Arrested 'Birther' AKA 'Constitutionalist' Theresa Cao pleads NOT GUILTY to charges stemming from outburst during reading of constitution.
Breaking: Arrested 'Birther' AKA 'Constitutionalist' Theresa Cao pleads not guilty to the charges stemming from her outburst during the congressional reading of U.S. Constitution. According to the District...
Rutherford Institute Defends 'Birther' Activist Arrested for Exercising Her Free Speech Rights During Congress' Reading of Constitution on Jan. 6
WASHINGTON, DC—The Rutherford Institute has come to the defense of a woman who was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct after exercising her free speech rights during the House of Representatives' reading of the United States Constitution on January 6, 2010. In response to Rep. Frank Pallone's (D-NJ) reading of Article II, Section I, of the Constitution mandating that only a "natural-born citizen" may be president, Theresa Cao, who was seated in the front row of the public viewing gallery, remarked, "Except Obama." Cao has been active in the "birther" movement calling for further investigation into President Obama's eligibility for office based on his birthplace and birth certificate. Cao was then seized by security officers, handcuffed and taken to jail."This case is not about President Obama's eligibility for office or Theresa Cao's affiliation with the birther movement—it's about free speech in its purest sense," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "The sad irony here is that Ms. Cao was arrested for exercising her constitutional right to free speech at the very moment that Congress was making a show of reading aloud the Constitution. One can't help but wonder whether Congress actually understood anything that they read."
In a symbolic gesture intended to acknowledge that the United States is a nation of laws, not men, the House of Representatives opened its session on January 6 with a reading of the United States Constitution in its entirety. The readings were done by members of the House of Representatives, rotating by party, beginning with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), followed by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In response to Rep. Frank Pallone's (D-NJ) recitation of Article II, Section I, the provision of the Constitution dealing with the President's eligibility for office ("no person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President"), Theresa Cao stated, "Except Obama."
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), the presiding House member during the readings, issued a warning against comments from the gallery and then ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove the person responsible for the outburst from the chamber. Cao was then handcuffed, arrested, taken to jail and charged under a District of Columbia Code provision forbidding conduct intended to impede, disrupt or disturb any session of Congress. A violation of the code provision is punishable by a fine of up to $500 and/or imprisonment for up to six months. Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute will assist Cao in challenging the charges. Cao's initial appearance on the charge is set for January 19 in D.C. Superior Court. The footage of Cao's exercise in free speech is available on YouTube.com.
An election for President and Commander in Chief of the Military must strive to be above reproach. Our public institutions must give the public confidence that a presidential candidate has complied with the election process that is prescribed by our Constitution and laws. It is only after a presidential candidate satisfies the rules of such a process that he/she can expect members of the public, regardless of their party affiliations, to give him/her the respect that the Office of President so much deserves.
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