Birther Bill

Conspiracy theorists rejoice!  Someone is actually listening. And not just anyone, but the Arizona State Congress.

The Arizona House of Representatives voted 31-22 in favor of a bill that would require any presidential candidate to submit proof of US citizenship before being allowed on the ballot in the state.

This sounds kind of harmless on the outside. One of the requirements to be President is to be a natural born citizen, so aren't they just enforcing an already existing law?

Let us dig a little deeper. First, this has not been an issue since 1788, when the constitution was ratified. So why is it an issue now?  My guess is that it is an issue because there are a lot of people who do not like having Mr. Obama as president.  Many of them will do anything they can to challenge his legitimcy, even when proven wrong over and over again. Drop it people. He is president. It is over. You lost. Look towards 2012 and offer a better candidate (please not Palin, pretty pretty please)

Next, Let's talk about the individual states infringing on the rights of the federal government. Is it constitutional for a state to interfere with a federal campaign?  Is it a violation of the powers reserved to the state to have restrictions in place as to who may run for a federal office?  I don't think this is the state's place. If any governing body would be justified in making this type of law (for presidential elections) it would be the federal government.

And finally, let's talk about what the tax payers of Arizona are paying for. Legislatures who make laws based on conspiracy theories?  What about all of the real issues that the state is facing?  Illegal immigration, the economy, education, poverty...these are real issues that the state legislature should be trying to find solutions to. I would be pissed off if I were an Arizona tax payer, paying for a legislative body to come up with these types of off the wall laws.

Now, let's get back to the real reason for this law: President Obama. How many different ways does this guy have to prove that he's a citizen?  He submitted a copy of his birth certificate, and he found 2 Hawaiian newspapers that listed his birth announcement. Also, let's just say for sake of argument that he was born in Indonesia. His mother is an American citizen. Maybe I'm just not well ad versed in law, but isn't there a clause about being a citizen if born to an American citizen traveling abroad?  And if not, his mom brought him back to the states when he was a baby, so he wouldn't even know if he wasn't a true citizen. Should that be held against him?

I was really just venting in the last paragraph, I think this whole thing is incredibly ridiculous.