CNN's John King Confronts Donald Trump Over "Embarassing" Birther Issue

Trump continues to insist that a CNN poll shows him even with the president. King points out that CNN has never issued such a poll, much to Trump's anger and denial.

Lawrence O'Donnell Kicks Birther Loon Orly Taitz Off His Show

Unsurprising

But Buzzfeed has some fun with it.

Book Fail

For weeks World Net Daily has been flogging nutjob Jerome Corsi's coming birther book, encouraging readers to pre-order it on Amazon so that it debuts at the top of bestsellers lists. Even though it doesn't come out for weeks, today Corsi's now-doomed title ranks at #29 on the overall chart and is #1 on several of Amazon's niche categories.

President Obama: Don't Let Carnival Barkers (Like Trump) Distract Us

VIDEO: Trump's Press Conference

Trump Takes Credit

"Today I'm very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that no one else has been able to accomplish. I want to look at it, but I hope it's true. But he should have done it a long time ago." - Donald Trump, who went on to demand the president's college transcripts. Trump also claimed that a CNN poll shows he running neck-and-neck with the president. CNN immediately denied that any such poll exists.

Obama Releases Birth Certificate, Birthers Leap Out Of Tall Buildings Nationwide

Talking Points Memo:

It's surreal and weird and faintly ridiculous that it's come to this. But this morning the White House caught the press corps seriously off guard by handing out copies of the anti-Holy Grail of birtherism, the fabled 'long form' birth certificate.

The president will speak to this issue in a press conference this morning. So far there hasn't been a peep from Donald Trump or the idiots at World Net Daily. Heh.

UPDATE: World Net Daily reacts predictably:

If the document proves valid, it could answer the questions raised by those who have alleged he was not actually born in Hawaii. But it also could prove his ineligibility because of its references to his father. Some of the cases challenging Obama have explained that he was a dual citizen through his father at his birth, and they contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born citizens.

Signorile Vs. Crazy Birther

ARIZONA: Jan Brewer Vetoes Birther Bill, Approves Bill Restricting Gay Adoption

Today Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer drew the ire of fellow teabaggers when she vetoed a bill requiring presidential candidates to submit a birth certificate in order to be placed on the state ballot.

Brewer said in her veto letter that she was troubled that the bill empowered Arizona's secretary of state to judge the qualifications of all candidates when they file to run for office. "I do not support designating one person as the gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically motivated decisions," said Brewer, who was secretary of state until she became governor in 2009. "In addition, I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for president of the greatest and most powerful nation on Earth to submit their 'early baptismal circumcision certificates' among other records to the Arizona secretary of state," she said. "This is a bridge too far."

Also today Brewer approved a bill requiring that married opposite-sex couples be given first preference in all adoption decisions. According to the bill's opponents, this may effectively mean the end of gay adoption in Arizona.

Senate Bill 1188, which was sponsored by Sen. Linda Gray, R-Glendale, would require an adoption agency to "give primary consideration to adoptive placement with a married man and woman." It permits the agency to consider a single person if, among other things, the child's best interests require the adoption by a single person or if a married couple is not available and the alternative is extended foster care. The bill applies to both state and private adoption agencies. Previously, only Utah has a law requiring priority for married couples, though several other states have bans on adoptions by same-sex couples or by unmarried couples.

Trump Speaks To Florida Teabaggers

Trump told the audience that Obama couldn't have written both of his books because they were so different. "The difference was like chicken salad and chicken shit."

Quote Of The Day - Marilyn Davenport

"Oh, come on! Everybody who knows me knows that I am not a racist. It was a joke. I have friends who are black. Besides, I only sent it to a few people–mostly people I didn’t think would be upset by it. You're not going to make a big deal about this are you? It's just an Internet joke." - Marilyn Davenport, Tea Party activist and Orange County GOP committee member, after being busted for having emailed the above image with the caption: "Now you know why there's no birth certificate."

ARIZONA: Birther Bill Passes

Arizona's GOP-dominated legislature has passed its bill requiring all presidential candidates to provide proof of being born in the United States in order to have their names placed on the ballot.

Lawmakers in 10 states introduced birther bills in their state legislatures at the beginning of this year's sessions, but the Arizona bill is so far the only one to make it to a governor's desk. The measure had failed twice in the last two years to make its way through the legislature, but this time was shepherded by a compliant Republican leadership that had not been eager to advance the issue before. The Republican speaker of the state House supported the bill this time, he told The Arizona Republic, because he believes it does not "add to or detract from the qualifications for president as stated in the United States Constitution." Brewer has not yet indicated where she stands on the bill, but has five days to choose whether to sign or veto it. If Brewer decides to not take a position and let the five-day period lapse, the bill will become law.

As you might expect, World Net Daily is doing ecstatic backflips and is directing readers to a website calling on Brewer to sign the bill.

Obama On Trump's Birther Claims: I Was Born In Hawaii And I Don't Have Horns

Fox Anchor To Donald Trump: Your Birther Claims Are Helping The Democrats

Birthers Ramp Up The Crazy: President Obama Had Secret Brain Surgery

Britain's Daily Mail tabloid reports that the latest conspiracy theory sweeping wingnut blogs is that the president has had secret brain surgery.

In pictures, Obama appears to have a long scar which goes up the side of his head and over his crown. Some conspiracy theorists claim they are scars that you would see on someone who has had brain surgery. But without medical records (along with his school records and birth certificate) no one seems to be able to provide an answer as to the cause of the mystery scars. Ben Hart, a blogger for Escape The Tyranny, a website which presents itself as a Social Network & Forum For Conservatives, said: "Obama's almost done with his first term, and we still know almost nothing about the background of the President of the United States. Whatever happened to create that scar, it was clearly something serious. Was it a brain operation? Has it affected his thinking? No one is allowed to see his birth certificate. He is just one big mystery man, which adds intrigue to what that huge scar is all about."

According to the above-quoted wingnut blog, it's that brain surgery that resulted in the president's unique manner of speaking.

Sarah Palin Backs Trump's Birther Bull

Quote Of The Day - Donald Trump

"Even before Gail Collins was with the New York Times, she has written nasty and derogatory articles about me. Actually, I have great respect for Ms. Collins in that she has survived so long with so little talent. Her storytelling ability and word usage (coming from me, who has written many bestsellers), is not at a very high level. More importantly, her facts are wrong! [snip]

"For some reason, the press protects President Obama beyond anything or anyone I have ever seen. What they don't realize is that if he was not born in the United States, they would have uncovered the greatest 'scam' in the history of our country. In other words, they would become the hottest writer since Watergate, or beyond. Open your eyes, Gail, there's at least a good chance that Barack Hussein Obama has made mincemeat out of our great and cherished Constitution!" - Word usage king Donald Trump, writing to the New York Times to denounce the hilarious take-down by columnist Gail Collins.

WND Busted In Photoshop Lie

Today World Net Daily published a lengthy column claiming that Barack Obama had been photoshopped into the top photo with his white grandparents. Because he couldn't have been with them in New York City and in Kenya/Indonesia/Pakistan at the same time. However Media Matters points out that in fact it's WND's image that is photoshopped, as evidenced by the fact that they didn't even take out the president's leg. Hilarious. Sad and repulsive, but hilarious.

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

Donald Trump: I Sent Private Birther Investigators To Hawaii