Congressman Steve King of Iowa held a town hall meeting recently. Apparently it was civil. After reading an article in the Daily Times Herald based in Carroll, Iowa, I would like to comment on a few statements that he made.

August 26, 2009

“Clearing some air with congressman King”

“King, who thinks Obama is clearly a native of Hawaii, addressed this issue in our interview after the town hall meeting.

Daily Times Herald: Unlike some of the town-hall meetings that are looped over and over again on cable news this one was exceedingly civil. You had some people bring up points that were obviously at odds with your viewpoint. One thing that has happened at some of these town-hall meetings that have been so highly publicized is that people have held up birth certificates and questioned the legitimacy of Obama’s presidency.

That’s not something I’ve ever seen you do, and I’ve actually heard you speak movingly about what it was like being there in January and watching Obama be inaugurated. Obviously some of these people that hold these views about Obama’s legitimacy are conservative.

Would you have any message for them? Do you think Obama’s a legitimate president, that this birther issue should be set side and that those people should move on on the issues?

Congressman King: “I spent my time before the inauguration to look into that because I thought it was the time to do so.

“We discovered working with a small group and their staff in the Library of Congress the microfiche copy of one of the two Hawaii newspapers that published the birth announcement of President Obama on Aug. 4, 1961.

“It was published on either Aug. 10 or 16. I looked at that copy, and we began to play that out on how would that actually be there in many of the public libraries in America if he wasn’t born in Hawaii.

“It almost comes down to, yes, that information could have been sent, but his mother would have had to imagine that she was protecting the interests of a future president in order to do such a thing.

“I don’t think anyone has that kind of clairvoyance, yet alone a young mother, at that time.

“I came to the conclusion that it’s improbable that Obama was not born in Hawaii as he says.

“I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t ask under Hawaiian law that the certificate of live birth, the real legitimate birth certificate, be released to the public. I’ve seen the one that they put out. It doesn’t look exactly like some of the others they’ve used to compare it.

“So I just wish the subject weren’t there. I think he could have avoided the subject if he would have just simply laid his birth certificate out.

“I don’t know what his motive for not doing that would be unless it would be something that is embarrassing, that he doesn’t want us to know, and, otherwise, I think he would have let us know. But he’s the one that has to answer that, and we have core public policy things to move forward on, and that’s not a priority of mine to dig into it.

“The truth will eventually emerge.” ”

Citizen Wells comments:

Since when does a birth announcement vet a presidential candidate?

Congressman King does question why Obama does not reveal his original long form birth certificate. However, he should demand that Obama do so.

“Daily Times Herald: You have a lot of concern about government involvement with health care. One place where that occurs right now, some would say successfully, others would have issues with it particularly in light of some of the stories that have broken in the last few weeks, is the Veterans Administration. If the government is terrible at running health care, should the services provided through the VA be privatized?

Congressman King: “I think our Veterans Administration does a good job with the health care that they deliver to our veterans. We’ve been expanding the clinic access in the district – Shenandoah and here (Carroll) and up in Spirit Lake. We continue to work on that. The standard that we want is I don’t want to see a veteran drive more than an hour to go to any clinic. That expansion’s taking place, although the Veterans Administration deserves the lion’s share of the credit.”

Citizen Wells comments:

If congressman King believes that the VA is doing a good job of health care, he is ill informed. A cursory examination of recent news reveals that there are major problems in VA hospitals. I personally know someone that was butchered in a VA hospital. I have an aunt that is active with the American Legion and she works with a lot of veterans being processed at a VA hospital. She has told me about many problems that the veterans have.

The VA hospitals have outlived their usefulness. The Government has no business managing healthcare. I am certain that if the VA hospitals were closed and the money guaranteed for the veterans at non government hospitals, the cost would go down and most important, the quality would go up.

“None of the attendees challenged Barack Obama’s constitutional legitimacy as president as has been the case elsewhere where so-called “birthers” have hijacked elected officials’ town-hall meetings to charge that Obama wasn’t born in the United States.”

Citizen Wells comment:

Note the insulting, condescending tone. Using the term birthers for concerned Americans and using the term hijacked for exercising their First Amendment rights.

Congressman King and the reporter require educating.

It is our job to do so.

Read more:

http://www.carrollspaper.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=25&ArticleID=8643&TM=48534.34

Thanks to commenter ccwarrior and the Count Us Out blog for the info.

** Update – This was posted by commenter JustMe **

“CW,

the VA is a sorry excuse for health care, especially given the fact the folks that gave life/limb to protect our freedom. My husband, a physician, until earlier this year could see some Veterans in private practice (after jumping through a bazillion hoops). No more! Don’t know exactly what’s changed but know that it has.

Now they have to drive great distances just to be seen in a clinic. Then must drive even greater distances (in the case of our west TX town… they must drive to another state) to have access to a hospital. None of it makes sense.

They are also having difficulty getting their meds. My husband is greatly saddened to see how these people are treated.

If we got rid of the VA system, I bet we could afford to have healthcare for all. The operating costs have to be enormous.

My gardener’s father is a Vet and has cancer. He has had to travel great distances recently just to be seen. He said the VA has written him off and referred him to hospice to die. He isn’t ready for hospice at this point. They also refused to consider a small procedure to put his “elimination system” back together that would have allowed him and his care givers an easier time.”