Goddamn clown mayor of Champaign

[merithyn]

Way to prove that this town is ass-backwards and run by the fucking keystone cops. Even if he believes this to be true, in a city that is threatened to be torn apart by racial concerns at least once every few months, shouldn't he know enough to just shut the fuck up?

Champaign mayor doubts Obama is an American
Video of comments about citizenship posted on YouTube

    By David Mercer, Associated Press

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.
— When a man with a video camera at a tea party protest asked Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart what he thought of President Barack Obama, the three-term Republican didn't hesitate.

"I don't think he's American, personally," the mayor said Thursday in a video that's been posted on YouTube. "You know, if you're not willing to produce an original certificate like a birth certificate, then you've got something to hide."

The 71-year-old Schweighart told The Associated Press on Friday that he stands by the statement.

"Oh, sure," he said. "My stand, and I don't understand why everybody is so upset, is he's never shown the original birth certificate."

Schweighart was echoing complaints made by some tea party activists and so-called birthers who doubt Obama is qualified to hold his office. Though state officials in Hawaii say records confirm Obama was born there, birthers say the president has never proven his citizenship.

A spokesman for the Illinois Democratic Party said he was surprised to still be responding to questions about Obama's legitimacy as president.

"Most rational people have discarded that question years ago," Steve Brown said.

The mayor's statement led to discussion on local talk radio Friday. A half-dozen or more callers sounded off on WDWS radio's "Penny for Your Thoughts" program, some backing the mayor, some saying he embarrassed the city.

Schweighart said the man who videotaped him appeared to be part of a student group from the University of Illinois who attended the rally in opposition to the tea party. The YouTube video was posted by someone whose online ID is illinoisgrads, but the person didn't respond to a request for comment that The Associated Press sent through the Web site.

The mayor said he doesn't know Obama, though years ago he shared a table with him at a Champaign event where Obama spoke. Schweighart said he had no particular awareness of Obama as a politician — much less concern about him — before the former senator from Illinois became president.

But Schweighart, who was a Champaign police officer for 32 years, said he shares many tea party concerns about the president's health care plan and other issues.

"It's just worrisome that the government is going to be running everything," he said.

[HisMajestyBOB]

71? He's probably senile.
Next he'll start going on about the Reds, or how the feds aren't doing enough to crack down on Capone and the booze bootleggers.

[merithyn]

The part that really bothers me is the comments on the local university paper. Oh christ, I weep for this country.

Daily Illini article - scroll down to the comments.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Daaaaaaaaaamn.  Meri's faith in humanity got served.

[grumbler]

I think it is rather ironic that a mayor and ex-cop, whose government roles are far, far more intrusive than anything the Feds have ever done or even proposed, is now all concerned that "the government is going to be running everything."

[syk]

He probably should have honored his name, given that it roughly translates to "firmly remain silent ".

[ulmont]

The part that really bothers me is the comments on the local university paper. Oh christ, I weep for this country.

Online newspaper comments usually top YouTube for pure stupidity.

[grumbler]

The part that really bothers me is the comments on the local university paper. Oh christ, I weep for this country.

Daily Illini article - scroll down to the comments.

I must admit that the pinheads have me baffled:  Even granted that the birth certificate is a fake, and that Obama was mysteriously born in Kenya, what difference does it make?  His mother is an American citizen, so he is a natural-born American citizen no matter where he was born.

[Neil]

I think it is rather ironic that a mayor and ex-cop, whose government roles are far, far more intrusive than anything the Feds have ever done or even proposed, is now all concerned that "the government is going to be running everything."

They're worried that the government is going to take the powers and perogatives that are their own.  They shouldn't worry.  As corrupt as Obama is, there will always be the need for local captains to run things, especially in the boondocks.

[Caliga]

I must admit that the pinheads have me baffled:  Even granted that the birth certificate is a fake, and that Obama was mysteriously born in Kenya, what difference does it make?  His mother is an American citizen, so he is a natural-born American citizen no matter where he was born.

Let me take this one step further and say: even if he was born in Kenya, and even if his parents weren't American citizens--who cares?  That stipulation in the Constitution is stupid and xenophobic (it does make sense given the era in which the Constution was produced), and I wonder if one could argue that, if all of the above, the fact that a non-citizen was elected President constitutes a sort of popular nullification of the Constution in that regard.

IMO the people ought to be able to elect whomever they want to to the Presidency.  Similarly, I think the age restrictions are stupid.  If the people are foolish enough to elect a ten year old, then let them do so.  I guess I am in favor of still requiring the President to be a US citizen, but I couldn't care less if they were naturalized or not.

[Grallon]

I wonder if that kind of creepy paranoia isn't symptomatic of an increasing feeling of impotence among the populace?  Of course there are... segments of the population which are more prone to it but still it does seem on the rise in recent years.  Or perhaps it's just the Internet amplifying the phenomenon as usual.




G.

[Fate]

The part that really bothers me is the comments on the local university paper. Oh christ, I weep for this country.

Daily Illini article - scroll down to the comments.

I must admit that the pinheads have me baffled:  Even granted that the birth certificate is a fake, and that Obama was mysteriously born in Kenya, what difference does it make?  His mother is an American citizen, so he is a natural-born American citizen no matter where he was born.

The conspiracy goes further. Obama's mama rejected her US citizenship. I think there's also some sort of Indonesian step father angle tossed in as well.

[dps]

The part that really bothers me is the comments on the local university paper. Oh christ, I weep for this country.

Daily Illini article - scroll down to the comments.

I must admit that the pinheads have me baffled:  Even granted that the birth certificate is a fake, and that Obama was mysteriously born in Kenya, what difference does it make?  His mother is an American citizen, so he is a natural-born American citizen no matter where he was born.

It's silly to think that he's not a natural-born citizen.  Think about who his main opponent in the primaries was.  The Clintons play hardball.  If he wasn't a natural-born cititzen, they would have found the proof, and used it.

[The Minsky Moment]

The part that really bothers me is the comments on the local university paper. Oh christ, I weep for this country.

Daily Illini article - scroll down to the comments.

I must admit that the pinheads have me baffled:  Even granted that the birth certificate is a fake, and that Obama was mysteriously born in Kenya, what difference does it make?  His mother is an American citizen, so he is a natural-born American citizen no matter where he was born.

I think the birthers have some definition of "natural born" -- one that has no basis in the constitution, any other body of law, or common sense -- that somehow excludes this.  There may be some overlap here with the tax protestor crowd, who concoct similarly weird interpretive theories.

The key to understanding the approach of these people is that they begin with the conclusion that he is not a citizen and then try to reason back from there.  If some series of seemingly irrefutable evidence establishes otherwise, it must be either fabricated or somehow not pertinent.

[Grey Fox]

McCain was no different, how the hell does the Panama canal zone qualify?