Posey Explains Birth Certificate Law

Jillian Bandes | March 25, 2009 2:22 PM

Want to get a little angry? Go read Dave Weigel's post in the Washington Independent. It's a good overview of Florida Rep. Bill Posey's explanation of his "birther bill," which would require Presidents to submit their birth certificate in order to be eligible for the job, but has enough Weigel-esque liberal snark to get your blood pressure going. I am by no means a get-Obama's-birth-certificate-now evangelist, but I just don't see how a simple requirement to submit the documentation is such a horrible idea. Which is why

Posey's explanation as to why he wants this bill to move seems reasonable:

...having been charged with reforming the elections in the State of Florida after the 2000 recounts and lawsuits, I thought I could offer a solution to this question on eligibility. There’s nothing anyone can do about changing past elections … the President won. All the lawsuits in the world are not going to change that. But if what some folks are worried about – that presidential candidates don’t have to submit to the same documentation that average folks have to submit to – well, then we can change that for the next election.

Weigel counters with:

In reality, this issue has been pushed by conspiracy theorists, against all evidence, to sue the president.

If you want to call people who demand this document "conspiracy theorists," go ahead. Getting this documentation should be a formality, not a controversial issue.