Another new twist in birth certificate story
Joseph Farah
In fact, it is this established "fact" that has persuaded so many people there is nothing to the question of eligibility.
For many Americans, that settles the question.
However, now a new version of the story is emerging.
The United Kingdom's Sky News reported Saturday: "Authorities in Hawaii have provided an electronic record of Obama's birth because the paper copy was destroyed in a fire which wiped out much of the state's archives."
Which is it?
Now watch the red-hot eligibility story on DVD: "The Question of Eligibility: Is Barack Obama's presidency constitutionally legitimate?"
Does Hawaii actually have an original long-form, paper birth certificate for Obama, or was it destroyed in a fire?
It seems the story is ever-changing.
And that's why it's time for Obama to come clean.
There is little question the heavily Democratic state of Hawaii has no interest in providing any information that would disqualify the first president claiming to be from that state.
If indeed the state has a copy of the original birth certificate, as Director of Health Dr. Chiyome Fukino claims, it should be no problem for Obama to give her permission to release it publicly – and, once and for all, settle the controversy that has resulted in that state being inundated with inquiries from curious American citizens.
Fukino has released two public statements on this matter. At the time of the election, she wrote: "There have been numerous requests for Sen. Barack Hussein Obama's official birth certificate. State law (Hawaii Revised Statutes §338-18) prohibits the release of a certified birth certificate to persons who do not have a tangible interest in the vital record.
"Therefore, I as Director of Health for the State of Hawai'i, along with the Registrar of Vital Statistics who has statutory authority to oversee and maintain these type of vital records, have personally seen and verified that the Hawaii State Department of Health has Sen. Obama's original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures.
"No state official, including Governor Linda Lingle, has ever instructed that this vital record be handled in a manner different from any other vital record in the possession of the State of Hawaii."
Months later she added another comment:
"I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, Director of the Hawaii State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawaii State Department of Health verifying Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American. I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago."
Still, the inquiries pour in.
Now, either Sky News is making up out of whole cloth a story about state birth records being wiped out in a fire, or someone in Fukino's office is providing conflicting information.
The mystery, the controversy, is only building.
Still, there is shockingly little curiosity coming from the American press, which seems to take the position that constitutional eligibility is some kind of minor technicality when it comes to Obama.
In fact, the American press still insists on ridiculing all who demonstrate curiosity for hard evidence by referring to them disparagingly as "birthers."
I've said all along this issue of vital national security and constitutional integrity will only be settled when the American public force it to be addressed.
No judge in America is going to challenge the president. No court is going to perform due diligence. It will take an uprising from the public.
Joseph Farah is founder, editor and CEO of WND and a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate. His book "Taking America Back: A Radical Plan to Revive Freedom, Morality and Justice" has gained newfound popularity in the wake of November's election. Farah also edits the online intelligence newsletter Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, in which he utilizes his sources developed over 30 years in the news business.
March 2, 2010