Abercrombie Isn't Helping Obama Disprove Doubters

Gov. Neil Abercrombie declared before taking office this year he was going to do everything possible to divulge Hawaii records that would prove definitively Obama's birth in the Aloha State to put an end to speculation and doubt about where Obama was born. Hawaii law, like like that of most states, would not permit him to divulge Obama's birth record recorded with the state's Department of Health without Obama's consent--consent which Obama is apparently unwilling to give to him. In an interview with the Honolulu Star Advertiser, Gov. Abercrombie was questioned by the reporter on what his research had uncovered to date. Abercrombie's answer, unfortunately, only further fueled the debate:

Q: You stirred up quite a controversy with your comments regarding birthers and your plans to release more information regarding President Barack Obama's birth certificate. How is that coming?


A: I got a letter from someone the other day who was genuinely concerned about it; it is not all just political agenda. They were talking on Olelo last night about this; it has a political implication for 2012 that we simply cannot have.

(Abercrombie said there is a recording of the birth in the State Archives and he wants to use that.)

It was actually written I am told, this is what our investigation is showing, it actually exists in the archives, written down ...

...What I can do, and all I have ever said, is that I am going to see to it as governor that I can verify to anyone who is honest about it that this is the case.

If there is a political agenda then there is nothing I can do about that, nor can the president.

Abercrombie seems to be backing away from his pledge to work to release records. "[A]ll I have ever said, is that I am going to see to it as governor that I can verify to anyone who is honest about it that this is the case." Those who doubt Obama's claim he was born in Hawaii note Hawaii law allows a parent to record a child's birth based on their affirmation of their residence in the state as opposed to the birth certificate normally completed by an attending physician at the hospital or other health care provider who assisted in the child's birth and filed by the health care provider with the vital records division of the health department. Abercrombie's response only suggests a record of his birth was "written down" in the archives without making mention of a long-form certificate that would have been completed by the physician at the Honolulu hospital where media reports claim Obama was born. It is beyond me why Obama simply wouldn't grant Gov. Abercrombie consent to release the information recorded in the state archives to put the issue to rest. Worldnet Daily, which has covered the issue extensively, pounced on Abercrombie's response as evidence no long-form birth certificate generated by a hospital exists. "Abercrombie did not report to the newspaper that he or the Hawaii Department of Health had found Obama's long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate, WND reports. "The governor only suggested his investigations to date had identified an unspecified listing or notation of Obama's birth that someone had made in the state archives."

Lawmakers in a number of states are trying to amend their state laws to avoid the controversy that took place in the 2008 presidential election when challenges to both Barack Obama and John McCain were mounted claiming the two major party candidates were not constitutionally eligible because they were not natural born citizens as required by the U.S. Constitution. McCain was born in Panama, although both of his parents were U.S. citizens and his father was serving in the U.S. Navy at the time based in Panama. Some legal scholars contend only those persons born in the U.S. are natural born citizens, although children of U.S. citizens born abroad are deemed citizens at birth by law under the Immigration and Naturalization Act. People who question Obama's legitimacy fall into two camps. Some legal scholars believe only children born to U.S. citizen parents within the country are natural born citizens and because Obama's father was a Kenyan, making Obama a dual citizen at birth, he could not have been a natural born citizen. Others have raised doubts about Obama's birth in Hawaii, but Obama's campaign produced a birth certificate issued by the State of Hawaii to Factcheck.org during the 2008 presidential campaign. These people want to see the long-form birth certificate filed with the state of Hawaii at the time of Obama's birth.

In Indiana, Sen. Mike Delph has introduced SB 114, which would require candidates who want to appear on the Indiana ballot for president to produce a certified copy of their birth certificate, along with such other evidence that may establish the candidate is constitutionally eligible to serve as president. His bill also requires the parties to include in their certificate of nomination for the general election ballot a statement that their candidates for president and vice-president are constitutionally eligible to serve. In 2008, the Republican Party filed with the Indiana Elections Division a certificate of nomination for John McCain and Sarah Palin that indicated they were constitutionally eligible. Democrats, however, omitted a similar statement in the certificate of nomination it filed for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. In past elections, both parties generally used a form that included the statement about the candidates' constitutional eligibility.

Because Obama has produced a certified copy of his birth certificate from Hawaii, he would have no problem gaining access to the Indiana ballot in 2012. The Democratic Party will, however, have to use the new certificate of nomination form his legislation prescribes attesting to his eligibility. Some people have questioned why Delph's legislation includes "additional evidence" proof a candidate could file, along with his certificate of birth. The answer is very simple. In the case of a candidate like John McCain, a Panamanian birth certificate alone would hardly put to rest questions about his eligibility. That provision allows the candidate to produce additional evidence, such as the citizenship of his parents, a parent's service in the military, etc. to satisfy constitutional concerns. A birth certificate issued by a state will generally satisfy the candidate is at least 35 years of age and born in the U.S. in the vast majority of cases.

Delph's legislation has been assigned to the Senate Elections Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Sue Landske. She had not indicated yet whether she will grant a hearing for SB 114 in her committee.