House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said on Sunday he believes that President Barack Obama is a U.S. citizen and that his place of birth should not be a subject for debate in Washington.
Still, Cantor refused to criticize “birthers” who believe Obama was not born in the United States, declining an invitation by NBC host David Gregory on “Meet the Press” to call their claims “crazy.”
“It is not nice to call anyone crazy,” Cantor said.
Cantor went on to say that debating the president’s place of birth was misplaced. “I don’t think it is an issue that needs to be on the policy-making table,” he explained.
MR. GREGORY: There’s been a lot of talk about discourse, about how you all can get along a little bit better and do it a little bit more civilly. And I wonder, this is the leadership moment here, OK? There are elements of this country who question the president’s citizenship, who think that it–his birth certificate is inauthentic. Will you call that what it is, which is crazy talk?
REP. CANTOR: David, you know, I mean, a lot of that has been an, an issue sort of generated by not only the media, but others in the country. Most Americans really are beyond that, and they want us to focus…
MR. GREGORY: Right. Is somebody brings that up just engaging in crazy talk?
REP. CANTOR: Well, David, I, I don’t think it’s, it’s nice to call anyone crazy, OK?
MR. GREGORY: All right. Is it a legitimate or an illegitimate issue?
REP. CANTOR: And–so I don’t think it’s an issue that we need to address at all. I think we need to focus on…
MR. GREGORY: All right. His citizenship should never be questioned, in your judgment. Is that what you’re saying?
REP. CANTOR: It is, it is not an issue that even needs to be on the policy-making table right now whatsoever.
MR. GREGORY: Right. Because it’s illegitimate? I mean, why won’t you just call it what it is?
REP. CANTOR: I–because, again…
MR. GREGORY: I mean, I feel like there’s a lot of Republican leaders who don’t want to go as far as to criticize those folks.
REP. CANTOR: No. I think the president’s a citizen of the United States.
MR. GREGORY: Period.
REP. CANTOR: So what–yes. Why, why is it that you want me to go and engage in name-calling?
MR. GREGORY: No, I’m just…
Advertise | AdChoicesREP. CANTOR: I think he’s a citizen of the United States.
MR. GREGORY: Because, because I think a lot of people, Leader, would say that a leader’s job is to shut some of this down. You know as well as I do, there are some elements on the right who believe two things about this president: He actively is trying to undermine the American way and wants to deny individuals their freedom. Do you reject those beliefs?
REP. CANTOR: I…
MR. GREGORY: As a leader in our Congress.
REP. CANTOR: Let me tell you, David, I believe this president wants what’s best for this country. It’s just how he feels we should get there, that there are honest policy differences.
MR. GREGORY: Fair enough.
REP. CANTOR: That’s it. And, and so the question will be, over the next two years, whether he will demonstrate that he no longer wants to adhere to more spending, to more sort of trying to achieve equal outcomes rather than equal opportunity, that he really does believe America was built on those striving to–for opportunity, willing to take their own responsibility to achieve their success, and not rely on Washington to sort of determine winners and losers. Now, that, that to me is what America’s about. That’s how we get to a better place in this country and continue to lead. And, and the question will be–and I think that most Americans are like that. And so the question is, does the president now embrace what the electorate said, which is, “We reject your agenda, Mr. President. We understand the results have not been there. Let’s try it a different way.”
(Source: Politico)
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7 Responses
Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor doesn’t want to get bogged down in old issues that are not on this new Congress’ agenda. He is not interested in persuing “dead end” issues at this time.
He realizes that Obama is the best thing that could have happened to Republicans and as long as Obama is in the White House the DemoRats will continue losing and losing and losing.
The Constitution states in Articl 2, Section 1: “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;….
The only way of proving that one is a “natural born Citizen” is by showing his/her original Birth Certificate. Obama has already spent in excess of TWO MILLION DOLLARS to keep his original Birth Certificate hidden. We have a legal and legitimate right to see it. The ‘Certificate of Live Birth” which was shown on the internet does not prove anything except for the fact that he was born.
Mr. Obama, why won’t you just show us your Original Birth Certificate? What do you have to hide? Every U.S. President before you showed us their Original Birth Certificate. What are you hiding from the American People????
No reputable person questions Obama’s citizenship. Not only is there no evidence he was born outside the United States, even if he was, he would be a natural born citizen by virtue of his mother’s citizenship (and she’s a very respectable WASP whose family came over in the early 17th century).
No will someone start asking the Democrats do they really believe that Sarah Palen was behind the shooting in Tuscon?
re #2
Someone born outside of the United States to US citizen parents is not a NATURAL BORN citizen. (I know I was born in Canada to a US father. I am a US citizen by that virtue but I have what is called ‘A Consular Report of Birth Born Abroad) A NATURAL BORN citizen is one born on US soil, irregardless of the citizenship of his/her parents.
Facts are important if you want your opinion to be respected.
p.s. I consider myself a reputable person and I QUESTION his citizenship. I believe the constitution and the American people are deserving of President Obama showing his Birth Certificate and then we’ll go veiter
He is definitely a U.S. Citizen. The issue is whether he is a natural born citizen, the definition of which has not been conclusively decided.
akuperma,
When you wrote “No reputable person questions Obama’s citizenship.”
I must respectfully point out the error in your comment. Obama’s unprecedented and stubborn secrecy about his birth certificate is strong circumstantial evidence that the information it contains about his eligibility for high office is problematic. The impetus to doubt Obama’s eligibility is Obama himself. His actions have led many very reputable people to the logical conclusion that he is hiding that which is on the document he is keeping from us, and since he is obviously cunning, that his calculated steps involve a deliberate purpose that involves his identity as it bears on his ability to slip into the White House.
I will always believe he is not a US BORN citizen, but if I am showed otherwise, he still he an awful person who is destroying American, shaking hands with dictators,and has no idea what he is doing!
What is Obama saying is the reason that he is hiding his birth certificate?