Arpaio Escalates Birther Probe

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Not to be outdone by the Arizona secretary of state's recent flirtation with birtherism, Sheriff Joe Arpaio escalated his probe into President Obama's birth certificate this week by dispatching a deputy from his "threats unit" to Hawaii.

Both the Arizona Republic and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported deputy Brian Mackiewcz traveled with Arpaio's volunteer posse member Michael Zullo on Monday to try to get an official confirmation that Hawaii has the president's birth certificate on file.

Earlier this year, the Arizona sheriff fanned the flames of the birther conspiracy theory when he announced that Zullo and other posse members had determined a copy of the birth certificate released last year by the White House was a fraud. More recently, Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett has said he is following the sheriff's lead and considering keeping the president off the state's ballot in November unless he gets confirmation the document is real.

Both Arpaio and Bennett are Republicans and the latter is co-chairman of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in Arizona. In their efforts, they have essentially caved to pressure from a small but vocal fringe of writers and activists unwilling to believe the president is a natural born citizen of the United States no matter how much evidence they get. The conspiracy theorists say a fake birth certificate would mean Obama is ineligible for the presidency because it would show he was not born a citizen.

The Star-Advertiser reported that Zullo and Mackiewcz flashed badges on Monday when they showed up at the Hawaii Department of Health. Mackiewcz apparently also handed over a business card showing he is part of the Arizona sheriff's "Threats Management Unit."

Before now, the unit was perhaps best known for its role in a criminal investigation into Arpaio's opponent during the 2004 Republican primary for sheriff. Arpaio's investigators accused the challenger of sexually assaulting his adoptive mother 30 years earlier when he was in his mid-teens. (The challenger later said it was his mother who assaulted him and ended up suing Arpaio.) It's unclear whether Mackiewcz was part of the unit at the time.

Arpaio declined to explain to the Arizona Republic why the threats unit was involved in the birth certificate investigation, instead making only a vague reference to "security issues…that I can't go into."

He said taxpayers were footing the tab for the airfare and hotel for the investigators, but he hopes the agency will be paid back through private donations. Before now, Arpaio has said the investigation was funded entirely through donations, which are being encouraged by the conspiracy website WorldNetDaily.

Arpaio's volunteer investigator, Zullo, has even gone as far as to link up with WorldNetDaily's top conspiracy theorist, Jerome Corsi, to co-author an e-book about the birther probe. The two men have said they're splitting the profits from sales of the book.

http://tpmmuckraker....ett.php?ref=fpa

Edited May 22, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[^_^ 5,021]

They would never bother with this if Obama's birth state was North Dakota or Alabama. Hawai'i is nice so they're taking a nice taxpayer paid vacation in paradise and using birtherism as cover.

[Karee 4,190]

Not to be outdone by the Arizona secretary of state's recent flirtation with birtherism, Sheriff Joe Arpaio escalated his probe into President Obama's birth certificate this week by dispatching a deputy from his "threats unit" to Hawaii.

Both the Arizona Republic and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported deputy Brian Mackiewcz traveled with Arpaio's volunteer posse member Michael Zullo on Monday to try to get an official confirmation that Hawaii has the president's birth certificate on file.

Earlier this year, the Arizona sheriff fanned the flames of the birther conspiracy theory when he announced that Zullo and other posse members had determined a copy of the birth certificate released last year by the White House was a fraud. More recently, Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett has said he is following the sheriff's lead and considering keeping the president off the state's ballot in November unless he gets confirmation the document is real.

Both Arpaio and Bennett are Republicans and the latter is co-chairman of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in Arizona. In their efforts, they have essentially caved to pressure from a small but vocal fringe of writers and activists unwilling to believe the president is a natural born citizen of the United States no matter how much evidence they get. The conspiracy theorists say a fake birth certificate would mean Obama is ineligible for the presidency because it would show he was not born a citizen.

The Star-Advertiser reported that Zullo and Mackiewcz flashed badges on Monday when they showed up at the Hawaii Department of Health. Mackiewcz apparently also handed over a business card showing he is part of the Arizona sheriff's "Threats Management Unit."

Before now, the unit was perhaps best known for its role in a criminal investigation into Arpaio's opponent during the 2004 Republican primary for sheriff. Arpaio's investigators accused the challenger of sexually assaulting his adoptive mother 30 years earlier when he was in his mid-teens. (The challenger later said it was his mother who assaulted him and ended up suing Arpaio.) It's unclear whether Mackiewcz was part of the unit at the time.

Arpaio declined to explain to the Arizona Republic why the threats unit was involved in the birth certificate investigation, instead making only a vague reference to "security issues…that I can't go into."

He said taxpayers were footing the tab for the airfare and hotel for the investigators, but he hopes the agency will be paid back through private donations. Before now, Arpaio has said the investigation was funded entirely through donations, which are being encouraged by the conspiracy website WorldNetDaily.

Arpaio's volunteer investigator, Zullo, has even gone as far as to link up with WorldNetDaily's top conspiracy theorist, Jerome Corsi, to co-author an e-book about the birther probe. The two men have said they're splitting the profits from sales of the book.

http://tpmmuckraker....ett.php?ref=fpa

That nut should be locked up in his own jail.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

They would never bother with this if Obama's birth state was North Dakota or Alabama. Hawai'i is nice so they're taking a nice taxpayer paid vacation in paradise and using birtherism as cover.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Good for him! Gotta make sure people are legit!

I expect him to do the same for Romney!

[luckytxn 2,264]

So what. Obama was born there then no need to worry. No one seems to care that a lot of rights were given up by the Homeland security act. Said that if we are good citizens then no need to worry about abuses. Same goes for Obama the Socialist.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

So what. Obama was born there then no need to worry. No one seems to care that a lot of rights were given up by the Homeland security act. Said that if we are good citizens then no need to worry about abuses. Same goes for Obama the Socialist.

...and while he's at it (providing his birth certificate once again), he should change his legal name to, "Obama the Socialist." It has a nice ring to it.

Obama the Socialist vs. Romney the Romulan

Edited May 22, 2012 by Mister Fancypants

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Why is a county sheriff wasting resources on investigating a settled matter? There are over 3,000 counties in this country. Are they all going to dispatch units to Hawaii? This is ridiculous. But it's not surprising. These guys are idiots and should be fitted for the straightjackets they should be required to wear.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Mr. Big Dog

[Karee 4,190]

Why is a county sheriff wasting resources on investigating a settled matter? There are over 3,000 counties in this country. Are they all going to dispatch units to Hawaii? This is ridiculous. But it's not surprising. These guys are idiots and should be fitted for the straightjackets they should be required to wear.

Publicity.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Publicity.

There you go, Sheriff Joe:

How's that for publicity?

[james&olya 1,121]

Why is a county sheriff wasting resources on investigating a settled matter?

See the last paragraph. They are trying to sell a book to the tin-foil hat/tea party crowd!

I hope his misuse of tax-payer funds gets 'investigated' and gets him some appropriate jail time in those pink underwear!

[Karee 4,190]

There you go, Sheriff Joe:

How's that for publicity?

Where's his hot filipina wife?

[Dakine10 5,452]

Good for him! Gotta make sure people are legit!

We sure do.

But Obama already released the long form certificate. The state of Hawaii verified the original one. What are we actually looking for here? Would radiocarbon dating be good enough, or perhaps you would like a copy that God signed and sealed personally?

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Placenta sample or it never happened!

[PMartin37 161]

...and while he's at it (providing his birth certificate once again), he should change his legal name to, "Obama the Socialist." It has a nice ring to it.

Obama the Socialist vs. Romney the Romulan

No, that would leave the Hussein out of his name. And you can bet when they fizzle on the birther issue, they'll start in with the Muslim implications. I hope I'm wrong, but just when I think I've heard it all, something else comes up!

Where's his hot filipina wife?

That's hurts my eyes!!