Misery Index

At the time The Times could not determine immigration status, and an official at Boston City Hall said that Onyango was a resident of Flaherty Way, but not registered to vote however, she had made contributions to the Obama campaign and used the housing authority's address to make the contribution, not her home address.  Records at the Boston City Hall confirmed that Onyango's birthdate was May 29, 1952.  Onyango did state however, that "I have been coming to America ever since 1975.  I always come and go."  She however, has been living in her flat in Boston for five years.

An AP story in 2003 about poor people buying lottery tickets, according to The Times, quotes Onyango whom it describes as out of work and without much money.  "It's like when I feel luck might fall I do that, like manna might come from Heaven.  That's when I buy it," she told the AP.  Manna is the name of a food, according to the Bible, that was eaten by the Israelites during their travels in the desert. Manna is also briefly mentioned in the Qur'an, mentioning the divine supply of manna as one of the miracles with which the Israelites were favored.  Qur'an is the religious text of Islam.

She is paid a small stipend for working as a health advocate six hours a week in her housing complex, a position she has held for about a year.  For three years, she was a volunteer with Experience Corps, a nonprofit that trains adults over 55 to work with children in public schools, said Mary Gunn, the group's executive director.  In a profile on the Experience Corps website, Onyango is described as a "former computer systems coordinator" who says she wanted to volunteer in teh schools because "I felt that I should help the children in my community."  "I love people and enjoy interacting with them," Onyango said.  "Also, I was idle, and this was a chance to get involved."

FRIDAY, OCT. 31, 2008

Yesterday, the Obama Camp confirmed that Onyango is Obama's aunt.  Ben LaBolt, a campaign spokesman, declined to comment further on the relationship between Obama and Onyango, who has lived in South Boston public housing for five years. 

SATURDAY, TODAY, NOV 1, 2008

Turns out Aunti Zeituni Onyango, Omama's half aunt on his father's side, who he wrote about in his memoir, is an illegal alien.  The timing of this information is quite interesting however, it doesn't change the fact that Aunti Onyango is an illegal alien.

However, Onyango's case - coming to light just days before the presidential election - led to an unusual nationwide directive within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requiring that any deportations before Tuesday's election be approved at least at the level of the agency's regional directors, the U.S. law enforcement official told the AP.

She's one of the hundreds of thousands of deportative fugitives - an absconders.  Four years ago she requested asylum from an immigration judge, and was denied.  She was instructed to leave the U.S. by a U.S. immigration judge, although she has been living in public housing in South Boston for five years.

From an AP article, information about the deportation case in 2004 was disclosed and confirmed by two separate sources, one of them a federal law enforcement official.  It is unknown why she was denied asylum.  The information they made available is known to officials in the federal government, but the AP could not establish whether anyone at a political level in the Bush administration or the McCain campaign had been involved in its release.

Onyango's refusal to leave the country would represent an administrative, noncriminal violation of immigration law, meaning such cases are handled outside the criminal court system. 

When the AP went to Onyango's home, no one answered the door and she did not return a phone call. 

It was not immediately clear how Onyango might have qualified for public housing with a standing deportation order.  Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals.  The Housing Authority determines eligibility based on several factors including U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status.

In typical Obama Camp fashion, any comment was declined on Friday night.

Additionally, the Federal Commission records show that Onyango donated at least five times to her nephew's campaign in July and September.  Three of the donations were for $5 each, and two of the donations were for $25.  Records compiled by The Huffington Post show she gave a total of $260 to the campaign.

The law states:

It shall be unlawful for a foreign national directly or through any other person to make any contribution of money or other such thing of value, or to promise expressly or implied to make such contribution, in connection with an election to any political office; or in connection with any primary election, convention, or caucus held to select candidates for any political office; or for any person to solicit, accept, or receive any such contribution from a foreign national.  2 U.S.C. § 441e

Of course, this isn't the first time Obama has obtained contributions from non-US citizens, including 8,794 donations from individuals who gave their state as NA, but gave international cities and addresses from places such as India, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, and Saudia Arabia.  Or state abbreviations combined with city addresses referring to foreign countries such as IT (Italy), FR (France), JP (Japan), or GA (Gaza).  And of course there's the issue of raising $42 million from "secret donors."  And then there's the issue of the Federal Election Commission flagging 16,639 potential foreign donations as of Oct. 21st that brought in at least $5 million.

WHERES THE UNCLE?

At one point in Obama's book, a half-sister tells Obama that people "like our Uncle Omar, in Boston" move to the West.  "They promise to return after completing school.  They say they'll send for the family once they get settled.  At first they write once a week.  Then it's just a month.  Then they stop writing completely.  No one sees them again."

The Times reported that a public record search lists an "O. Onyango Obama" born on Jun 3, 1944, at Colgate Road whose name matches that of the "Uncle Omar" in Obama's Dreams of My Father.

Nelson Ochieng, a counsin of Obama who lives in Kenya, said that Omar changed his first name after moving to the US.  "Before he went to America we all knew him as Omar, but he dropped that bit, changing it to Obama Onyango, because he said he preferred his African anme," he said.

Gail Greenberger, the landlady who bought the four-story brick block of flats at a foreclosure sale in 1994, knew her tenant, however, by the name of Obama Onyango.  "We used to call him 'Oh-bummer!'.  That is how I pronounced Obama in 2000," she said.  Greenberger said she was forced to evict Uncle Omar in 2000 for nonpayment of his rent of about $500 a month.  "I remember him being decent but I think he lost his job.  When they lose their job, they just stop paying rent.  He did not even go to court.  He bolted from the apartment," she said.  Records of Boston Housing Court show a "summary process" was executed against Uncle Omar on Feb 23, 2000, for unpaid rent of $2,324.70.

Uncle Omar was a business partner in a "convenience store" called the Wells Market at 1760 Dorchester Ave, now a Hispanic bodega, or grocery.  Records list him as the treasurer of the corporation, which was set up without his name in 1992 and involuntarily wound up in 2007 after failing to file annual reports since 1997.

Asked  why the man believed to be "Uncle Omar" went by the name Obama Onyango, Auntie Zeituni said that Obama was his true name.  "That is the name his father gave him," she said.  Dershaye Geresu, the Ethiopian-born president of Wells Market Inc, confirmed that Onyango was a "cousin" of the presidential candidate Obama.

In Obama's 2004 book, he writes:  "Most of the characters in this book remain a part of my life, albeit in varying degrees - a function of work, children, geography, and turns of fate."  So does Obama know where his Uncle is?

PERSONAL OPINION

My family has been here in the United States, before it was the United States.  My family comes mostly from Switzerland (50%), Ireland (25%) and Wales (25%) give or take a percent with some of the Swiss  coming here after a brief stop in Germany.  Members of my family came to this land before this country was a country.  And their relationship with the American Indians was rather good, if anyone wants to play that card.  They shared the land with them in VA, NC and TN, and at this point, no disputes have ever been found between my family and the American Indian, but positive words between them have been found.  My forefathers fought in the Revolutionary War, all but one for the United States.  One, who was a dragoon from England, did fight for England for a time, but decided that he was wrong.  So you see, I have a right to an opinion about immigration, and coming here for a better life.

So Auntie came here according to Obama's half brother to get a "better life" by living in public housing, which we the taxpayers are paying for although it is illegal for a illegal immigrant to live in public housing, and continues to live here as an illegal immigrant.  Bottom line is that if Auntie is here illegally, the law is the law, and she should be deported since her request for asylum was denied.  Or are we now going to start ignoring laws just because its "politically correct"?  If that's the case, then shouldn't that be allowed across the board for all who break the law?  Including bankers? Rapists?  Hackers?  Drunk Drivers?

And Obama doesn't use his wealth and position to help his Aunt get out of public housing and become a legal US citizen, but if anyone complains about raising taxes to "spread the wealth", then they are un-American, anti-American and selfish..........  And anyone who will say that all illegal immigrants should be deported, will be called a hater, a xenophobe and a RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIST. 

Obama claims to be a "brother's keeper" yet his Aunt lives in poverty in Boston.  His Uncle's whereabouts are unknown, and his half-brother lives in a hut in Africa.  I guess it's okay for the American taxpayer to spread the wealth around, but its not okay for Obama.

So the bottom line is that Auntie is here illegally, now a deportative fugitive, living off taxpayer's dime, and gives money illegally to Obama's campaign.  And that is "sharing the wealth" for you.  But yet, Obama, who will probably say he didn't know.. (yea right), hasn't helped her become a legal US citizen, so I guess then its okay for an illegal immigrant to live here, and use taxpayers money (i.e. public housing), and break laws.  Is this our "change we need?"

I believe that anyone who wants to come here should have that opportunity however, they should have to take the steps to become a legal US citizen, instead of giving handouts to the world.  Is it fair to those who have spent their time and money to become legal citizens to give free handouts to those who do not?  And is it moral to allow those who are illegal immigrants to remain here while they continue to pledge allegiance to their homeland, and not the United States?

And it's okay to voluntarily "ignore" this issue by the Obama Camp, but yet illegally rummage through Joe the Plumbers personal records.  How interesting............................. 

And all of this is the "Change we can believe in...........    or is this an example of "spreading the wealth"... to the WORLD.  Or is Obama going to say he didn't know................  tell me, exactly how many times can Obama claim "stupidity" or "ignorance of an issue" or "deny talking about something" or "refusing to release records" before it's an official trend?  In a court of law, isn't a persons associates, lifestyle, records and past statements used as a person's character?  Oh wait.. that makes me a RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIST even "thinking" about that, right?  I guess I'm a racist against my own race, since Obama is 50% white, 42% Arab, and 6% black, oh wait.. that's right, he's now a "diverse" person because of his background..................  Whatever....................  Sorry, but your times up, thanks for playing!

"A Newsmax investigation of Obama/Binden campaign contributors, undertaken in conjunction with a private investigative firm headed by a former CIA operations officer, has identified 118 donors who appear to lack U.S. citizenship.

Some of these "red flag" donors work for foreign governments; others have made public statements declaring that they are citizens of Cameroun, Nigeria, Pakistan, Canada, and other countries.

A Newsmax sampling of about 3,400 donors also found hundreds more who showed "yellow flags" such as not having used a Social Security number or a known U.S. address. Most U.S.-born citizens are issued Social Security numbers at birth or by the time they enter kindergarten.

Under federal law, only U.S. citizens or permanent residents may donate to federal political campaigns. It is illegal for the campaigns to accept money knowingly from foreign donors. [...]

... it remains very difficult to identify with any precision foreign money if a campaign itself does not cooperate with the Federal Election Commission and perform its own due diligence.

Until very recently, the Obama campaign had no safeguards in its online fundraising Web site designed to weed out foreign donors. Instead, its operations appeared to be designed specifically to enhance the flow of illegal money.

The Newsmax investigation focused only on donors whose names the Obama campaign disclosed, which are available to public scrutiny through the Federal Election Commission Web site.

In addition to the donations the campaign has disclosed, however, it has taken an unprecedented $218 million from donors whose names it is keeping secret according to FEC spokesman Robert Biersack.

That money came from individuals who in theory never passed the threshold of $200, the limit the FEC set for public disclosure of a donor's name and place of residence, so there is no way of knowing how much foreign money could be included in that amount.

For example, hidden away amidst the unprecedented $150 million Obama claims to have raised from individual donors in September was more than $42 million raised from secret donors. These donations appear in the records as a single entry under the heading, "Donors, Unitemized."

Newsmax retained the services of former CIA operations officer Frederick W. Rustmann Jr. and a team of international forensic accounting experts to comb through Obama's donor list to identify those who apparently aren't U.S. citizens or residents or residents. Rustmann, a 24 year veteran field officer, operates CTC International Group Ltd., a West Palm Beach, Fla., firm that provides business intelligence services and analysis.

[...] Most of these donors gave obvious overseas addresses when they made their donations, but the Obama campaign had no security to detect them.

"Hillary and McCain demanded proof of citizenship of all their donors," Rustmann said. "Obama did not, so he benefited by receiving an enormous amount of money from foreign donors who wanted to influence the U.S. election process."

[...] Typical is Victor A. of Lagos, Nigeria, who gave $500 to the campaign in May. In the FEC database, his address is listed as Ikoyi, NA. But a closer look at the actual itemized receipts filed by the campaign shows that he declared his address as 9e Awori Street Dolphin Estate, Lagos, Nigeria.

That apparently slipped by the eagle eyes of the Obama campaign's finance team.

A survey of the Obama donor base returns 8,794 donations from individuals who gave their state as "NA." They included donors from Bangalore, India; London; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Lagos, Nigeria; and Riyadh, Saudia Arabia.

Thousands more gave state abbreviations that, combined with the city addresses they listed, clearly referred to foreign countries. Examples include IT (Italy), FR (France), GR (Greece), NZ (New Zealand), JP (Japan), GA (Gaza).

Another 2,372 donors gave their state of residence as "ZZ", with cities including Moscow, Barcelona, Beiruit, London, Lausanne, SIngapore, Hagatna, Gunma-Ken, Buelach, Shanghai, Geneva, Prague, Aichi-Gun, Kiev, Hong Kong and others.

The Obama campaign claims that these are donors with overseas addresses are Americans living abroad, but there is no way of knowing that for certain because the campaign has not systematically required proof of citizenship from overseas donors.

[...] The Federal Election Commission had flagged 16,639 potential foreign donations as of Oct. 21 that brought in $5,249,263.96 to the campaign.

Take the case of Jo Jacquet, who gave $23,065 to Obama in 23 separate contributions last month. CTC found three people with variations of the name "Jo Anna Jacquet" who had U.S. addresses and Social Security numbers. It is not clear whether this specific Obama donor is a U.S. citizen.

"Jo Jacquet" made all of her contributions on two days, alternating between $5 and $2,300 charges to a credit card.

On all of the donations, she gave her employer as "DFDFGDFG," and her profession as "DFGDFGDFGHGFH." None of this attracted the suspicions of the Obama campaign or of Chase paymentech, the company that processes the Obama campaign's credit card donations.

The FEC requested that the Obama campaign re-attribute or re-designate all of the moeny from "Jo Jacquet" that went beyond the $4,600 limit but did not require that it be refunded. Under campaign finance rules, the campaign can shift this money into the "Obama Victory" account, a joint fundraising committee with much higher individual limits that it operates with the Democratic National Committee. [Obama just started accepting donations for his "Victory account" yesterday.......]

One apparent reason for the unusual number of foreign donors who may not hold U.S. citizenship is the fact that the Obama campaign turned off the security features most merchants demand for customers when doing online transactions, such as verifying the card number against the cardholder's name and billing address.

Another major loophole is the apparent widespread use of gift cards, which notoriously have been used for money-laundering purposes, especially in places such as Russia and Ukraine, industry security analysts tell Newsmax.

Newsmax asked James Wester, a spokesman for Chase paymentech, who was responsible for taking the unusual step of deactivating the Address Verification Service recommendation by VISA USA on the Obama Web site. Such security features can be deactivated by the processing company, or at the request of the merchant, in this case, Obama for America.

Wester said that Paymentech was "not going to be issuing a statement at this time."

[...]

Following are a few of the individuals the Newsmax/CTC International investigation found of overseas donors. To demonstrate its compliance with FEC regulations, the Obama campaign should request proof that these individuals are, indeed, U.S. citizens;

Several electronics and mobile phone stores said they no longer accepted credit card purchases.

Over the weekend, Aeroflot, the biggest Russian airline, announced it had stopped taking credit card payments for flights except from a handful of banks.

Several Moscow city center restaurants are now refusing to accept cards.  At a restaurant a waitress said diners no needed to pay in cash.  "Over the past couple of weeks, we've had problems getting back payments made through credit cards from the banks."

The NY Times has stated that "If oil prices continue to fall, the rising expectations that Russians have had for the last several years - the most prosperous in generations - will be foiled.  Zero growth would pull the rug from under the hope for a middle-class life for millions, shrinking their horizons back to cramped apartments and garden plots."

Authorities are tiptoeing around the signs, and Russian state TV stations try to calm viewers with sketchy coverage.

Obama Camp's reason?  Michelle Obama is joining the plane, which requires more Secret Service agents to be on board and according to Linda Douglass, Obama spokeswoman, adding a second plane to accommodate more traveling press would cause the campaign to lose one city per day due to logistical considerations.  These were "very hard decisions," she said, and have "absolutely nothing" to do with the news organizations' coverage of the race. 

[Yea, riiiiggghhhhhhhhhhht....  If they had kicked two newspapers off that were Obama endorsers and two newspapers that were McCain endorsers, then I would believe it... but three that were McCain endorsers only?  Yeah........... sure.. okay....]

According to the "Drudge Report", some have stated that the reporters are being ousted to bring on documentary film-makers to record the final days.  "The Obama campaign says their reporters -- and possibly others -- will have to vacate their coveted seats so more power players can document the final days of Sen. Barack Obama's historic campaign to become the first black American president."  The Druge Report is also saying that room is being made for two black magazines, Essence and Jet.

[Umm... Obama's not legally black.  6.25% Negro is NOT legally black in this country.  Hes 50% White, and 43.75% Arab!!!!!!  In the U.S. you must be at least 12.5% to claim an ethnicity!  LIES again from the Obama Camp!]

Dallas Morning News Editor Bob Mong told FOXNews that the "indication" from the Obama campaign was that they were kicked off the plane since they don't represent a national outlet and they don't represent a swing state.

"Unfortunately, demand for seats on the plane during this final weekend has far exceeded supply, and because of logistical issues we made the decision not to add a second plane.  This means we've had to make hard and unpleasant for all concerned decisions about limiting some news organizations and in some cases not being in position to offer space to news organizations altogether," wrote Obama campaign Senior Advisor and Chief Communications Officer Anita Dunn in an email to The Times.

"There are press seats available on Senator Biden's plane for travel this final weekend and The Washington Times is encouraged to include our vice presidential nominee in your coverage plans for this final stretch," she said.

The Washington Times had to say on the matter of using Biden's plane:

"The Time won't be deterred by the Obama decision from continuing to cover the campaign fairly and fully for the final days," Mr. Solomon said.  "Its reporters will fly commercial and drive to keep its coverage of Obama complete."

The Washington Times was notified last night, Thursday, of the decision, which came only two days after the Times editorial page endorsed McCain over Obama.

"We've been traveling since 2007 with him [Obama]. ... We're a relevant newspaper -- every day we break news," Solomon said.  "And to suddenly be kicked off theplane for people who haven't covered it as aggressively or thoroughly as we are ... it sort of feels unfair."

"This feels like the journalistic equivalent of redistributing the wealth.  We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars covering Senator Obama's campaign, traveling on his plane, and taking our turn in the reporter's pool, only to have our seat given away to someone else in the last days of the campaign," said Washington Times Executive Editor John Solomon.  News organizations typically pay campaigns for the cost of traveling on the candidate's planes.

"I hope the candidate that promises to unite America isn't using a litmus test to determine who gets to cover his campaign," Mr. Solomon said.

Seems Obama continues to hold the press hostage, either by threatening them with the DoJ, threatening them with the "race card", or by threatening to exclude them.  So, question to ponder.  Where does Obama exactly stand on our First Amendment, when people "talk", "write" or "speak" negatively about him?  So far, he's done at least one of the above three choices......  Prove me wrong if I am lying.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

• FOXNews

TODAY

McCain's camp has demanded that the LA Times release the video of the party.

The LA Times told FOXNews that it won't reveal how it obtained the tape of Khalidi's farewell party, nor will the newspaper release it.  Spokeswoman Nancy Sullivan said the paper is not interested in revisiting the story.  "As far as we're concerned, the story speaks for itself," she said

"The Los Angeles Times did not publish the videotape because it was provided to us by a confidential source who did so on the condition that we not release it," the Times' editor, Russ Stanton, said.  "The Times keeps its promises to sources."

The Obama campaign is dismissing the controversy as a "recycled, manufactured controversy."  (Typical Obama, averting the truth while vying for the trust and vote of American people.  As if one would expect the Obama camp to say anything different, well actually, the other options would be, based on history, to say that something was taken out of context, claim that it's un-American, deny he's ever said the words or send Joe Biden after them.....) An Obama spokesman says the Democrat has been "cleared and consistent on his support for Israel," and that he doesn't share the views of the Paletinian man, Rashid Khalidi.

Meanwhile, the LA Times, who has endorsed Obama,  says its "not suppressing anything."  It says it ran a detailed account of the events shows on the tape, more than six months ago.

Over on Doug Ross' blog, he states he received a tip from a person who "has provided useful, accurate and unique data from LA before.  Take it for what it's worth, but I believe this person is on target.

"Saw a clip from the tape.  Reason we can't release it is because statements Obama said to rile audience up during toast.  He congratulates Khalidi for his work saying "Israel has no God-given right to occupy Palestine" plus there's been "genocide against the Palestinian people by Israelis."

It would be really controversial if it got out.  That's why they will not even let a transcript get out.

Additionally Debbie Schlussel claims she knows where the video came from as she started the whole story, and LA Times reporter Wallsten plagiarized her.

The Los Angeles Times has a copy of the tape, but won't release it because they said the source--whom I believe is Arab American Action Network (AAAN) founder and anti-Israel Palestinian activist Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada--required it not be released as a condition of sharing it. That's because it likely shows Obama applauding an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel poem that was read at the dinner. [...]

In January, I wrote an exclusive column about Barack Obama's Nation of Islam staffers and "evolving" positions on Israel and the Jews. In March, I was contacted in writing by Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Wallsten, who told me he read my article and wanted to report on it for the L.A. Times. I agreed, provided that he credit me and/or mention my name and site in the article, to which he agreed. We spoke on the phone at some length.

In April, Wallsten wrote the story. Portions of it were lifted from my article. But I was never credited, contrary to Wallsten's promise. Even the Politico said Wallsten plagiarized me.

 

SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

Rashid Khalidi
Well Rashid Khalidi is a professor and activist tied to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) who from 1976 to 1982 was reportedly the director of the official Palestinian press agency, WAFA, which was operating in exile from Beirut with the PLO.  In the 1970s, when Khalidi taught at a university in Beirut, he often spoke to reporters on behalf of Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization.  Khalidi as a pro-Palestinian activist, has been a fierce critic of the American foreign policy and of Israel, which he has been accused of establishing an "apartheid system" of government.   In the early 1990s, he advised the Palestinian delegation during peace negotiations but he has denied he was ever an employee of the group, contradicting accounts in the New York Times and Washington Times. 

He is seen as a moderate in Palestinian circles, having decried suicide bombings against civilians as a "war crime" and criticized the conduct of Hamas and other Paletinian leaders.  Still, many of Khalidi's opinions are troubling to pro-Israel activists, such as his defense of Palestinians' right to resist Israel occupation and his critique of U.S. policy as biased toward Israel.

While Khalidi was teaching at the University of Chicago, he and his wife lived in the Hyde Park neighborhood near the Obamas.  The families became friends and dinner companions.  In 2001, a social service group whose board was headed by Mona Khalidi received a $40,000 grant from a local charity, the Woods Fund of Chicago, when Obama served on the fund's board of directors.

Bill Ayers
Weather Underground terrorist Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn reported attended the dinner.  According to Wallsten from the LA Times, "Wallston also said he did not know if Khalidi's good friend Bill Ayers was at the event or not."

REWARD

A letter was sent to the Associated Press and UrbanConservative.com offering a $150K reward for the person who can provide the video of Obama that is being held by the LA Times. 

The content of the e-mail was as follows:

Attached you will find a $150,000.00 USD reward letter applicable to any individual or company that releases the video of Senator Barack Obama held by the Los Angeles Times.

My intentions are to make the video public exclusively through the media outlet of my choice with no motives or requirements for recognition.

Attached to the e-mail was the following scanned letter:

Maybe for once, a "secret" that Obama is trying to hide won't be hidden for long.  Seriously.  We cannot see any of Obama's college work.  We cannot see his birth certificate.  We cannot see his medical records.  Now we cannot see The Times' video.  What is it exactly that Obama is trying to hide.  Because if he becomes president, he won't be able to hide everything forever. 

Or, is it the LA Times who is trying to hide something... perhaps a bogus report back in April?  Thoughts to ponder...

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

• The Cleveland Leader
• WBOC
• FOXNews
• The Electronic Intifada

OBAMAS ONLINE BIRTH CERTIFICATE

So lets take a look at Obama's digital copy of his birth certificate.   On Obamas "Fight The Smears" website, they have posted a low resolution image of Obama's "Birth Certificate" back on June 13, 2008.   Here and here is an extremely high resolution image of the "birth certificate".  The image to the left states "Certificate of Live Birth", not a "Birth Certificate".  A live birth certificate is a secondary source of identification for the purpose of establishing Hawaiian ancestry.  Such certification of a "Certificate of Live Birth" is ONLY issued when a birth certificate cannot be located in the vital records.

Now another issue that has been raised is that this document is not the "original" birth certificate, in relation to the same font used throughout the document.  Well, if the original birth certificate is missing, then information is pulled from a data base.  Additionally, if you look in the lower right hand corner of the document, you will see it states laser, thus yes it is NOT an original scan of a birth certificate however, it is information pulled from a database and put into a modern format. 

Additionally looking around the "Internez" a name kept popping up as a comparison of a birth certificate to Obama's.  That name was Patricia Decosta who was born in 1930.  The two are virtually identical.  Thus the format is correct, the font is correct but a stamp is shown on that document, however reversed, implying that the reverse does have a reverse stamp.

There was also a claim that the digital image of Obama's "Live Birth" was infact his sisters since there were three digital images of Obama's Certification floating around.  It's pretty complicated if you are not in the IT world however, he does raise some good points. But if you are interested, you can read about it over at The Obambi.com Blog.  It's written by someone who claims to be a digital forensic investigator who has shown his credential to blog owner as a 20 years in the computer field, performing computer forensic investigations since 1993, board certified as a forensic computer examiner (meaning he can testify as an expert witness at trials) but states that he does not give out his personal information on the net because "if I end up at the bottom of a construction site somewhere in NJ the world will still have all the information I was going to provide."  He has determined that the name on the original Certificate of Live Birth is Maya Kassandra Soetoro.

As for all the other issues of no raised seal of certification, other than a bleed through of a date stamp on the rear, or pixelation issues around the text on the page, indicating that the text was added on a blank document, the issue of the certificate number being blacked out, and the issue of looking at the actual hex code of the image showing modifications via Photoshop CS3 on 06/12/2008, well, FactCheck.org did some research.

They state "we can attest to the fact that it [the birth certificate] is real and three-dimensional and resides at the Obama headquarters in Chicago.  We can assure readers that the certificate does bear a raised seal, and that it's stamped on the back by Hawaii state registrar Alvin T. Onaka (who uses a signature stamp rather than signing individual birth certificates).  We even brought home a few photographs. [...]

The document is a "certification of birth," also known as a short-form birth certificate.  The long form is drawn up by the hospital and includes additional information such as birth weight and parents' hometowns.  The short form is printed by the state and draws from a databse with fewer details.  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, but their short from has enough information to be acceptable to the State Department.  We tried to ask the Hawaii DOH why the only offer the short form, among other questions, but they have not given a response.

Here are the photographs, which SHOW the Certificate number as 151 1961 -010641.  Click each picture for a high resolution of each.

Comparing the High Resolution Picture versus an Actual picture of the document, they are the same.  If you compare the upper fold line on the actual picture of the document versus the scanned document, the upper fold line does line up perfectly.  So they are the same document. 

But that myth of Obama not being born in Hawaii, at least at this point, has been really debunked via a newspaper article showing a birth announcement to a "Mr. and Mrs. Barack H. Obama although it has been stated by Michelle Obama that Barack's mother was "very single" when she had him.  A Time magazine article states that the couple married on February 2, 1961 in Maui, Hawaii after discovering she was pregnant.

From 'Obama:  From Promise to Power," pg. 27:  "Obama later confessed that he never searched for the government documents on the marriage [of his parents], although Madelyn (Obama's maternal grandmother) insisted they were legally married.'  Also, note that Obama's father apparently was not legally divorced from his first wife back in Kenya at the time, a point of contention that ultimately led to their separation.

The only thing I can think of is that his parents lied for the simple reason that back in the 60s, it wasn't a very good thing for an unwed woman to have a child.  The newspaper acquired the information from Hawaii Vital Records.  At the end of each week, Vital Records would post a sheet for the newspaper to pick up that contained births, deaths, marriages and divorces.  At that time, birth announcement were not paid for release in the newspaper, as they are done today.

At the time in the early 1960s, if a child was born outside a hospital, the family would have 30 days to apply for a birth certificate and Vital Records would expect to see prenatal care records, or pediatrician records of the first check up.  They'd also want the notarized statement from the mid-wife. 

DUAL CITIZENSHIP?

It has been stated that Obama when born or shortly after birth, acquired dual citizenship of the United States and of the British Crown - not Kenya (especially since Kenya did not exist at the time of his birth as a separate country, it was a colony) as Africa and Indonesia do not have dual citizenships yet British Crown citizens do have dual citizenship.

I also have some issues with Obama and possible Indonesian citizenship when his mother married Soetoro and being a registered "muslim" although he proclaims on his website that he's "always been Christian".

Obama seems to have only lived in Indonesia either four or five years (1967 - 1972), however in his own book The Audacity of Hope, p. 204, he states he lived in Indonesia for five years.

"During the five years that we would live with my stepfather in Indonesia.......'

A person would have to live in Indonesia for five years to have to relinquish citizenship, and in those days Indonesia was at war and only Indonesian citizens were allowed to enroll in public school.  If the senator's citizenship was switched to Indonesian, and later switched back, he would then be referenced as a natural citizen, and would not be eligible for president.

This one is pretty murky due to lack of documents......

THE LEGAL STATUS OF OBAMA'S MOTHER

 There has also been some rumors and scuttlebutt about Obama and his mother's legal status in the United States.  When Obama was born, his mother was 18.

According to FindLaw.com, cited by Jim Geraghty, the requirements that were inforce from Dec. 24, 1952 to Nov. 13, 1986, encompassing the time of Obama's birth, state, "If only one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of your birth, that parent must have resided in the United States for at least 10 years, at least five of which had to be after the age of 16."  He then points out that Ann Dunham, Obama's mother, was 18 when Obama was born "so she wouldn't have met the requirement of five years after the age of 16."

So, is Barack a natural-born citizen based upon his mother's citizenship?  According to Ron Gotcher, a California immigration lawyer, the answer is yes.

Gotcher write, "...over the concepts of jus sanguinis and jus soli."  Under jus sanguinis, a person's citizenship is transmitted "by the blood" - by inheritance from his or her parents or grandparents.  In the United States, we recognize citizenship through parentage in a number of cases.

But it is not necessary to look to the statutes that deal with citizenship through just sanguinis, since Senator Obama's citizenship derives from jus soli - citizenship through place of birth.

According to Gotcher, "The Fourteenth Amendment commands that "[a]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside."

"This was clarified by the Civil Rights Act of April 9, 1866, which provided that 'All persons born in the United States and not subject to any foreign power are declared to be citizens of the United States.'"

"Senator Obama was born in the State of Hawaii two years after it became a state on Aug. 21, 1959.  As such, he acquired United States citizenship automatically at birth."  "All that matters is that the child is born here," Gotcher says. 

ALSO ON THE RACE CARD ISSUE

Obama's camp uses the term "African-American" and not black because they know he is African Arab and not African black.  Barack Obama has only one black great-great-grandmother on his father's side while the other 7 were Arab.  That makes him 50% white, 43.75% Arab, and 6.25% black.  12.5% is the minimum required to legally claim any racial status in America.  PROVE ME WRONG.  So let's DROP this race card issue now.  AGAIN, I challenge you to prove me wrong.  Socialist is not a codeword for black as Obama's camp wants you to believe based on Hoover history.  Socialist is a word for a person's political beliefs.  How can socialist be a codeword for black, when the now defunct U.S.S.R was not black? Vietnam?  Cuba?  China?  Yea.. okay....... ignore me more Obamadamnnation, Obamanation.

REMAINING QUESTIONS AND EXEMPTION FROM PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP

But why allow a couple of individuals from a website access to this document, but not the press?  SERIOUSLY.  And why not show it in a court of law?   Philip Berg filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania on August 21, 2008, requesting the courts to force Obama to produce a birth certificate.  According to Bert, even if Obama was born in Hawaii, his stepfather later changed his citizenship to Indonesian.  Berg bases this on the years the senator was enrolled in the Indonesian public school system as Barry Soetoro (his stepfather's surname).

In those days Indonesia was at war and only Indonesian citizens were allowed to enroll in public school.  If the senator's citizenship was switched to Indonesian, and later switched back, he would then be referenced as a natural citizen, and would not be eligible for president.

Back on Sept 15, 2008 Berg files a Request for Admissions, meaning Obama had until Oct. 15 to answer or face the consequences of Rule 36.  During the entire months of Sept & Oct, 2008 Obama has not shown his birth certificate instead choosing to file several versions of a motions to dismiss. 

On October 15, after a federally mandated deadline requiring Obama's lawyers to produce a "vault" copy of his birth certificate expired, but yet there was still no response from Obama or his lawyers.  Berg stated that by failing to respond Obama has legally "admitted" to the lawsuit's accusations, including the charge that Obama was born in Mombosa, Kenya.  On Oct 21, Berg cited Rule 36 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which states that unless the accused party provides written answer or objection to charges within 30 days, the accused legally admits the matter.

On Oct 24, 2008, U.S. Federal Judge Richard Barclay Surrick, dismissed (Ruling Attachment - PDF) the lawsuit brought by Berg.  Additionally a Memorandum and Order is available (PDF).  The judge said Berg's allegations of harm were "too vague and too attenuated" to confer standing on him or any other voters.  Surrick ruled that Berg's attempts to use certain laws to gain standing to pursue his claim that Obama was not a natural-born citizen were "frivolous and not worthy of discussion."  The judge also said the harm Berg alleged did "not constitute an injury in fact" and Berg's arguments to the contrary "ventured into the unreasonable."

On Oct 25, 2008, Berg announced that he was appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court stating:

"I am totally disappointed by Judge Surrick's decision and, for all citizens of the United States, I am immediately appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is a question of who has standing to uphold our Constitution.  If I don't have standing, if you don't have standing, if your neighbor doesn't have standing to question the eligibility of an individual to be President of the United States - the Commander-in-Chief, the most powerful person in the world - then who does?

So, anyone can just claim to be eligible for congress or the presidency without having their legal status, age or citizenship questioned.

According to Judge Surrick, we the people have no right to police the eligibility requirements under the U.S. Constitution.

What happened to '... Government of the people, by the people, for the people..' 

Another interesting twist this week around Oct 27, 2008 is that Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle effectively barred anyone but Obama himself from obtaining a copy of his birth certificate.    His birth certificate has been sealed and Lingle instructed the state's Department of Health to make sure no one in the press obtains access tot he original document under any circumstances.

Also on Oct 27th, 2008, Judge Barclay Surrick  ordered (PDF) "having dismissed Plaintiff's First Amended Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive RELIFE, it is ORDERD that all pending motions are DISMISSED as moot."

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

On the Fight the Smears website, there is an option to send a message to someone stating "Smears claiming Barack Obama doesn't have a birth certificate aren't really about a piece of paper, though -- they're about manipulating you into thinking Barack is different...  Together we can make sure these negative and divisive attacks don't affect this election."  Well HELL YEA he's different.  He thinks he exempt from showing that he's a Natural Born US Citizen unlike every other citizen of the United States, thus manipulating YOU into believe that we who question his words are the bad people when all we are trying to do is quell a rumor by asking for evidence that he is Natural Born, thus protecting the Constitution of the United States.   So yea, I am going to assume that Obama is NOT an American citizen, simply by Obama and his campaign's words and actions.  Trying to separate the us and them is NOT the American way.  Its about "We the people...."  how quickly people forget.......

And I thought to myself, why would Obama NOT have his birth certificate and his campaign need to apply for one back in 2007?  Well, my guess is that he has his own personal copy, and his campaign needed a copy also.  Obama, care to "share the wealth" of information?  Again, actions speak louder than words, or webpages on the Internet.  Oh wait, by me asking this question, Im anti-American and a racist.  Wait, how can it be racist if he's 50% white?  Again, thanks for playing.

And what is the big deal about showing your birth certificate?  If you have nothing to hide, then there's not a problem.  Obviously something is "amiss" with the original document by simple defiance of refusal to show evidence.  This whole fiasco would be over by Obama simply showing his birth certificate, but no, he refuses to answer to the United States in typical Obama style by "ignoring" the question and stating that those who question his word are unAmerican.  It is not very much to ask of a candidate for President.  After all, McCain's birth was raked over the coals thoroughly, is it not tit-for-tat to do the same Obama?  Why is Obama exempt?  And why are government officials covering for him, by not allowing access to information.

And there still leaves the question that Obama's Kenyan grandmother has reportedly alleged she witnessed Obama's birth at the Coast Provincial Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.  World News Daily attempted to obtain any documents concerning Obama in Kenya however, they were told by the government authorities that all documents concerning Obama were under seal until after the U.S. presidential election on November 4.

One thought though, if Obama does become president, wouldn't his original birth certificate be included in the "Freedom of Information Act", or under National Security and Homeland Security laws for protection of terrorism?  How can you give a President "Top Secret" security clearance WITHOUT a valid birth certificate, oh wait the State Department accepts the above "Certification" as a legal document of citizenship.  So, here's the next question, is there even a background check before becoming President of the United States?  Or do we just take them for face value on their words?  I guess it's just too much to ask for a "stupid piece of paper" to increase votes......  Thoughts to ponder.

MOVING ON

Historically, politicians are notorious for saying one thing to get into office, and then forgetting what they promised in the past.  Lets see if Obama can really put all he says, as actions speak louder than words.  And then when he doesn't, let's see how things pan out from there.  Obama has put a lot on his plate, lets see if he can really dish it all out to the United States.  Time will answer all questions.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

• TD BLOG
• Los Angeles Times
• Obama Crimes
• Time Magazine