San Diego Community

This morning I received another e-mail from a viewer with documents questioning President Obama’s American birthplace.  The e-mail showed his Indonesia grade school application and it had a picture of Barak Obama when he was living in Jakarta, Indonesia as Barry Setero.  The picture showed 9 year old Obama with his mother, step-father (Lolo Setoro) and his baby step-sister.  The viewer who sent the e-mail was very concerned since the document included indicated the 9 year Barry Setoro had an Indonesian Nationality and his religion was listed as Islam.  This viewer wanted to know how the freedom of information act could be circumvented to hide Obama’s true birth identity.  He was also very concerned about this story below, which was posted last Friday in WorldNetDaily:

Judge stalls access to Obama birth data
WorldNetDaily ^ | SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 | Bob Unruh - Posted on Friday, September 18, 2009 5:27:55 PM by RobinMasters

A judge has told lawyers whose clients are challenging Barack Obama's eligibility to be president they cannot start digging into the president's historical records right now, and he'll adjust a scheduled Jan. 26, 2010, trial date if they end up needing more time for their research.

The ruling comes from U.S. District Judge David Carter in a California lawsuit brought by several political candidates and party officials, including former U.S. ambassador Alan Keyes and Wiley Drake and Markham Robinson of the American Independent Party.

They are suing Obama alleging that he was not and is not eligible to be president under the U.S. Constitution's demand for a "natural born" citizen in the Oval Office. They are represented by Orly Taitz, who has worked on a multitude of lawsuits over Obama's eligibility, and Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation.

Kreep had responded to the government's motion requesting a stay in the discovery process, the procedures through which valuable evidence is assembled in a lawsuit, by requesting immediate access to Obama's records such as his original long-form birth certificate and his Occidental College records.

The plaintiffs' suspicion is that those records would, in fact, undermine the president's statements that he is a "natural born" citizen, which could disqualify him. For example, an original birth certificate could indicate that it was a "delayed" filing, which could open the door for a birth location outside the United States.

Likewise, the Occidental College records could be significant if Obama attended on a program for foreign students, or represented himself as a foreign student at the time.

At San Diego 6 we have a policy of responding to our viewers who take the time to write to us.   We also have a firm commitment to keep our news reporting balanced, regardless of personal feeling.  I thanked the viewer for his information and told him if this ever became a story we would certainly cover it.

Frankly, this is an old story which I have seen many times before.   It is also a story the liberal bloggers and biased network news outlets such as MSNBC have spent a great deal of time mocking and belittling as crazy.  They also take great delight in attacking as “extremist loons” all those who continue to repeat this information.  However, to completely discount this type of fear of the unknown would be just a “crazy” as those they are trying to discount.  The fact is, this type of reaction is a continuing symptom of an ongoing problem regarding President Obama. 

While the majority of Americans voted for President Obama (53.7% Obama vs. 46.2% McCain), many of the people who originally voted for Obama are having second thoughts and getting increasingly fearful about the type of changes taking place in our country.  Many of those same people are discovering President Obama’s actual vision of change is not the change they were voting for in November 2008.

People who voted for Obama because they were concerned about the long-running war in Iraq and the downturn in the economy that started in 2008 are now wondering how President Obama can been considering adding more troops into Afghanistan than we ever had in Iraq.  They are also questioning how they were told they had to pass bail-out bills to save jobs, and now find the U.S. jobless rate the highest since the Great Depression (9/1/09-The U.S. jobless rate is 9.7% and it is 10.2% in California) and according to all the leading economic indicators, it is still going higher. 

People not only want to know why the government bailouts have not stemmed the flow of lost jobs, but how will we possible pay down a national debt that is now $1.8 Trillion and, according to the National Treasury department, is going to jump another $1 Trillion by the end of the year.  Even worse, the Congressional Budget Office has projected the policies laid out in Obama's first budget would require an additional $9 trillion in borrowing over the next decade and that is before we add-in the additional deficit created through the passage of the Cap & Trade Bill (global warming) or the potential Health Care Bill.

More and more people are saying this type of radical and lightning quick change is not the type of change they voted for when they elected a President who ran on a platform of hope and change.  What was hope for so many has turned into outright fear for many others, and that is one of the reasons why this type of e-mail keeps repeating and re-circulating.  These e-mail chains are part of the same concern that has sparked the town hall meetings and march on Washington.  More and more people have grown increasingly frightened by the fast growing debt combined with increased government control of our country. 

As I have said in previous viewer e-mail responses and my personal blog, while it’s true that no one has ever seen an original birth certificate for President Obama, the most important question is not where he was born, but where was President Obama raised?  What are the real background and values of our President and how do those affect each and every one of us who are impacted by his decision-making processes?

The problem that many people are having right now is it is increasingly apparent we have a President who does not share the traditional American values which built America and made it prosper.   This should not be so surprising since it would be difficult to share those same values if your upbringing was so different than most Americans.  Regardless of where he was born, Obama’s birth father was a Kenyan socialist activist and his mother was an American socialist idealist.  

His father finished his degree in Hawaii and left baby Barak and his mother to attend university in Cambridge when Obama was less than a year old.  After he left, despite a short visit in Cambridge, Obama was raised by his mother, with his parents divorcing before he was three.  Before he was seven his mother remarried a man from Indonesia (Lolo Setoro) and they moved to Jakarta where his parents enrolled him in a Muslim school.  At ten years old Obama moved back to Hawaii and lived with his grandparents, but as anyone who has resided in Hawaii for any period of time knows full well, that is not a state which resembles mainland U.S. and it has always been one of the most socialist of our 50 states. 

Famously, Obama’s primary work experience was centered on community organizing, including a stint as a director at the infamous ACORN.  In fact, before starting political office, other than teaching at University of Chicago Law school, virtually all of his career experiences were involved with extreme leftist community organizing and teaching.  

Another unique element of President Obama’s upbringing is the now proven evidence that until he met his wife and started to attend Reverend Wright’s extreme anti-white black Christian church, President Obama’s religious reference points were always Muslim.  While this was adamantly denied as a democratic candidate and during his presidential campaign, just before he addressed the Muslim world this year his deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Denis McDonough said "the President himself experienced Islam on three continents before he was able to -- or before he's been able to visit, really, the heart of the Islamic world -- you know, growing up in Indonesia, having a Muslim father -- obviously Muslim Americans (are) a key part of Illinois and Chicago."

To quote the very pro-Obama ABC News: “Given widespread unease and prejudice against Muslims among Americans, especially in the wake of 9/11, the Obama campaign was perhaps understandably very sensitive during the primaries and general election to downplay the candidate's Muslim roots.  With insane rumors suggesting he was some sort of Muslim Manchurian candidate, then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and his campaign did everything they could to emphasize his Christianity and de-emphasize the fact that his father, Barack Obama Sr., was born Muslim character shaping, his only Christian background was in anti-white radical black racist church, led by a preacher who openly taught hatred of America”.   

So, with all these different facts about the President’s life, including many unanswered questioned about how he lived and spent some of his younger life, questions continue to abound.  In addition, as he makes efforts to change our government into a more socialized version of his own political beliefs, people’s fears continue to generate more and more concerns for his origins.

Regardless of the President’s genesis, the bottom line is this; the country is split and getting more deeply split with every passing day.  After the initial rush and warm glow that attended his inauguration, and the heady early days of his Presidency, Obama now has more people disapproving of his actions as President than approving.   In fact, his rapid approval fall has continued precipitously despite the fact he has appeared in front of the American public on Television (and through prime-time television cut-ins) more than any President in the history of the office.  

Today’s (9/21/09) Rasmussen daily Presidential Tracking Poll shows that 30% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President but thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -8.

Also in today’s Rasmussen Poll: Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters nationwide now oppose the health care reform proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s the highest level of opposition yet measured and includes 44% who are Strongly Opposed. Just 43% now favor the proposal, including 24% who Strongly Favor it.

Here is some other feedback regarding health care reform from the recent Rasmussen poll: Part of the president’s problem is that he has so far been unsuccessful in winning over those who already have health insurance.  Instead, 53% say the plan will force them to change their coverage. The plan faces many obstacles because it touches so many aspects of life. One of its contested provisions is coverage of abortions, and 48% believe any government-subsidized health care plan should be prohibited from covering abortion procedures. Just 13% support such coverage.

A South Carolina Republican’s outburst during Obama’s speech was prompted by another hot-button issue – health care subsidies for illegal immigrants - although some Democrats (including former President Carter) have suggested his comment was due to racism. But just 12% of voters nationwide believe that most opponents of the president’s health care reform plan are racist.   As for the underlying issue of immigration, 83% believe that people should have to prove their citizenship to receive government subsidized health benefits

What continues to happen is support is continuing to erode for the President and for his health care plan despite the constant media barrage philosophical attack to push it forward.   Frankly, as a person who has spent his entire professional life in the television business I am shocked at the current level of bias in the media.  It is obvious that NBC, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN are “cheerleading” for the President and not reporting the facts.     

In the series of network interviews recorded Friday at the White House for airing on the ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC Sunday morning interview shows, all highlighted Jimmy Carter's charge that racism is fueling the anti-Obamacare protests – with CNN's John King and NBC's David Gregory following up with Nancy Pelosi's claim the heated rhetoric may incite violence – and CBS's Bob Schieffer asserted the "meanness that has settled over our political dialogue" had "started this summer at these town hall meetings."

Amazingly, only NBC's Gregory chastised Obama for not taking on the left on malpractice reform and only ABC's George Stephanopoulos brought up ACORN, but painted Obama as a victim: "Have some of your allies made it easier for, handed your opponents some ammunition, like ACORN, for example?"  Schieffer and King, but not Stephanopoulos or Gregory, pressed Obama on how seven former CIA directors urged him to drop the criminal probe of interrogations of terror suspects

Right now one of the proposals to establish health care reform is to force every single person to buy health care…which is estimated at $3800/each.   We should be asking the question; “is that proposal a tax increase?”   President Obama said no one under making under $250,000 would be taxed.   If everyone will be forced to buy health insurance, even if it is a public option, how will the poor pay this tax?   Also, what will happen to the millions of illegal immigrants who show up now at hospitals and get treated?   Will they be forced to pay for health insurance?   Here is another question, is it constitutional to demand everyone buys health insurance?    All are good questions, but none of them were asked of President Obama this weekend.

As listed earlier in this article, President Obama worked as a Director for ACORN and for years and funneled money to them.   During his election campaign ACORN was a key part of the campaign, including telling them during the year before his election to President if he was elected, ACORN would help shape his Presidential agenda.   Yet this past Sunday, when asked about ACORN and the scandal surrounding them, the President actually said this; “I didn’t know ACORN was getting a lot of federal money…it’s not something I’m paying a lot of attention to”.  

What?  He didn’t know ACORN was getting federal money and didn’t pay a lot of attention to them?   Good grief, this man’s elective life-blood was through ACORN.   Since 1994 ACORN has been given $53 million dollars and was earmarked to collect billions from the stimulus bill before the huge outcry caused by a couple of FOX Cable commentators and two young film-makers.

In what has to be a complete challenge to realistic credibility, we are supposed to believe the President doesn’t pay any attention to ACORN and their corrupt practices, but he is going to push forward and prosecute CIA officers for “torturing terrorists” despite the fact the Justice department investigated already and declined to prosecute.  This investigation is going to press forward even though the CIA already took administrative action, including disciplinary action against those officers whose conduct it deemed warranted such responses.   In addition, this past week, in an unprecedented move, seven former CIA directors, who served both Democratic and Republican Presidents, wrote to the President, strongly opposing this action.  However, undeterred, and despite saying he would not do this during the election, President Obama and his attorney general are moving forward to investigate the CIA for interrogating the 9/11 murderers, while they are unconcerned about the overwhelming corruption of ACORN. 

We now have a President who promised change in many ways, including giving us complete transparency and openness as he governed “towards the center”.  In reality we less transparency than ever before, with members of his own party, including some it’s most senior members,  openly expressing worry and concern about the transfer of power to non-elected officials.   The fear of government takeover included the fear for having so many Czars (34) including; California Water Green, Climate, Guantanamo Closure, Intelligence, and WMD Czars.  What is most concerning is the czars in this administration seem to have more power and authority in this Presidency than Cabinet positions. 

People are also increasingly concerned that President Obama and his White House seem to withhold everything except for the image and propaganda they release without substantiation.   In polls out last week Pew Research Center for the People & the Press said nearly two-thirds of Americans think the news stories they read, hear and watch are frequently inaccurate.  That marks the highest level of skepticism recorded since 1985, when this study of public perceptions of the media was first done.  The survey polled 1,506 adults on the phone in late July and found that 63 percent of the respondents thought the information they get from the media was often off base.   In 2007, the same Pew Research survey, said 53 percent of the people expressed that same doubt about accuracy.

In a move that is unprecedented in my lifetime, this weekend President Obama actually spent the weekend appearing on various networks attacking FOX News Channel as being out of control, dangerous and biased for not agreeing with him.  He was (literally) on every other network, including Univision, and even appeared on the anti-FOX, anti-Bush and openly pro Obama David Letterman to pitch his health plan.  However, he refused to go on Fox News Sunday and meet with Chris Wallace who is one of the most fair minded journalist broadcasters I have heard.

Chris Wallace told Fox & Friends the White House is being petty and childish. Wallace went on to say he asks “tough and fair questions but the administration does not like it”.  “We have a President who has promised to reach out to all citizens and he is going back on that promise”   Wallace continued; “I have to say there is a pettiness about this White House…we don’t like you do this, we don’t like you do that”.   “I have covered a lot of white houses in my 30 years in the business”…I covered Ronald Regan, you come in and do a tough piece on day and it didn’t seem the facts were favorable to the President” and another day you do a piece that might be more favorable…but the white house only treated you as a professional”.   “There is a childishness to this Whitehouse” they only see the networks favorable to them and Univision told me the White House came to them for the interview.  

As of Sunday President Obama has conducted 124 print and broadcast interviews since the start of his Presidency.  During the same exact period of time, President W Bush did 40 interviews and President Clinton conducted 46.  Many people are wondering why so many interview but almost none with Fox News Channel.  

This is what was reported by www.examiner.com:

What many critics are calling a weak kneed policy to avoid Fox fits the mould of Obama’s developing personality. Europe is crying that Obama is weak and caved to Russian demands and threats which is reinforced by his aversion to appear on FOX.

Buck it up Mr. President, beside you got O’Reilly in your corner!

Get this format: an assembly line of network anchors file in and out quickly from the West Wing.. All get the same venue located in the Roosevelt Room just outside the Oval Office. They each get 15 minutes in the hot seat with Obama then five minutes to swap the fawning talent.

I’m guessing he’ll knock this out in just under two hours,” a White House aide was reported to have said.

The fact is, we are living in a world gone insane.  We have just started to dial down the troops in Iraq and now we are being told by commanders on ground in Afghanistan we need more combat troops in that country than we had in Iraq.  Today, the head of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, once again denied the holocaust, saying;  he was “proud he had managed to enrage the West by denying the Holocaust during a speech he made in Tehran in honor of Jerusalem day”.   Ahmadinejad was quoted by the Iranian News Agency (IRNA) as saying that the angering of "professional man-slayers is a source of pride for us and will not stand in our way".    We are seeing threats from all over the world and our President seems to think the way to with these people is to set up a lectern, fire up the teleprompter, and talk.   Amazingly, our President has a Secretary of State who has become almost invisible due to some type of political struggle and it seems as though we have no clear direction against the people who want to see us dead.

At San Diego 6 we perform an important service, we report on as much local news as is important, as well as some of our national news stories.   As a local news operation we are not here to slant the news.   Unlike the bias seen on cable and what has unfortunately become the “standards of rigor” for the broadcast networks, at San Diego 6 news we do our best to present the news without “slanting”, or delivering “angles” with our opinion.  We present the news and give both sides to our stories.  

For example, even during a story tonight  about a local “Sneak a Peek” Coffee stand, our reporter gave both sides to the entrepreneurial young ladies who set up a bikini coffee and drink stand across from a Starbucks in Freemont.  He included parents and civic leader who wanted to stop the stand from operating and the statements of the young ladies who created the stand.  At the end of our 10pm news we also posted the comment sent in from our viewers about this story.  Our goal is to deliver our viewers the best news and all the facts possible and then our viewers make up their own minds how to interpret those stories. 

Blogs like this one are for opinions, but opinions are not news…they are opinions.  In my opinion, we now have a President who is an exact reflection of our time.  President Obama uses a Blackberry, can talk in short text language and glib speech, and he is very photogenic, handsome and seemingly erudite, but he continually seems to be all surface and appearance,  and that is not enough to lead or to govern effectively. 

Unfortunately, too much of the national and local media is covering up any shortcomings or flaws or contradictions or mistakes of our President.   The problem is NOT the color of his skin (see my last blog is “Is Racism the new swear word”).  Frankly, President Obama’s partial black ancestry was wonderful for America and the world, and added to the excitement of our shared hopes for a better society.   

However, if President Obama’s election was a statement of our true liberty and a glorious song of democracy, the current attacks on those who disagree with him as racist is orchestrating the once beautiful music with the most dissident and ugly chords formed by xenophobic rhetoric.

The color in question has nothing to do with President Obama’s race, but it has everything to do with the black hole created by his lack of experience and naïve approach to government.   All of his actions are pushing us further and further into economic disaster as the threat of trillions of dollars of additional deficits are needed to cover his bailouts and social change programs.