Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Obama Releases his Birth Certificate, and America Loses



April 27, 2011. Mark it down in your calendars as the day the racists and the crazies in America won. A day that should embarrass anyone with human decency and love of country. The day the office of the United States Presidency lost some of its respect and prestige. The day Barack Obama acquiesced to the radical Republican fringe lunatics and released his long-form birth certificate to conclusively prove his citizenship and hopefully put an end to the despicable campaign, led by Donald Trump, to deligitimize him.

It's a shame and a disgrace to our great nation that the Birther movement existed in the first place, as it is little more than a thinly veiled disguise for the obvious racism behind it. The ignorant, narrow-minded bigots fueling this campaign simply refuse to accept the outcome of the 2008 election; that there's a black family in the White House and a black man in the Oval Office. Anyone who thinks differently is incredibly naive and in denial. But what's more disheartening and quite frankly shocking than the movement itself is that Obama, while commanding three wars and battling a still-struggling economy, felt compelled to dignify these loons with the release of the document. If the president truly believes the Birthers will now be quieted, then, incredibly, he's the one in denial.

When asked in New Hampshire Wednesday about the release of Obama's long-form birth certificate (the short form is the official version in Hawaii and which the president released 2 1/2 years ago), Trump signaled that the controversy is far from over:

"I have done a great service to the American people...I'm really proud of myself. I was able to get something accomplished that no one else was able to get accomplished..." and that he still needs to "look at it" to determine if its genuine. Trump then ignored requests by reporters, including CNN's John King in a later interview, to review a copy of the document. He chose to sign autographs instead. And what's he so proud of, that he orchestrated a smear that was proven utterly unfounded?

To be sure, Trump does not want this conspiracy theory to go away, even when presented with the document which should have resulted in one simple response: 'Great, it''s over. Now let's move on to much more pressing matters facing the country today'...and followed by an apology. But that would mean he'd have to now start answering to voters, the media and his GOP counterparts in addressing Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, the Middle East crisis, the economy, jobs, housing, Medicare/Medicaid and other critical subjects instead of relentlessly and shamelessly attacking Obama while stoking the fires of hatred. Do you honestly think Trump's reprehensible rhetoric will now stop? If you do, I have a timeshare in Syria to sell you.

So what's next for Trump? Besides a likely continuance of this Birther crap, expect an amped-up attack on Obama's college credentials. And don't be surprised if Obama's Christianity comes into question again as well. No, Trump's scam won't end, because he simply can't be wrong. His outsize ego won't allow him that human quality. This narcissistic blowhard will continue to spin the release of the document as his victory, much in the same way the Bushies spun the absence of WMD in Iraq as proof that they once existed and were therefore obviously moved or destroyed.

I hate to say it, but on April 27, 2011 Donald Trump, the King of the Racist Crazies, won while Obama and America lost. While some will claim the opposite, the truth is, Trump succeeded in getting the President of the United States to respond to his outlandishly offensive accusations. The office should be above that.

I'd also say it's time to turn up the heat on Trump. Let's demand to see his his tax returns, college records and birth certificate. It's time we learn just how rich he really is, or not. I suspect that Fred Trump's kid, who was born on 3rd base and thinks he hit a triple, might not be as wealthy as he portrays himself. It's time for him to put up or shut up.

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