The Star Bulletin column goes on to report: "The issue of what constitutes
an official Hawaii birth certificate received national attention during
last year's presidential campaign. Those who doubted Barack Obama's
American citizenship called the copy of the Hawaii birth document posted on
his campaign website a fake."
However, Obama's "citizenship" was never the question raised during the
campaign or after the election. The issue raised by WND has consistently
been that Obama failed to prove he was actually born in Hawaii and thus
constitutionally qualified to become president as a "natural born citizen" -
which requires that the birth took place in the United States.
The qualifications for the Hawaiian Home Lands program require a certified
copy of a standard birth certificate - also known as the "long-form
certificate" filled out in the hospital and including details such as the
name of the hospital and the attending physician.
"In order to process your application, DHHL utilizes information that is
found only on the original Certificate of Live Birth, which is either black
or green," the qualifications state. "This is a more complete record of
your birth than the Certification of Live Birth (a computer-generated
printout). Submitting the original Certificate of Live Birth will save you
time and money since the computer-generated Certification requires
additional verification by DHHL."
According to Hawaii's Department of Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo, the
state only issues "certifications" of live births since 2001 when the
health department went paperless. It is only available in electronic form,
she said.
"At that time, all information for births from 1908 (on) was put into
electronic files for consistent reporting," she is quoted as telling the
Star Bulletin. "The electronic record of the birth is what (the Health
Department) now keeps on file in order to provide same-day certified copies
at our help window for most requests," Okubo said.
She did not explain how those needing a standard long-form birth
certificate to qualify for programs such as those offered by the Department
of Hawaiian Home Lands or to establish proof of eligibility to be president
could be fulfilled. She said the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized the
state's current certification of live birth "as an official birth
certificate meeting all federal and other requirements. " She did not,
however, cite any
specific rulings, and the Supreme Court has not taken up the issue of
whether the certification of live birth would qualify a presidential
candidate as eligible under the "natural born citizen" clause.
Many of members of the public commenting on the Star Bulletin column raised
similar questions:
"I'm fifty years old and I need to apply for a passport," wrote one. "So I
scan some representation of COLB onto my Facebook page. If I take my laptop
to the DMV, can I just open my laptop to show my web page to the clerk who
will then verify my citizenship and issue me a legal passport? I'm sorry
but some documents need a paper trail."
"To be president you need to be a 'natural born citizen,'" said another.
"That means you are born in this country of 'parents that are citizens.'
Note that both 'parent' and 'citizen' are plural. His father was a British
subject and, yes, under the laws of both the United States and the UK at the
time [when] he was born, Obama's citizenship was passed by descent of the
father. These are the facts. We have laws and no one is above them."
"There seems to be a great deal of secrecy surrounding this whole
situation," said another. "I've read that he has three legal teams keeping
his info private. He has also had all his college records sealed. So this
is transparency and change? Why all the mystery?"
Additional controversy over where Obama was born came when the woman the
president says is his paternal grandmother, Sarah Obama, claimed to have
been present at her grandson's birth in Mombasa, Kenya.
Joseph Farah, WND editor and chief executive officer, launched a national
billboard campaign last month in an effort to keep the issue before the
American people. The billboards, being leased around the country, ask the
simple question, "Where's the birth certificate? " Farah is asking the
public to support his campaign with donations. So far, more than $75,000
has been collected.
Last week, CBS, the largest provider of outdoor advertising in the country,
announced it would refuse requests for space for the campaign. But Farah
says CBS' refusal to lease space for the campaign will not hinder it.
"There are plenty of other billboard companies willing and eager to take
our money," said Farah. "The only obstacle to this campaign is raising the
money necessary to make it truly a national phenomenon."
The billboard campaign followed one launched months earlier to collect the
names on an electronic petition demanding accountability and transparency
on the issue. So far, that petition has gathered nearly 400,000 names.
The campaign got a boost last week when WND White House correspondent Les
Kinsolving asked Obama's press secretary, Robert Gibbs, why the president
wouldn't release his birth certificate. Gibbs' response was covered live on
C-SPAN and by Fox News Channel and others - excluding CBS.
It was the first time any member of the press corps has publicly asked a
member of the administration a question directly related to Obama's
constitutional eligibility for office as a "natural born citizen."
Congressional hearings were held to determine whether Sen. John McCain was
constitutionally eligible to be president as a "natural born citizen," but
no controlling legal authority ever sought to verify Obama's claim to a
Hawaiian birth.
Both the petition and the billboard campaign are part of what Farah calls
an independent "truth and transparency campaign."
The first sign to be posted under the campaign, a digital, electronic one,
is up and online on Highway 165 in Ball, La. - the result of a donation by
the owner. In addition, based on the heavy volume of financial donations in
the first days of the campaign, WND was able to commit to leasing three
more standard billboards - one in Los Angeles, another in Orange County,
Calif. and a third in Pennsylvania.
Birth certificate question being raised in Ball, La.
Many have asked why Obama's name is not included in the billboard. Farah
said the matter was carefully considered.
"There are several reasons we chose the message: 'Where's the birth
certificate? '" he explained. "There is only one birth certificate
controversy in this country today - despite the near-total absence of this
issue from coverage in the non-WND media. This is a grass-roots issue that
resonates around the country, as our own online petition with nearly
400,000 signers suggests. In addition, I like the simplicity of the
message. I like the fact that the message will cause some people to ask
themselves or others about the meaning of the message. It will stir
curiosity. It will create a buzz. I'm assuming when these billboards are
springing up all over the country, it might even make some in the news
media curious. And there's one more factor that persuaded me this was the
way to go.
"Come 2012, campaign laws will pose restrictions on political advertising
mentioning the names of presidential candidates. This one clearly doesn't.
I would like to see the federal government make the case that this is
somehow a political ad," he said. "Imagine the problems we'd have finding
billboard space if Obama's image or name was part of the message. CBS is
afraid of four innocent words - even though it is a purveyor of highly
offensive four-letter words in its entertainment portfolio."
Farah said the campaign was born of frustration with timid elected officials
in Washington, corrupt judges around the country and a news media that show
a stunning lack of curiosity about the most basic facts of Obama's
background - especially how it relates to constitutional eligibility for
the highest office in the land.
"As Obama transforms this country from self-governing constitutional
republic to one governed by a central ruling elite, the simple fact remains
that no controlling legal authority has established that he is indeed a
'natural born citizen' as the Constitution requires," Farah said. "Obama's
promises of transparency have become a bad joke as he continues to hide
simple, innocuous documents like his birth certificate and his student
records."
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