Jesse Jackson (in the Chicago Sun-Times): Donald Trump has risen to the top of the Republican presidential candidate ratings while campaigning on the nutty charge that President Obama isn’t American, that he is not legally qualified to be president.
The Trump effect has led others, like Sarah Palin, to start hedging their dismissal of these absurdities. If this continues, the Republican race could turn into a race for the muck.
…he’s riding a toxic wave by emitting poisonous charges he must know are not true. This nonsense about Obama’s birth is one of various efforts to label him as un-American, as alien. Some say he’s not a Christian, but a Muslim. Mike Huckabee muses on the Kenyan socialism Obama must have imbibed while growing up in Kenya, where he never lived.
This is an old and tawdry game. When Dr. King was challenging segregation, Southerners knew they couldn’t win the argument with him on equal rights or the right to vote. So they labeled him a communist. They said he was an outside agitator, even though his church was in Georgia. When he spoke out against Vietnam, they debated not his views, but his qualification even to have an opinion. He was a preacher, they scorned, not a foreign-policy expert, even though the experts got us into the debacle. For King, as for Obama, all this was simply a diversion, a way not to debate his ideas or his positions, but to dismiss them from consideration by slurring the messenger.
…We now know Donald Trump is happy to peddle a lie about America’s president. We know virtually nothing about his views on America’s course forward … Voters shouldn’t honor or reward him – or anyone – for that.
Full article here
The Obama Diary 
I am getting really tired of the games being played with the future of this country. Some thinks it is funny to trash the reputation of our country. We were taught that this was the best nation in the world, we would stick together to get the job done.
In 1999, Tramp was pro-choice 100%. He is now an anti-abortion nut. He said, the wife of a friend announced her pregnancy; they discussed the ‘problem’ and decided to go ahead with the birth. Now, the friend says the baby is the apple of his eye. This story works if you’re a lovesick 12 y.o. with an Ipod and Apple in her pink bedroom. There’s 11 candidates exploring the possibility – all empty. I still think we’re in for a surprise.
I wonder if there is something going on behind the scenes. It does not make any sense to me that he was liberal and is now a fruit cake. Could it be he has something up his sleeve–besides money? I cannot imagine that he will be the presidential candidate. Actually, I wish the donald or sarah or michele would win the primary.
Trump has a record. The repugnuts will expose all of this when it comes to the primaries.
I never have liked the man. He is ugly and arrogant.
It behooves us to know that Donald Trump donated to Anthony Weiner’s congressional campaign, and Rahm Emmanuel’s Mayoral Campaign. Therefore, his newfound “birtherism” arouses suspicion in the minds of the T-baggers and other far-right wingers.
I don’t believe that story for a minute. Trump has proven there is nothing he won’t lie about. I’m not buying this story he made up. In the least.
Trump is paving the way for someone far worse than he.
I made the mistake of reading the comments posted to the original article. The majority are toxic, anti- Jackson, anti-Obama. I should know better, bit this reflection of the general public is very frightening and full of hate.
Gads…
Carla, I some times get drawn in. I guess I have kind of gotten used to it. Certain sites are going to have a whole lot of hate going on. I am so glad that we have TOD, TPV, BWD and so many more great sites. The pragmati sites lift my spirits, so occasionally, I will read the comments. I have certainly come to believe that most of those writing nasty comments are racist. When they start talking about Obama being stupid or incapable, I know what they are really saying.
My graduate studies were in Sociology, and research has shown that most people do not make comments unless they love something or they hate something. Those who are dissatisfied comment twice as much as the as those who are happy.
But some are also PAID to comment! The GOP/Teaparty have been running trainings for their supporters on how to use the internet to attack, spread lies and invade and disrupt sites or articles that are sympathetic to PBO etc.
Even the grumpy racist oldies are now being coached on modern technology so they don’t even have to leave home to spew their hate!
” Those who are dissatisfied comment twice as much as the as those who are happy.”
Well, I must pat myself on the back because I have been saying this very same thing for the last 2 or so years, and here I have a grad student verifying it. LOL. Thanks Dorothy. You are correct…..these nasties spend oodles of time looking for a place to throw their s–t precisely because they are unhappy that they lost. On the other hand, we who won find no need to do so. Simple, isn’t it? But even more than that, when GW won 2000 and 2004, I myself did not find it necessary to “stalk” him online. Therefore, we know that an enormous portion of the vitriole is racist. Also, that article by Rev. Jackson states that he knows Trump, and that he’s better than that. “Nah nah nah, I don’t think so, Rev. Jackson. Makes me wonder what’s behind your fraternity with the bum.”
Chipsticks, another great day! thank you.