Eligibility campaign confronts state lawmakers

Newest sign in Austin, where plan includes demand for documentation

Posted: December 24, 2010
11:15 pm Eastern
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
AUSTIN, Texas – Just in time for Gov. Rick Perry's inauguration ceremonies next month and in support of legislation introduced into the legislature requiring all future presidential candidates to establish eligibility prior to getting on the ballot, a new billboard is up in the state capital asking, "Where's the birth certificate?"
The billboard, part of a year-and-a-half-long campaign to bring attention to the eligibility questions still swirling around the presidency of Barack Obama, is one of more than 50 posted around the country. The campaign is credited with giving new life to doubts now held by at least 58 percent of the American people, according to the latest national public opinion survey by CNN.

Billboard at Liberty Hill along Route 183 in Austin

The campaign was initiated by Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND, in a bid to go over the heads of the major media, which, he says, now have a clear vested interest in covering up their negligence in not vetting Obama. Farah is asking all those who agree that the constitutional eligibility of the president is of paramount importance for the future of the country to contribute financially to extending the campaign through 2012.
"Every day we hear from Americans seeing these billboards," said Farah. "Many of them congratulate us on the work. Others are just now being introduced to the questions that have been systematically stonewalled by the major media. I believe this campaign has raised more awareness of the issue than just about anything else. And I believe we are reaching critical mass in getting to the bottom of the mystery."
Farah says his goal is to help persuade several state legislatures to pass simple, straightforward bills requiring eligibility tests for presidential candidates – especially for "natural born citizenship."
"As I have said many times, if Obama didn't have something to hide, he would have long ago produced the original birth certificate proving he was born in Hawaii August 4, 1961, as he claims," said Farah. "Just such legislation is pending right now in Texas and is expected to be introduced in several other states in 2011. When that happens, I am firmly convinced Obama will decide not to run again. At that point, an investigation needs to be launched by Congress to determine whether he was ever eligible to serve and whether any of his initiatives and actions as president are legitimate."
While the press has ridiculed the idea that there are any remaining questions about Obama's eligibility, the entertainment media have been having a field day, turning the issue into the biggest running joke in America:

Jay Leno says things are so bad for Barack Obama these days that even Democrats are asking for his birth certificate.
Mike Huckabee says if you want to protect vital national security secrets from WikiLeaks, just put them in the same vault as Obama's birth certificate.
Conan O'Brien had this to say: "First, they said Obama's a socialist. Then they say he's Muslim. Now they're saying he wasn’t even born in this country. It's got me thinking. OK, the guy might not be qualified to be president. But I guess he is qualified to drive a cab in New York."
"Saturday Night Live" has gotten into the act several times with skits about Obama's elusive birth certificate.

While the birth certificate question is the source of some good jokes, it's also serious business – national security business, insists Farah.
"We now have a real American military hero, Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, convicted in a court martial and sent to prison, because Obama won't show us his birth certificate," Farah said. "That's not funny. And it's not funny that 58 percent of Americans have no confidence the man in the White House belongs there under the constitutional standard. It's about time this should be viewed as a national security crisis."
The latest billboard is the second running concurrently in the Austin metro area. Farah hopes the campaign gives a boost to efforts by Texas Rep. Leo Berman, who is pushing the legislation to require the establishment of eligibility before presidential candidates get on the ballot.
"Like everyone else who raises this issue in the national media, Berman has been pilloried for legislation that ought to be a no-brainer," says Farah. "He needs the support of all Texans and all Americans – just as do other courageous state legislators who wade into this fight."
Farah says there are plenty of billboard locations available throughout the country – most of them at bargain prices because of the Obama recession.
"The average billboard we place costs about $4,000 a month," Farah points out. "Yes, we have had some donated. We've had some wonderful outdoor advertising companies that have discounted their boards because they like our campaign. But, at the end of the day, we've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on this campaign – and we need help from the public. We believe it's the most important way any citizen can make his voice heard on this issue."
Only limited funds prevent the campaign from growing faster, Farah said.
"It's true that the outdoor advertising cartel, owned by major media conglomerates like Clear Channel, CBS and Lamar, have steadfastly refused to post our message because they want to curry favor with regulators in Washington," Farah said. "These companies have no problem with soft-core porn, with ads renouncing God and with outrageous vulgarity. But they do have a problem with political speech – with a simple, non-threatening question like, 'Where's the birth certificate?' It's an unbelievable double-standard by companies that are supposed to be in the First Amendment business. But, then again, look at how their parent companies have treated this issue in their news coverage."
In addition to the billboard campaign, Farah has:

"There are all kinds of things we need to do right now to get our country back on track, but I can think of nothing more important than for us to see that our Constitution is observed, followed, adhered to and honored, especially when it comes to such simple, straightforward matters as the eligibility of the president of the United States," says Farah. "Please help me bring this matter to a head right now."
You can see some of the signs around the country here and a few others have been embedded: