Bill Would Require Presidents to Submit Birth Certificates

Freshman Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) has introduced a bill in the House that would require future presidential candidates to submit a birth certificate to prove that they are natural-born citizens in order to qualify to run for the office. Rep. Posey says that the bill is not aimed at President Barack Obama, who continues to be the subject of rumors about the circumstances of his birth, but is intended to remove all doubt surrounding future presidents.

Posey cited the cries of illegitimacy that greeted President Bush after the disputed election of 2000 and the conspiracy theories about President Obama's citizenship as motivating factors for his proposal.

"Opponents of President Bush used the 2000 election results and the court decisions to question the legitimacy of President Bush to serve as President. Opponents of President Obama are raising the birth certificate issue as a means of questioning his eligibility to serve as president. Neither of these situations are healthy for our Republic.

This bill, by simply requiring such documentation for future candidates for President will remove this issue as a reason for questioning the legitimacy of a candidate elected as President."

Florida Democrats, however, criticized the bill, calling it a distraction. "Congressman Posey should be focused on creating jobs and jumpstarting the economy, but it seems he's only obsessed with pandering to the right wing," said Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman. But a Posey spokesman said the bill is not meant to curry favor with conspiracy theorists, or as an insult to the president. "It is simply meant as a way to clarify future election laws and to dispel the issue so we can move on with doing business for the country," he said.