WH: Arizona legislature less focused on voters' lives than in fringe right-wing radio conspiracies

[Amerigo Vespucci]

UPDATE: The White House has ridiculed a proposed Arizona law that would force President Barack Obama to provide a birth certificate when he runs for president in the state in 2012, calling the legislation a waste of taxpayers' money.

"I can't imagine Arizona voters think their tax dollars are well served by a legislature that is less focused on their lives than in fringe right-wing radio conspiracy theories," White House spokesman Bill Burton told CNN. "This is a question that has been answered exhaustively."

The "question" at hand is Obama's citizenship. The proposed Arizona law, which passed the state House this week but still needs Senate and gubernatorial approval, was inspired by the "birther" movement that believes Obama wasn't born in the United States and is therefore ineligible to be president.

Since Arizona's Republican-dominated House passed the bill, lawmakers have found themselves at the receiving end of ridicule from numerous political commentators. "Members of the Arizona state House have made a strong bid for this year's coveted 'nuttiest legislative body' award," writes Robert Schlesinger at US News & World Report.

"The legislation serves less to provide birthers with a way to nail Obama, and serves more to embarrass legislators in Arizona -- as the birther bills in other states have embarrassed their sponsors," writes David Weigel at the Washington Post.

Weigel argues that the legislation is irrelevant because "even if this Arizona bill is signed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R-Ariz.) it will ... be answered by a certification of live birth from Barack Obama."

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0420/arizona-bill-force-obama-show-birth-certificate/

[Xipe Totec]

1. What about Senators?

Should senators also be required to present a birth certificate showing they were born in the United States?

Oh, wait...

Senator John McCain wasn't born in the United States; he was born in Panama.

Ooops!