Yes, really.
Despite dire warnings from an administrative law judge in the Georgia Secretary of State‘s office, Obama’s attorneys refused to even put in an appearance at the hearing to decide whether Barack Obama is eligible to run for president under the Constitution’s natural born citizen clause. Facing a contempt citation, they refused to lend the attention that an appearance by the president’s lawyer would give to such a circus trial.
Beautiful photo of an empty chair, by Jim Strong, copyright 2006 -- go buy a print from him (click the picture), and have him autograph it. That empty chair's cousin made better arguments in a Georgia courtroom that did Orly Taitz or any other birther.
Pleading their case before a judge mad at Obama, with no defense put up by Obama’s lawyers at all, the birthers still lost. Their case does not cross the threshold of credibility a case needs to be taken seriously, the judge ruled. Obama is a natural born citizen, Obama is perfectly eligible for the presidency due to his Hawaiian birth, and the birthers should fold their tents and go back to their figurative plows or knitting.
The birthers lost to a defense argued (badly) by an empty chair.
If your livelihood depends on their going back to their plows and needles, you’re in trouble.
Were you surprised? Birthers have lost every one of these suits. Birthers still don’t give up.
Here, read the decision at SCRIBD: Barack Obama is who he says he is.
Judge Michael Malihi was not pleased with Obama’s lawyers for their failure to show. That tactic force the judge to actually look at the evidence presented and rule that what was presented by the birthers not only does not make the case that Obama is not a natural born citizen, but that the evidence does not even make a prima facie case that further arguments are needed — the evidence sheds no light, it’s “not probative.”
Technically the ruling is advisory to the Georgia Secretary of State; no one expects the SOS to go completely off the rails, barking down the halls of the capitol building to graze the lawn, and decide contrary to the recommendation from Judge Malihi.
Several birthers allowed themselves to get excited that their string of bad luck and courtroom smackdowns might be changing. They have been disappointed.
The world works, and law again proves its value.
More, Resources:
- Generally, see Oh For Goodness Sake on all issues dealing with presidential eligibility and Obama’s birth certificate; but be sure to see this one, and this one, and this one
- See the article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- How bad a defeat was it for the birthers? Before the decision came down, based on their view that the judge had joined their ranks based on his expressed irritation at the Obama lawyers failing to make an appearance, some birther-sympathetic blogs like American Freedom called for the judge to be canonized. That view changed dramatically once the decision was announced: “Thanks a lot Georgia, for shredding our Constitution.” They ain’t taking it kindly, well, nor in a sportsmanlike manner.
Tip of the old scrub brush to reader Whatever4, who alerted us to the decision and gave us the link to Scribd.
Posted by Ed Darrell 
