Hawaii’s Governor Takes On ‘Birthers’

[CatWoman]

HONOLULU — Gov. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, who befriended President Obama’s parents when they were university students here, has been in office for less than three weeks. But he is so incensed over “birthers” — the conspiracy theorists who assert that Mr. Obama was born in Kenya and was thus not eligible to become president — that he is seeking ways to change state policy to allow him to release additional proof that the president was born in Honolulu in 1961.

“It’s an insult to his mother and to his father, and I knew his mother and father; they were my friends, and I have an emotional interest in that,” Governor Abercrombie said in a telephone interview late Thursday. “It’s an emotional insult. It is disrespectful to the president; it is disrespectful to the office.”

The governor, a Democrat and former congressman, said he has initiated conversations with the state’s attorney general and the chief of its Health Department about how he can release more explicit documentation of Mr. Obama’s birth on Aug. 4, 1961, at Kapiolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital. He said he has done so of his own accord, without consulting the White House, which declined to comment.

“He’s a big boy; he can take sticks and stones. But there’s no reason on earth to have the memory of his parents insulted by people whose motivation is solely political,” Mr. Abercrombie said. “Let’s put this particular canard to rest.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/us/25hawaii.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimespolitics

[eleny]

1. Oh, I'm loving this turn of events

A governor who knew his parents. What a lovely lump of coal for the whacked out crowd.

We have a local radio talk host who is on this subject week in and week out. And even when he says that he supposes that the president is a citizen he goes off on bs like 'why can't wee see Obama's school records from Occidental College?'. I don't know what that will accomplish but the nut jobs jump from one demand to the next.

So I love how this new governor wants to drop a huge anvil on the parade of stupids.

[hlthe2b]

2. Ditto... I hope he can effect an absolute and complete embarrassment

upon these birther idiots.

[Initech]

6. The birthers continue to embarass themselves on a daily basis

But now that proof is lingering... this has suddenly turned interesting.

[niyad]

3. "additional information"??? he is actually caving in to the birthers, thinking that, with "enough"

proof, they will come to their senses. the fact that he is a democrat will only incense and inflame them further.

[Ohio Joe]

5. Agreed

These nuts will not believe anything. If nothing more is released because of privacy laws... well that is proof they are hiding something. If more is released (not that I'm even sure what else could be released), they will call it a forgery/fraud and still be more convinced. Once they bought into the CT they were sold, nothing will convince them, it's typical.

[justinaforjustice]

4. Governor Abercrombie Is a Great Guy!

Abercrombie is an old-fashioned Democrat from the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party. He's tough, funny,genuinely caring and kind. I'm not surprised he's standing up to the dumb Birthers. being.

[DearAbby]

7. All the relevant information has already been released

in the short form, the snoops just want to make sure Obama wasn't named Mohammad or It has Muslim for faith of the family. Again has nothing to do with citizenship. Just looking for another stick in which to beat Obama with.

Yeah it's caving in to the demands of the Birther's. All the information they are required has been released, screw em.

[Zax2me]

8. I wish he would just shun them/topic

They have nothing to stand on. Responding to them seems like there is a point to argue.
There isn't.

[dkf]

9. It's a slight to Hawaii too.

We've always been seen as "exotic" and these idiots want to disrespect our legal documentation as bogus.

[dkf]

10. Gov. Abercrombie is a pretty passionate guy. I don't think he is going to let this rest.

[NBachers]

11. Off topic, but Colleen Hanabusa's awesomely great herself

Hawaii, like California, did itself proud this election cycle.