Some Hawaii lawmakers see a way out of the state budget hole by capitalizing on doubts about President Obama's birth certificate.
Meanwhile, efforts to convince the so-called "birthers" that Obama's Hawaii birth is authentically documented have ended up backfiring in some recent cases.
In his campaign for president, then-Sen. Barack Obama submitted a short-form certification of live birth showing he was born in Hawaii. Doubters referred to as “birthers” questioned where's the original detailed certificate.
It's a matter that the previous state director of health, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, thought she put to rest more than two years ago before President Obama was elected when she said:
"I, as director of health for the state of Hawaii, along with the registrar of vital statistics… have personally seen and verified that the Hawaii State Department of Health has Sen. Obama's original birth certificate on record."
Yet to this day, birthers still want to see for themselves whether Obama is a natural born citizen, a constitutional standard of eligibility for the office. Questions still flood the governors office and the Health Department, and lawmakers say it's time to make some money off of that while, they say, proving his Hawaii birth to each and every inquiry.
“If the people are so concerned about Barack Obama and if he was actually born in Hawaii, born in the United States, let them pay a fee of 100 bucks,” said Rep. John Mizuno, one of the Democratic co-sponsors of the measure. “We can certainly use the money, and we don't need to hear their complaining anymore."
Lawmakers sponsoring the bill say they'll need to clear confidentiality hurdles since state law prohibits Department of Health disclosure of any information about a Hawaii vital record unless the requestor has a “direct and tangible interest in the record.”
"We're hoping to work with our legal department, the Attorney General's office, for an opinion to see if we can craft something which will justify that it is true, Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, and will have the state seal to certify that,” Mizuno said. “Something very generic but won't violate any federal or state law."
If they clear that hurdle, they say, there are big bucks in store.
"So if there's 1 million people on the mainland asking for his birth certificate, send over $100 check or money order, and we'll send you over something certifying that he was born in Hawaii. That's 1 million people -- that's $100 million to the state,” Mizuno said. “The president of the United States, the No. 1 person in our country, from Hawaii -- we need to capitalize. If we don't take advantage of it, we're out of our minds. This is a golden opportunity."
Some state Republican leaders are taken aback by the idea
"I don't think the state should ever ‘capitalize,’” said Rep Kym Pine, House minority floor leader. “We're not in the business of taking money from people to make money from them."
The bill (HB1116) has not yet been set for a hearing. Asked if White House testimony will be invited:
“We probably wouldn't ask,” Mizuno said. “They know what's going on. This is his home state. They may even submit testimony or they may not. They may want to stay on the sidelines and not get involved at all, just let the legislative process take care of it, which would probably be a prudent move by his staff.”
“He knows that we support him,” Mizuno added. “I don't think they're going to have a problem with it at all. It's nothing but supportive and honoring our great president from Hawaii."
Opponents say while probably well intentioned, the bill will encourage, not alleviate, birther doubts
"It's just continuing it and it's giving more fuel to the fire,” Pine said. “I think things mellowed out after awhile and people just kind of gave up."
But every so often the issue roars back to life. Gov. Neil Abercrombie said he intended to verify the original birth certificate himself soon after taking office last month -- he soon changed course after the attorney general advised of the confidentiality constraints.
The governor's office told KHON2 "Whether or not we produce a document, it's not going to stop the conspirators or naysayers."
Then last week Mike Evans -- a Hollywood reporter well known to radio listeners in Hawaii and beyond --launched another round of birther frenzy when he gave a wildly different and now retracted version of the governor's birth certificate episode on mainland radio:
“Neil (Abercrombie) promised me that when he became governor he was going to cut through all the red tape,” Evans said. “He was going to get Obama's birth certificate once and for all and end this stupid controversy…Yesterday talking to Neil's office, Neil said that he searched everywhere using his power as governor… There is no Barack Obama birth certificate in Hawaii, absolutely no proof at all that he was born in Hawaii. Now he went out, he loves Obama, he purposely did this to get rid of that question -- now got some egg in the face, now he admits publicly that there is no birth certificate. There has to be one at the hospital signed by the doctor verifying a birth but there isn't that.”
The radio host asks: “Mike how hard would it be to go back and find out what doctors were on then?”
Evans answers: “Well apparently he can't find any of that."
Then on Wednesday Evans told the Fox News website he misspoke and hasn't talked to Abercrombie since he's been governor. The governor’s office says Evans e-mailed an apology to the governor's to Abercrombie on Wednesday. On Thursday, Evans told KHON2: "I am embarrassed and feel terrible about the whole thing."
It’s another birther fiasco some lawmakers say should be a red flag.
"Every time someone tries to defend him it just gets even worse,” Pine said. “It's probably just best the state just stays out of it."
Another measure (HB1124) would create "President Barack Obama Day" on Aug. 4 in honor of the president's birthday. Sponsors say it would not be a paid holiday or state day off.
State Department of Health link about Obama birth records: http://hawaii.gov/health/vital-records/obama.html
House Bill 1116 Status: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1116
Link to Mike Evans interview on mainland radio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvrb7YqdvxE
