As word of State Senator Mike McLachlan's idiotic birther bill spread across the country, here's a small sample of the feedback…
State Sen. Gayle Slossberg:
State Sen. Gayle Slossberg, co-chairwoman of the committee where the bill was filed, was immediately cool to the idea.
"It was a real shock that such a divisive type of bill would be proposed,'' said Slossberg, a Milford Democrat. "I don't see it as a priority for the committee. Talk about the fringe. This is an old and disposed-of matter.''
When asked for the chances of the bill being approved by the committee on a scale of 1 to 10, Slossberg said, "I can't imagine that members of the committee are going to want to spend time on this. I don't know if this is one person's opinion or concern or this is the arm of out-there people. ... This is just ridiculous.''
Nancy DiNardo: CT Democratic Chairwoman.
"At a time when Connecticut faces a significant budget shortfall, it's ridiculous that Senate Republicans are focusing on tired political attacks that have nothing to do with the issues facing Connecticut," Democratic Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said Monday.
"Our Democratic leaders are focusing on real solutions to move Connecticut forward, and their Republican colleagues in the Senate should join them," DiNardo added.
Danbury News-Times opinion editor:
THUMBS DOWN to state Sen. Michael McLachlan, R-Danbury, for giving credence to the so-called birther movement by proposing a bill, No. 391, that would require candidates for president and vice president to provide their original birth certificates before their names can be placed on a ballot. Clearly this plays into the hands of the divisive lobby that has questioned whether President Barack Obama is qualified to hold office. McLachlan otherwise has been productive in the opening weeks of the 2011 legislative session by proposing or co-sponsoring 57 bills, many of which would directly affect the lives of his constituency in the 24th District. The proposed act would not.
Reader feedback at CTNewsJunkie:
Oh I’m so glad he cleared that up.
Another politician dealing in semantics instead of solutions. Just what we need at this critical juncture.
[…]
Is Sen. McLeachlan suggesting that President Obama can’t drive? Does he have videotape of Obama not driving??
[…]
What a freak show.
Connecticut needs more Republicans like Kyle McLachlan. I mean we know the majority of the GOP representatives are closet freaks, (please notice how GOP leadership has Kyle’s back on this one…)
But what could be awesomer than Rep. McLachlan displaying his full-on freakiness to the voting public?
Can we encourage them all to come out with their real views!
[…]
Unbelievable! We are facing a 3 billion dollar deficit, we need jobs, and this knucklehead is proposing legislation that impacts neither issue. This is what the CT GOP represents? Folks, see the circus act for what it is…ideology over innovation. Pathetic.
[…]
Proof positive that time wasting Idiots come in all Political persuasions. Maybe McLachlan can subpoena Jose Conseco or Roger Clemons to testify on this important birth certificate crisis.
Reader response at The Huffington Post
How did MacLachlan get elected again? A shameful blemish on this beautiful blue state.
[…]
I really and truly wish these people would stop wasting taxpayers money, work on fixing the job economy and just generally go DO SOMETHING USEFUL.
[…]
Dear birthers:
I have no idea why you are pushing so hard against the idea that Barack Obama is qualified to hold the office of President of the United States. He is a natural born American citizen. Put aside the whole birth certificate notion for the moment. Barack Obama's mother is an American citizen and has been her whole life. It does not matter where in the world Barack Obama was born (hint: Hawaii), he is still a natural born American because his mother is an American citizen. Holding to your belief that Obama is unqualified, by birth, to be President of the United States only lessens your credibility on this topic and others. Please open your mind and see the big picture.
[…]
The birthers push so hard because they cannot accept the fact that the President of the United States is the son of a black man and a white woman. Bigotry at its most blatant.
[…]
Would you lke to know something really interesting?
Go to The Hartford Courant newspaper website.
Try to find a story about this.
It isn't there.
Do you know why?
It's because in Connecticut McLachlan is considered to be about as important as a housefly.
He is an extremist nuisance and he gets no press because his ideas are not feasible because they would never hold up in any court.
[…]
Where are the jobs?? How is it he has all this time on his hands when we need jobs here in Ct and we have a record deficit
[…]
This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the KKK is alive and well in the US of A! You should all be so very proud
[…]
Democrats need to prove their Birth and Republicans need to prove what sex they are.many are not sure all those males are males or all the females are females at birth.Its time to put all the proof on the table.
[…]
So you need more proof than the Supreme Court?
One that was stocked with Bush's own?
If they could not reject his credentials, then who are YOU?
[…]
President Obama has nothing to hide. You, on the other hand, appear to be trying to wrap your bigotry in the American flag.
[…]
Said it before, I say it again. Fear of the big, bad, black man. If he were a white guy whose father came from England, there would not be "birthers."
[…]
Not sure this comment will make it past the moderators (they haven't liked me much today), and it probably won't be appreciated.
Random thoughts on a cold snowy night..................................
I wonder how many of those who reject Barack O'bama's presidency....... because they believe he was NOT born in the USA.................
also believe that children of illegal immigrants should have ALL the rights of citizens, because they were?
[…]
Funny but not surprising. The moment a black president was inaugurated Tea party and birthers came to life. Common white people.
[…]
between these folks, palins fanatics, and the voters who elected bachmann; I never realised just how many people there are in the US with real problems thinking clearly.
[…]
I live in Connecticut. How embarrassing!
[…]
As time goes on, it becomes more and more difficult for the birthers and tea partiers to deny the racism at the core of their agenda. Ironically, it wasn't progressive media sources that convinced me of that. It was after attending a few tea party rallies in Texas and one other state with family members that convinced me of that. I heard so many people saying "I'm so glad so-and-so didn't live long enough to see a black man in the white house" and "we have to do something to stop this"
The bulk of the people in the ultra-conservative movement at people over 60, retired, and on Social Security, and Medicare (another glaring irony). They feel like something was taken from them when Obama was elected. I reluctantly continue to spend time with those family members, but we have agreed that politics would not be discussed.
Not EVERYONE on the radical right is motivated by racism. They are legitimately concerned about big govt. and deficits, but they aren't bending over backward to change the racist component of the movement from the inside. Their silence on that issue makes them just as complicit as those carrying signs showing Obama with a bone through his nose.
[…]
This is clearly an attack against adoption. Those of you out there who were adopted can confirm this. In many, many cases, your original birth certificate was sealed to protect your birth parents' identity. Thus adopted people would experience discrimination in running for president in these states. These anti-American and unChristian baggers are trying to redefine rape and thus are attacking victims and now are attacking adoptees. They have no shame. As far as I'm concerned, they are traitors.
[…]
Protecting their fragile sense of social status.
The election of~a black president has made it glaringly clear and driven home the point, like nothing else in the past, that not only, they are not the only ones seating at the table, but now, even the head of the table will be shared and will represent all, and this is something that their fragile egos can not accept.
Their absolute panic that they aren't any more special than the rest of humanity in their various colors, is the reason why they have stopped thinking logically and have easily succumbed to the ludicrous narratives disseminated by those who would continue to use them. Ideas that one would accept from a child's flight of imagination but otherwise leaves thinking adults scratching their heads when purported by other adults.
They believe themselves to be fighting some noble cause, when in reality all they are doing is protecting their fragile sense of social status, and to hide this from the public and quite often and sadly even from themselves, they adopt poorly researched or thought out stances that often contradict themselves or their best interest.
Perhaps when they grow up they can return to reason and we can have them back into the debate of tackling our problems and how to move this world forward.
[…]
I've got it! All we need to do is invent a time machine so all these birthers can go back to 8/1/61 and see Obama being born for themselves!
[…]
I must admit that I am somewhat shocked at the number of really stupid people in this country. But then, many are simply run of the mill racists. So, I guess I am not so shocked after all.
[…]
LOL
hmmmm, lets see. In order for Obama to have~risen to the presidency without being an American, the institutions and people that would have to be part of the conspiracy would be...
CIA,
FBI,
NSA,
The Pentagon,
Secret Service,
The SCOTUS,
US Congress,
Congress Security,
All (both parties) of Illinois' Government, Civic and Political members,
All the people that ran against him since entering politics,
All of Hawaii's Civic and Political members,
Harvard,
The Hígh~School he attended,
The hospital that issue the BC,
The Social Security office,
And...
the Dept. of Immigration itself.
Never mind that some of these agencies would have dug into his background to find out what he had for lunch on his 3rd birthday before handing over the most secret and sensitive intelligence, making him the "Commander in Chief" and giving him access to that "little red button".
Heh. Just the thought that these people think they discovered something that the first 5 aforementioned agencies didn't its laughable.
[…]
To date the following are all undisclosed:
1) 1961 long-form, original, signed birth certificate
2)3) Obama’s baptism records — sealed
3) Obama’s adoption records — sealed
4) Records of Obama’s and his mother’s repatriation as U.S. citizens on return from Indonesia — not found, not released
5) Name change (Barry Sotero to Barack Hussein Obama) records — not found, not released
6) Columbia College records — not released
7) Columbia senior thesis — not released
8) Harvard Law School records — not released
9) Obama’s files from career as an Illinois state senator — sealed
10) Obama’s record with Illinois State Bar Association — sealed
So many questions!!!!
[…]
What planet do you live on? Obama has produced all the documents that every other senator, representative and former president have produced. Nothing more, nothing less.
Admit your racism. Many of us predicted this before he was elected. Racists will never accept a black person in the White House. You have proved our prediction to be accurate.
[…]
Here is an answer -- Hawaii decides their state records. The US Constitution gives states the "FULL FAITH AND CREDIT" to states to decide their own records.
Got that? So even if Obama was born on Mars, doesn't matter. Hawaii decides their own recors. Their records and their officials validate his birth.
If those persons are wrong, and Obama was born on Pluto -- doesn't matter. Hawaii decides.
Oh, did I mention the state of Hawaii decides? Full faith and credit clause of constituteon.
I could go on and on but I think you get the point...
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
