'm honor bound to state that when it comes to the birther story, all reports should come stamped "MUST CREDIT DAVE WEIGEL OF THE WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT," because he has been straight killin' this story.
[WATCH, via Media Monitor D.J.]
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