Associated Press
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett (R) talking to reporters.
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett (R), who oversees the state's elections and serves as the state co-chair of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, created quite a mess for himself last week. Though he denied being a Birther, Bennett nevertheless threatened to keep President Obama off the Arizona ballot due to imaginary questions about his citizenship.
Yesterday, Bennett, the subject of national ridicule, changed course.
...Bennett on Tuesday backed off his threat to keep the president off the ballot in November and apologized to his state.
"If I embarrassed the state, I apologize, but that certainly wasn't my intent," Bennett said in an interview with Phoenix radio station KTAR. "He'll be on the ballot as long as he fills out the same paperwork and does the same things that everybody else has."
Bennett said he still intends to keep asking Hawaii for verification that Obama's birth certificate is authentic. But he said he only plans to use Hawaii's answer as a way to satisfy demands from constituents who remain unconvinced Obama is a natural born citizen of the United States and so therefore eligible to be president.
That's not much of a motivation -- it's generally not the Arizona Secretary of State's job to answer willfully confused people who believe in deranged conspiracy theories -- but late yesterday, Hawaiian officials nevertheless provided additional verification of the president's birth to Bennett, apparently resolving the matter.
So, with Bennett chastened and embarrassed over this ridiculous stunt, is it safe to say reason and decency will live to see another day in the Grand Canyon State? Well, almost.
While Bennett's nonsense appears to have come to an end, there's still that other Arizona Republican who's even more detached from reality: Maricopa County's unhinged sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who sent a "posse" to Hawaii this week, hoping to uncover documents that have already been released to the public.
Both the Arizona Republic and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported deputy Brian Mackiewcz traveled with Arpaio’s volunteer posse member Michael Zullo on Monday to try to get an official confirmation that Hawaii has the president’s birth certificate on file. [...]
The Star-Advertiser reported that Zullo and Mackiewcz flashed badges on Monday when they showed up at the Hawaii Department of Health. Mackiewcz apparently also handed over a business card showing he is part of the Arizona sheriff's "Threats Management Unit."
This is not, by the way, an excerpt from a silly and implausible novel. It actually happened. Indeed, Arpaio's office is spending tens of thousands of Arizona taxpayer dollars on this.
And in this matter, Hawaiian officials were reportedly underwhelmed by Zullo's and Mackiewcz's badges, which are about as relevant in Hawaii as the frequent-shopper card I keep in my wallet for trips to the grocery store.
Still no word from the Romney camp on his comfort level with all of this.
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These are sick, deranged, racist, bigoted, incoherent people. The Republican Party is over as a political entity if two of their "rising stars" and figures which Mitt Romney actively sought endorsements from are engaged in this kind of unhinged behavior. That some nuts have conspiracy theories about a president is not surprising. that those nuts are being legitimized by people in important public positions and with important positions in the GOP is astounding and dangerous. Taxpayer dollars are being spent on birtherism! Don't those "small-government" conservatives understand this? http://www.sunstateactivist.org
I assume he sent another couple of deputies to Michigan to verify Romney's birth certificate.
Good one, Dan!
At this point, my WTFer is so exhausted I'm having trouble mustering surprise at any more weirdness from Republicans.
Seriously . The whole lot of them have rendered parody in this country as a dead art form.
How is the Onion to stay in business when these fools are writing their headlines for them .
You can dispatch the news footage directly to The Daily Show
I wonder how Jon Stewart can even summon the motivation to get out of bed when the GOP keep topping his best efforts without even trying.
I would have loved to have been the one handed that card.
"Threats management unit? And what sort of threat is it you're making, here?"
Is Sheriff Arpaio sending people on the taxpayers' dollars to verify the already verified? How is this not a misuse of department funds?
Not in Arizona. When you're a shriveled up old white hater who retired there because you wanted a climate that would help acclimate you for your rapidly approaching move to Hell, it's a perfectly reasonable expenditure of taxpayer money.
Frankly, as far as Joe Arpaio spending tens of thousands of dollars of my (in part; alas I live in Maricopa County) money on this -- well, maybe it's a good thing.
Because at least it keeps two of his pet thugs from costing millions instead by way of their usual activities of abusing people's civil rights.
I hope somebody's following them and documenting this mission.
I picture it as a more Sheriff Joe-ish version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Y'think they'll trash a hotel room or two?
Maybe they'll hook up with Dog the Bounty Hunter (isn't he in Hawaii?) for a new reality series.
That's one strange definition of 'reality' you seem to be using. On the other hand, I've never watched 'reality television' so maybe I'm missing something.
" reason and decency will live to see another day in the Grand Canyon State." Shirley, you jest!
If you listen to late night radio, you will learn that the Grand Canyon State is filled with an assortment of folks straight out of the old comic book "Weird Tales". Alien abductions-with the requisite anal probings- are just the milder happenings in Arizona.
The DOH officials should have assumed anyone posing in Hawaii with badges on such a stupid mission were actually impersonating law enforcement and called their own police to have these clowns arrested and thrown in jail until their supervisor personally appeared and vouched for their identities and produced, you guessed it, a long-form birth certificate notorized by proper officials who must ALSO appear in person in possession of their own long-form birth certificates etc, etc, etc. What tools!
And put 'em on the no-fly list so they have to take a boat home.
Clever idea.
How long will it takes till they pull a "Michigan" on the paperwork...
"Ohw, sorry...your font is too small and it seems you have miss a comma between your month and year of birth. Ohw...and everybody else put a smiley face after their signature and you don't, so you can't be in our ballot."
Where is the Michigan law about getting rid of elected officials when a city or state becomes insolvent? How about when a State becomes ridiculously stupid?
An emergency manager because of intellectual bankruptcy?
"If I embarrassed the state, I apologize..."
No IF about it, Bennett, my boy. But no worries: between your lunatic governor, your delusional sherriff, and your senior senator who so carelessly and stupidly threw Sarah Palin into the national spotlight, you're in good company.
Seriously... Can i join His posse if the state tax payers are paying for it. I mean i believe Obama is a citizen but a free trip to Hawaii. I am in for that part.
UFB! I've got relatives in AZ, they seem nice (a little heavy on the booze and very recently indoctrinating the youngens with baptisms (puke!), but nice in general) and they seem pretty liberal. I wonder which water supply they're drinking from or maybe they "turn" on specific days of the week. Maybe the desert has "evolved" Arid-Zona's populace to nomadic-ally stupid!
Poor Arizona. It must be the water.
I think it is too much sun. Fries the brains.
It must be the water.
Stolen from Mexico. I flew low over Phoenix once, such a wonderland of swimming pools, fountains, and green yards.
The issue here is Bennet's abuse of power and blatant discrimination. No one else on the AZ ballot is required to show a birth certificate. So the fact that AZ procured proof of BO's legitimate birth is not the issue. I hope this poor judgement costs Bennet his bid for Govenor.
"flashed their badges"
I can't stop laughing!
Let's pick this up on the national media. Where are the NBC, CBS, ABC cameras on this? Where is the story about how much of the peoples' hard earned tax dollars are being wasted on this national issue?
Too bad Tom Brokaw's Fleecing of America segments were not continued under Brian Williams.
I couldn't believe that AZ was pulling this crap. Now I hear that the Iowa GOP is looking at the same type of demand. It is fascinating when it happens somewhere else, totally embarrassing when it happens in your own state. I didn't realize there were so many knuckle draggers alive and breathing.
Even if Obama had been born abroad, he would still be a natural-born citizen eligible to be President. He would have inherited citizenship from his mother, in the same way John McCain inherited citizenship from his U.S.-citizen parents when he was born in Panama. So not only are the birthers crazy, but they have no idea what the qualifications for President actually are.
Well, we gave AZ the info they requested yesterday. Do you think this will shut them up now?
We gave AZ what they wanted yesterday...do you think this will shut them up now?
Re "birthers," as was stated by some above, once you are convinced of a conspiracy it is doubtful that any kind of documentation provided will be satisfactory. Certified copies of birth certificates have to be provided for many things. For those who question a State's certified copy of a birth certificate, I hope that those people never have their own certified copy questioned when traveling or for business or financial transactions or other reasons that may need such a document.
His intent may not have been to embarrass Arizona, but if that wasn't his intent then why is this an "if" scenario? Is he implying that if Arizona is not embarrassed then he doesn't apologize? Either he sincerely regrets embarrassing his state and believes that he was wrong OR he does not sincerely regret embarrassing his state because he does not believe he was wrong. It is fine to hold position a or position b, but you cannot hold both position a and b at the same time.
This statement implies that there was ambiguity as to whether or not PBO was going to do as much. Why was there ambiguity? Did his staff not do this last election? If they met the requirements last election then why would there be ambiguity as to there meeting the requirements this election?
Additionally by making this statement he is immediately invalidating his own apology. He was apologizing for insinuating that the current POTUS is not, in fact, a US citizen and therefore cannot be eligible for the AZ state ballot in Novemember. Yet he then immediately turns around and says "as long as [President Obama] meets the requirements...." He is purposely leaving this statement open ended so as to imply that he still believes PBO is, in fact, not eligible to be on the AZ ballot.
So first he asserts that PBO cannot get on the ballot because PBO is not a US citizen and then he apologizes for making this assertion. He immediately follows that apology.....by re-emphasizing the aforementioned assertion.
And I bet my right foot that no one at that press conference asked him any question even remotely like this. Siiighs
Treating everyone the same... Ohh the horrors. Why next thing you know they will be enforcing laws and making illegals obey them just like the rest of us.
Well I know he wasn't qualified to be on ballot in other states last election, so he fooled AZ also. If I rob you last week, and don't gt caught. I can now rob from you anytime I feel like it because I got away with it?
Illegals are forced to obey the same laws like the rest of us. Obama's Administration has deported more illegal immigrants than any other modern administration in times past. You are using false reasoning here and are assuming that because there are some illegals present in the country that this necessitates that the government is doing nothing about the problem. You're confusing the fact that the system isn't perfect w/ a fantasy that there is no system in place. The two are not the same. Additionally there is and never was anything illegal done by PBO regarding his ballot eligibility. He is a US citizen. Deal w/ it.
Unfortunately, clowns like this guy are plentiful in the AZ legislature, the gov, and Sherrif Joe. Living here (in Maricopa Country, in Phoenix) Everyday, is a "new" adventure in nuttiness. However, living with this everday isn't as funny as it's exasperating, embarrassing, frustrating, etc. People are fed up with AZ being a 'laughingstock' at every turn.
Take this apology with a HUGE grain of salt. This guy is running for gov in the next governor's election in AZ. This was his homage & his dues to the crazy rightwing nutjob teapartiers in AZ. Now, he wants to appear 'sane' to the rest of us. [too late] What's really unfortunate is that AZ is in for more looney politicians.