Birth certificate billboard mania continues
First sign erected in 'truth and transparency' campaign
Posted: May 20, 2009
11:00 pm Eastern
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
WASHINGTON – More than $25,000 has been raised in the first two days of a
national billboard campaign to raise awareness of questions surrounding the
constitutional eligibility of Barack Obama to serve as president – and the
first sign, an electronic one, is already up and online.
Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND, said he's calling it
"the truth and transparency campaign."
The money is being used to erect billboards around the country that ask a
simple question: "Where's the birth certificate?"
The first such sign to be posted under the 2-day-old campaign, a digital,
electronic one, is up and online on Highway 165 in Ball, La. – the result of a
donation by the owner. In addition, based on the heavy volume of financial
donations in the first two days of the campaign, WND was able to commit to
leasing two more standard billboards – one in Los Angeles and the other in
Pennsylvania. It will take several weeks to get those billboards up because of
the vinyl printing and shipping involved.
"I know now, because of the sensational response to this idea from WND viewers,
that this national campaign is going to be big and long-lasting," said Farah.
"I want to thank all of those who have pitched in and contributed – with either
cash donations or, in some cases, space donations. But the need for money
continues. The public should know it costs about $2,000 just to print these
15-by-45 foot billboards. Each one is a huge commitment."
Birth certificate question being raised in Ball, La.
Donations are being accepted to defray the costs of a national billboard
campaign with the simple message: "Where's the birth certificate?"
While the campaign is off to a great start, many viewers have asked why Obama's
name is not included in the billboard. Farah said the matter was carefully
considered.
"There are several reasons we chose the message: 'Where's the birth
certificate?'" he explained. "There is only one birth certificate controversy
in this country today – despite the near-total absence of this issue from
coverage in the non-WND media. This is a grass-roots issue that resonates
around the country, as our own online petition with nearly 400,000 signers
suggests. In addition, I like the simplicity of the message. I like the fact
that the message will cause some people to ask themselves or others about the
meaning of the message. It will stir curiosity. It will create a buzz. I'm
assuming when these billboards are springing up all over the country, it might
even make some in the news media curious. And there's one more factor that
persuaded me this was the way to go.
"Come 2012, campaign laws will pose restrictions on political advertising
mentioning the names of presidential candidates. This one clearly doesn't. I
would like to see the federal government make the case that this is somehow a
political ad," he said.
Farah said the campaign was born of frustration with timid elected officials in
Washington, corrupt judges around the country and a news media that show a
stunning lack of curiosity about the most basic facts of Obama's background –
especially how it relates to constitutional eligibility for the highest office
in the land.
"As Obama transforms this country from self-governing constitutional republic
to one governed by a central ruling elite, the simple fact remains that no
controlling legal authority has established that he is indeed a 'natural born
citizen' as the Constitution requires," Farah said. "Obama's promises of
transparency have become a bad joke as he continues to hide simple, innocuous
documents like his birth certificate and his student records."
The idea behind the billboard campaign is to make sure Obama cannot avoid this
question any longer. He must be asked to produce it at every turn, Farah says.
Billboard space is currently being hunted in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio,
Sacramento, San Francisco, New York-New Jersey, Des Moines, Seattle and other
metro areas.
"Is it unusual for a news agency to launch such a campaign?" asks Farah. "Yes
it is. But we live in very unusual times. The founding fathers built special
protections into the First Amendment for the free press. The reason they did
that is because they understood a vibrant 'Fourth Estate' was necessary as an
independent watchdog on government. It is in that tradition that WND assumes
this role – since nobody else in the press will do it."
WND previously launched a petition campaign that has collected more than
370,000 names demanding Obama's eligibility be verified and demonstrated
publicly. That campaign continues. That list has been shared with members of
the Electoral College and the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
"I wish such a campaign were not absolutely necessary," said Farah. "I wish
there were checks and balances in our political and electoral systems to ensure
that constitutional eligibility of presidential candidates was established
before politicians could assume the highest office in the land. I wish my
colleagues in the news media believed the Constitution really means what it
says and pressed this issue as hard as we have pressed it at WND. I wish radio
talk-show hosts were bold enough to ask this question. But wishing is not
enough. It's time to raise the visibility of this issue vital to the rule of
law in America. I ask everyone to pitch in and help WND make a simple yet
profound statement: The Constitution still matters."
Your donation – from as little as $5 to as much as $1,000 – can be made online
at the WND SuperStore. (Donations are not tax-deductible. Donations of amounts
greater than $1,000 can be arranged by calling either 541-474-1776 or
1-800-4WND.COM. If you would prefer to mail in your contributions, they should
be directed to WND, P.O. Box 1627, Medford, Oregon, 97501. Be sure to specify
the purpose of the donation by writing "billboard" on the check. In addition,
donations of billboard space will be accepted, as will significant
contributions specifically targeted for geographic locations.)
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"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to
take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic
purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and
sacrifice for that freedom." - John F. Kennedy
"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of
justice is no virtue." - Barry Goldwater
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