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Obama’s Kenyan Birth Certificate
Status: hoax
The Birther movement has progressed from claiming that other people are involved in an elaborate hoax, to promoting a hoax of its own. The leader of the Birthers, Orly Taitz, has produced what she claims is a birth certificate proving that Obama was born in Kenya.Debunking of the document has already begun. For instance, skeptics note that "Kenya was a Dominion the date this certificate was allegedly issued and would not become a republic for 8 months."
Also, the name of the registrar listed on the document is "E.F. Lavender." Maybe this is someone's real name, but it also seems to be the name of a type of detergent (Earth Friendly Lavender).
But all that analysis isn't really necessary, because the first thing a document expert would ask is what is the provenance of the document. i.e. Where did it come from? As far as I can tell, the document came from someone called Ed Hale who, in turn, said he paid a woman named Shirley $1000 for it. That doesn't seem like a very reliable source.
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
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Would the woman's full name be Shirley Eujest?
Posted by John Paradox in Tucson, AZ on Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 10:23 PM
'Forgery' is too strong: 'prank' would be better. With all the (obviously deliberate) giveaways, this was clearly intended to sucker fools, not to truly deceive. It's a forgery like a 3-dollar bill is forgery - ie not.
Posted by outeast on Mon Aug 03, 2009 at 11:28 PM
I agree with outeast. This is more of a joke than a forgery. Only the really thick are going to believe this one.
Posted by Croydon Bob in UK on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 04:38 AM
He got it from a Friend Of a Friend? You know even the Conservative blogs are making fun of these birther people.
Posted by dbrunker on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 05:12 AM
It could fool Dan Rather.
Or it could if it mentioned George Bush...
Posted by stephen525 on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 07:08 AM
Or it could if it mentioned George Bush...
Why do these idiots even get the time of day? Even if Obama weren't born on US soil, it wouldn't make any difference. At least one of his parents was a US citizen, therefore, he's a natural born citizen. End of story.
Posted by Goober on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 07:46 AM
That Orly woman has a very strange accent.
She sounds like a kettle...
Posted by Unfairly Balanced in Earth on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 07:54 AM
She sounds like a kettle...
These people have such stupid arguments they make my head hurt. Does anyone know what's up with the thing about Obama having multiple SSNs or an olf SSN? The woman on Colbert threw it out there the other night and he ignored it. That chick was bringin' on the crazy!
Posted by Kristen55 in Seattle, WA on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 09:21 AM
I've attended two "tea-bag" parties to date, and have heard some extremely outlandish comments, ranging from theories that only "inner-city people looking for a handout" voted for President Obama, to individuals calling for the violent overthrow of the U.S. Federal government, which, btw, is illegal. I've become a persona-non-grata at these "parties", but I intend to continue to show, if for no other reason than to monitor what may be potentially dangerous individuals. Hey, I'm all for free speach and responsible government, but it's my opinion that some of these folks are going to do something stupid and fatal. BTW, I wore a hat festooned with whoopie-cushions, rather than teabags, adorned with a sign that all attendees go "express themeselves". Hope I don't get shot at the next one. Sore losers
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 09:29 AM
I have a copy I could part with for the low low price of $999! Ed overpaid!
Posted by Maegan in Tampa, FL - USA on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 09:39 AM
"... Ed Hale ... said he paid a woman named Shirley $1000 for it."
My mother's name is Shirley!
For all this time, Mom never once mentioned that she was sitting on Obama's real birth certificate. I wonder why she took so long to go public with it.
Posted by Big Gary in Uncertain, Texas on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 04:33 PM
My mother's name is Shirley!
For all this time, Mom never once mentioned that she was sitting on Obama's real birth certificate. I wonder why she took so long to go public with it.
What really makes me crazy about this whole debate, if you can call it that, besides the total absence of evidence on the "birther" side and the abundance of evidence on the "Obama was born in Hawaii, stupid" side, is that the question of where Obama was born is completely irrelevant.
Nobody seems to be denying that, wherever he was born, Barack Obama's natural mother was Stanley Ann Dunham. At the time of his birth, Stanley Ann (who was born in Kansas) was a U.S. citizen and had lived all her life until then (about 18 years) in the U.S. Under the laws effective at the time, this was unambiguously sufficient to confer automatic U.S. citizenship on Barack Obama II from birth. Therefore he is a "natural-born citizen" and eligible to be President. The exact same thing is true of John McCain, who was born in Panama to U.S.-citizen parents.
Posted by Big Gary in Washington, Texas on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 04:47 PM
Nobody seems to be denying that, wherever he was born, Barack Obama's natural mother was Stanley Ann Dunham. At the time of his birth, Stanley Ann (who was born in Kansas) was a U.S. citizen and had lived all her life until then (about 18 years) in the U.S. Under the laws effective at the time, this was unambiguously sufficient to confer automatic U.S. citizenship on Barack Obama II from birth. Therefore he is a "natural-born citizen" and eligible to be President. The exact same thing is true of John McCain, who was born in Panama to U.S.-citizen parents.
The original BC seems to have been from Australia (why?) -> http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2646009.htm
Posted by Splarka on Tue Aug 04, 2009 at 10:16 PM
"Only the really thick are going to believe this one." Sadly, there are a lot of thick people out there.
Posted by Charles in Michigan on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 06:31 AM
"At the time of his birth, Stanley Ann (who was born in Kansas) was a U.S. citizen and had lived all her life until then (about 18 years) in the U.S. Under the laws effective at the time, this was unambiguously sufficient to confer automatic U.S. citizenship on Barack Obama II from birth."
-- Posted by Big Gary
Well. . .actually, that wouldn't work if he really was born outside of the US.
According to the US State Department:
Birth Abroad to One Citizen and One Alien Parent in Wedlock: A child born abroad to one U.S. citizen parent and one alien parent acquires U.S. citizenship at birth under Section 301(g) INA provided the citizen parent was physically present in the U.S. for the time period required by the law applicable at the time of the child’s birth. (For birth on or after November 14, 1986, a period of five years physical presence, two after the age of fourteen is required. For birth between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986, a period of ten years, five after the age of fourteen are required for physical presence in the U.S. to transmit U.S. citizenship to the child.
So a child born to an American mother in non-American territory in 1961 would be an American citizen only if the mother had spent at least five years in the US since the age of fourteen. Barack Obama's mother was born on November 29, 1942, and turned fourteen years old on November 29, 1956. She gave birth to her son on August 4, 1961. That was only about four years and eight months after she turned fourteen. So if Barack Obama was born in Africa or wherever, then he wouldn't have American citizenship from birth.
However, since every bit of information and evidence shows that he was born in Hawaii, and since common sense dictates that he must have his papers all in order, then the whole thing doesn't matter.
Posted by Accipiter in the Northern Hemisphere, unless They have lied. on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 08:06 AM
-- Posted by Big Gary
Well. . .actually, that wouldn't work if he really was born outside of the US.
According to the US State Department:
Birth Abroad to One Citizen and One Alien Parent in Wedlock: A child born abroad to one U.S. citizen parent and one alien parent acquires U.S. citizenship at birth under Section 301(g) INA provided the citizen parent was physically present in the U.S. for the time period required by the law applicable at the time of the child’s birth. (For birth on or after November 14, 1986, a period of five years physical presence, two after the age of fourteen is required. For birth between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986, a period of ten years, five after the age of fourteen are required for physical presence in the U.S. to transmit U.S. citizenship to the child.
So a child born to an American mother in non-American territory in 1961 would be an American citizen only if the mother had spent at least five years in the US since the age of fourteen. Barack Obama's mother was born on November 29, 1942, and turned fourteen years old on November 29, 1956. She gave birth to her son on August 4, 1961. That was only about four years and eight months after she turned fourteen. So if Barack Obama was born in Africa or wherever, then he wouldn't have American citizenship from birth.
However, since every bit of information and evidence shows that he was born in Hawaii, and since common sense dictates that he must have his papers all in order, then the whole thing doesn't matter.
Sorry, I forget to cite my source for that citizenship information.
Posted by Accipiter in the Northern Hemisphere, unless They have lied. on Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 08:12 AM
Even Ann Coulter doesn't believe this one.
Posted by Irene in Oregon on Thu Aug 06, 2009 at 08:39 AM
Funny thing is these people never mention that the candidate they voted for, McCain, WAS born outside the US.
Posted by Tim on Thu Aug 06, 2009 at 05:21 PM
Accipiter, the rule on the State Department web site was correct in most cases, but there was (by 1961) an exception when the U.S.-citizen parent was under 19 at the time of the child's birth. In such cases, only ten years (not necessarily continuous) of physical presence in the U.S. was required, without five of them having to be after age fourteen. Congress modified the law in consideration of the fact that it was mathematically impossible for someone under 19 to have been in the U.S. for five years after age fourteen.
I've lost my annotated copy of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the relevant law), so I can't cite the exact place in the statute that this is mentioned, but I know that this is the case because when I was an immigration paralegal, I dealt with several cases where this came into play.
All this refers to the law in effect in 1961; the rules have been changed since then, but for citizenship by birth the law as it was on the day the person was born is controlling.
Posted by Big Gary in Washington, Texas on Fri Aug 07, 2009 at 07:20 AM
I've lost my annotated copy of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the relevant law), so I can't cite the exact place in the statute that this is mentioned, but I know that this is the case because when I was an immigration paralegal, I dealt with several cases where this came into play.
All this refers to the law in effect in 1961; the rules have been changed since then, but for citizenship by birth the law as it was on the day the person was born is controlling.
Ah. I was just going by what the State Department said. I figured that they'd be all simple and straightforward and present everything relevant in one nice neat bundle, right? 
Posted by Accipiter in the Northern Hemisphere, unless They have lied. on Fri Aug 07, 2009 at 08:02 PM
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