Champaign (IL) Mayor Doubts Obama's US Citizenship

[sabra]

Source: AP

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) ― Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart (SHWY'-hart) didn't hesitate when someone at a tea party gathering asked him on camera what he thought about President Barack Obama.

The third-term Republican said Thursday in a video posted on YouTube that he doesn't believe the president is a U.S. citizen. He echoed doubts raised by some members of loosely knit tea party groups and other Obama opponents around the country and said the president has failed to produce proof.

Schweighart said in an interview Friday that he stands by the comments. He isn't sure who shot the video.

Steve Brown is a spokesman for the state Democratic Party. He said doubts about Obama's citizenship were discarded by "most rational people" long ago.

Read more: http://cbs2chicago.com/wireapnewsil/Three.term.mayor.2.1637749.html

[marmar]

1. Isn't Champaign a college town? How embarrassing.

nt

[rurallib]

3. I think most of the U of Ill. is in Urbana

the football stadium amy be in Champaign.

[boobooday]

8. That area used to also be heavy Military

Rantoul Air Force base was very close by for decades.

[tomg]

29. Not really. Well, really.

If it is like many college towns - and I went to one and I now ( sort of) still live in one - there is a sharp divide between the college students, who tend to be more progressive, and the locals who are often more conservative, sometimes sharply in reaction to the college students. Traditional town-gown relationship stuff.

The real issue is how many college students are registered to vote in Champaign.If most are registered at "home," it is a very interesting- and calculated - move by the guy. He could be playing to the base there that actually votes there. For years, the town where I lived as a student was rabid right although it nationally had a reputation as somewhere to the left of Mao. When students started to stay on in major numbers, we slowly moved left, and now progressive left because we outnumbered them, but that has only been in the last twenty years or so.

[NoNothing]

2. Champaign (IL) Mayor Doubts Obama's US Citizenship

Citizens Doubt Champaign (IL) Mayor's Connection to Reality

[proudohioan]

4. Someone should point out to this lunatic..

that his hero John McCain was not actually even BORN on U.S. soil.....

Go figure.

[No Elephants]

9. The Constitutional standard for a U.S. President is not "born on U.S. soil." It's

"natural born citizen," whatever the hell that meant to folks in 1789.

Besides, McCain is a Senator, not President, and the Constitution does not have that same requirement for members of Congress.

[bulloney]

12. But, McCain ran for president against Obama. Remember?

You can bet that if the situation was reversed where Obama was born in Panama, the birthers would have made an issue out of it. And if McCain was born in Hawaii...no issue.

[RainMickey]

25. I think it means to be born to parents who have no

legal ties or allegiance to any other country other than the United States. But I could be wrong. Often am.

[Democat]

5. Good, the more stupid Republicans show themselves to be, the better.

Keep talking, Mayor!

[RKP5637]

6. He well might not be able to read! n/t

[boobooday]

7. If you find out your mayor is a Freeper

Time to move, or run against him!

[zonkers]

10. This mofu needs a visit from the secret service.

[RantinRavin]

16. Why ?

Because he has an opinion ?

[zonkers]

21. Cocktails.

[la la]

35. Bacon or

pizza

[Rage Inc.]

11. Mayor of Champaign Clearly Drinking Too Much Champagne!

:evilgrin:

[bulloney]

13. He certainly isn't Normal.

[Blandocyte]

15. He'd Peoria and tell ya it's raining

[Rage Inc.]

18. He will never take Cairo you

Google the pronunciation: THIS IS A PUN!

[bulloney]

22. Maybe he should be mayor of Effingham instead.

F-ingham for the pun-impaired.

[Blandocyte]

30. I love Effingham

not much more than an interstate stop off.

[Blandocyte]

31. empty

[No Elephants]

14. What a very sad, lame, pathetic little man. An embarrassment to his city.

What can you say?

[NewJeffCT]

17. I doubt the intelligence of Jerry Schweighart

and his sanity as well.

[superconnected]

19. Tea Baggers are Birthers.

[oasis]

20. Swineheart

Shrimpbrain

[EFerrari]

23. I rec'd this because this kind of insanity should be noticed.

[bertman]

24. The easiest way to stop this Obama birth certificate crap would be to require every person

who questions the President's citizenship to provide his/her own birth certificate.

Once the "alleged" birth certificate is produced, a campaign of innuendo and accusations of a forged birth certificate should be mounted against the imbecile.

Whenever the alleged American accuser of the President makes a statement explaining his/her valid birth certificate, there should be numerous protestors with signs saying "Anybody can counterfeit a birth certificate." Or "We know you were really born in Ukraine (or Nigeria, or Greece, or New zealand, or wherever".

Probably won't happen, but it would make me feel good to hold one of those signs when the asshat was trying to profess his true citizenship.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

26. Another smelly bigot

Demonstrating his absolute stupidity, idiocy and worthlessness as a human being

[and-justice-for-all]

27. What a fucking moron....

clinging to that nonsense because they have nothing else to hold on to.

[fascisthunter]

28. Yes, Please Out Yourselves for Trying to Give a GOP Myth Credence

After all, if a politicians says it, it must be true... duh.

All I see with this, is a politician fanning the flames that already exist, created by the GOP itself.

[davsand]

32. Where should I begin?

Sigh. Champaign is more conservative than Urbana. Urbana is very much a progressive town with a mayor who is a Dem that openly backed Nader when it counted. The Urbana City Council is dominated by Democrats--one Republican, I think, currently is on there--and it has enough of a liberal reputation that I have heard Urbana referred to as "the People's Republic of Urbana" on a fairly regular basis.

Champaign City Council (and the Mayor's office as well...) is a non-partisan race, and it is a mixed bag with both GOP and Dem members. The Council seems to do ok (for the most part) but there are times when we all just kinda scratch our heads wondering WTF were they thinking. Champaign City tends to lean GOP in elections, HOWEVER (!!!) the Mayor that held office just ahead of Jerry was a fairly fiscally conservative Dem, and he was there for several terms.

Jerry is not really a bad guy, most of the time, but he does manage to step in it from time to time. He had a bout with lung cancer a couple of years ago, and the rumor making the rounds is that he's not gonna run again for Mayor, and that even if he does there is a lady who is planning to run that can probably take him out of the running. Jerry has family name that is well known locally, and there is some thought that his name will protect him. Frankly, I know that lady that is looking to challenge him, and her family name is strong enough that she may well be the one that can beat him as a multi term Mayor. Her creds are extremely strong with the GOP locally, and that will help her a lot when to comes to fundraising.

Jerry was speaking at the local teabagger's outing in the park (honoring tax day, of course...) and lord only knows the set up for his comments. I was not there, however, now I'm kinda sorry I wasn't because it must have been a real hoot. I have an office mate that was planning to go by that rally, and now I'm just anxious as hell to go into the office on Monday. I can't wait to hear his version of events. I offered to go with him to that rally, and he told me there was just no way in hell I could ever "pass" as a teabagger...

:rofl:

Pray for me, gang. I'm planning to run for office in that city in the next municipal election. (I am not planning to run for Mayor, so don't even GO there...)


Laura

[daleo]

34. Perhaps the cancer spread to his brain

Resulting in an unfortunate case of birtherism.

[Cha]

33. When I read this kind of thing from someone..it only

highlights how ignorant they are and absolutely nothing about the President.

It's scarey that they want to boast of being ignorant blowhards.