Yet if that is the standard, a fellow like Romney, who has reversed himself so many times on so many important issues, deserves at least as much scrutiny. Especially for his assertion that he was a job creator when that was hardly either his objective or his result. That claim looks far more problematic than the claim of a young man who, according to Breitbart.com, was trying to exaggerate his international-ness in order to sell a book.
Some More American Than Others
Methinks the anger toward Obama is less about where he was born, and more about what that "law license" rumor email mentions, gratuitously: "the first black president."
If the issue is about being American -- and about the importance of leveling with Americans -- may I point you to this report from the Miami Herald? It recounts the experience of a fellow named Bill Internicola:
"He received a letter last month from the Broward County Supervisor of Elections informing him the office had 'information from the state of Florida that you are not a United States citizen; however, you are registered to vote.' So Internicola had to prove he is an American. He sent the county a copy of his Army discharge papers.Want to get angry about who is and is not an American -- and how Americans are treated by other Americans who lie and cheat? Shouldn't you be emailing this around?"Internicola is 91 years old. He was born in Brooklyn. He is a veteran of the Second World War. He earned a Bronze Star for his part in the Battle of the Bulge. Yet he was required to prove to a county functionary that he is entitled to vote in an American election.
[snip]
"... this is part of a campaign by Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, to weed non-citizens off the rolls of the state's voters. Initially, Florida claimed roughly 180,000 were possible noncitizens. That number was eventually whittled way down to about 2,600 people. In Miami-Dade County, where the largest number of them live, 385 have been verified as citizens. Ten -- 10! -- have admitted they are ineligible or asked to be removed from the rolls.
"The Herald recently analyzed the list and found it dominated by Democrats, independents and Hispanics. Republicans and non-Hispanic whites were least likely to have their voting rights challenged."
See above graphic info here.
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