During WorldNetDaily Editor-in-Chief Joseph Farah’s Friday night dinner speech, which spent around 10 of its forty minutes on questions about Barack Obama’s citizenship, Andrew Brietbart was among the conservatives in back of the room grumbling audibly about what he was hearing.
Breitbart and Farah get in a heated discussion over the birth certificate
After he introduced the evening’s closing entertainment — a film titled “Generation Zero” — Breitbart walked outside to the convention hall. There, I heard Breitbart criticizing Farah, and briefly talked to him about it before I noticed that WorldNetDaily’s Chelsea Schilling was already talking to him, holding up a voice recorder. I backed up to allow her to continue her interview, which consisted of questions on why Breitbart didn’t think Obama’s citizenship was a legitimate issue.
“It’s self-indulgent, it’s narcissistic, it’s a losing issue,” Breitbart told Schilling. “It’s a losing situation. If you don’t have the frigging evidence — raising the question? You can do that to Republicans all day long. You have to disprove that you’re a racist! Forcing them to disprove something is a nightmare.”
“Wouldn’t you say,” asked Schilling, “in this case, that Farah is asking Obama to prove something rather than his disprove it?”
Breitbart rejected the premise. “When has a president ever been asked to prove his citizenship?”
After a few minutes Breitbart ended the conversation and Schilling started interviewing Tea Partiers about the speech, finding a little less skepticism. (I found some Tea Partiers, like Rita Grace of Virginia, who said they didn’t appreciate Farah’s speech.) I spotted Farah and asked him if his speech had been approved by Tea Party Nation.
“They asked me to speak,” said Farah. “They didn’t ask me, ‘What do you want to speak about?’ No, this operates like a free and open society, not like the kind of Marxist society you would apparently like to be a journalist for.”
I told Farah that his speech was getting negative attention already, and that Breitbart, who’d taken the stage after him, had criticized the “birther” parts of the speech. Farah shook his head and walked over to Breitbart in what seemed like an attempt to debunk my question.
The Transcript of the exchange…Click here to listen to the audio
“Andrew is my friend,” said Farah. “He has the right to disagree, and he has the right to say anything to a socialist newspaper that he wants. And if he wants to criticize his friend to you, and he’s dumb enough to do that…”
Breitbart raised his eyebrows. “I’m dumb to do what?”
Farah: “Criticize your friend to this socialist newspaper.”
“I was talking to her,” said Breitbart, pointing to Schilling. “I was talking to you. And I was saying that I disagreed on the birther stuff.”
Farah: “OK, well, did you know that Dave Weigel from The Washington Independent was”–
“I was talking to her,” said Breitbart. “She was asking me if I thought it was wise to bring it up, and I said, no. We have a lot of strong arguments to be making, and that is a primary argument. That is an argument for the primaries that did not take hold. The arguments that these people right here are making are substantive arguments. The elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts were all won not on birther, but on substance. And to apply to this group of people the concept that they’re all obsessed with the birth certificate, when it’s not a winning issue–”
Farah: “It is a winning issue!”
Breitbart: “It’s not a winning issue.”
Farah: “It is! It becomes even more of a winning issue when the press abrogates its responsibility–”
Breitbart: “You don’t recognize it as a fundamentally controversial issue that forces a unified group of people to have to break into different parts? It is a schism of the highest order.”
Farah: “Nothing exposes the president’s–”
Breitbart: “Then prove it!”
Farah: “The press isn’t asking the question–”
Breitbart: “Prove it!”
Farah: “Prove what?”
Breitbart: “Prove your case.”
“I should prove, what, a birth certificate that may or may not exist?” Farah had gotten irritated. “That’s ridiculous. You don’t even understand the fundamental tenets of what journalism is about, Andrew. It’s not about proving things. It’s about asking questions and seeking truth.”
Breitbart tensed up after that insult. “Right.”
Farah: “I know you’re not a journalist, so that’s fine. But don’t diminish people who’ve been doing this for 35 years.”
Breitbart: “So you’re going to go on record saying that I’m not a journalist?”
Farah: “Are you? I’ve never heard you claim to be. Are you?”
Breitbart: “I’ll let it be answered by you.”
Farah: “Well, I knew Drudge didn’t consider himself a journalist, so I assumed that you were. … I don’t know, I’m not trying to insult you.”
Breitbart: “You did.”
Read the Full Article: By DAVID WEIGEL, Washington Independent
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The last time I checked our form of government was a constitutional republic. I don't recall any change to a populist democracy. I don't recall the enforcement of the law to be by popular ballot. I don't recall the people being required to suffer assaults on out constitution with absolutely no recourse but a vote every four years. Anybody that claims we have no right or duty to seek enforcement of our law ought not be considered anything other than uneducated or a traitor.
Amen I agree
Anyone who spends two MILLION dollars (and counting…) to keep hidden the same common information my grandchildren have to show to enter kindergarten or sign up for soccer, is mighty anxious to keep concealed information that will be highly damaging to him. Just my hunch! John McCain was required to show proof of his birth to an American Naval Officer and his wife — and he did so. He also revealed all his medical records and other items in a long list of records that Obama has gone to enormous lengths to keep concealed. I see nothing wrong in Congress and others requiring the same information from him. Should not take more than half a hour to put it all out there, and make the birthers look really silly. But then, eligibility to be our President is not a small, unimportant requirement of our Constitution — it is the first principle of constitutionality. Break one, break 'em all. Who cares? Nobody is counting.
AMEN!
I am GLAD that Farah is seeking the truth… Breitbart and the one world order media certainly don't care about the truth.
Who the hell is BREITBART that he thinks it's ok to kick honest patriotic Republic journalists down in front of the enemy?
What's his agenda if not to disparage and diminish the whole Tea Party movement's credibility? If the majority of the Tea Party sees worth and credibility in seeking the truth about Obama's legality in office, his point becomes moot. And he needs to shut his pie hole.
I agree that the convention was not to be focused on birth … although I STRONGLY agree that it is an issue that is way past due in conclusion … I have to show a birth certificate to get a passport … duh
That is a no-brainer even if I never ran for an EXECUTIVE BRANCH office of the United States of America. There are MANY people who pushed this under the carpet and they are guilty of gross violation of public trust even if we ignore it.
We have a MARXIST holding office as president, and he refuses to show his birth certificate? I had to show MY birth certificate to get admitted into a vocational program in college and I WAS born here, and have lived in Texas all my LIFE! And this bozo REFUSES to "prove" he is actually a legal CITIZEN of the US??? The BAD part of this is, even IF he were legal, he is DESTROYING this country and STILL should be taken down and thrown out for TREASON! He has put us in danger and is working overtime on bringing down all our defenses against the outside world. GET RID OF THIS BUM! In THAT respect I don't care where he is from, but it IS another point that proves this piece of crap is just that, a lying piece of crap!
Rudy, RIGHT ON! Your emphasis and point is well taken, in my opinion. If I hadn't read that you wrote it, I might think I wrote it! I too believe BHO is committing treason (I'm not a lawyer) and I believe he should be thrown out of office for many transgressions of our Constitution and the office he currently sits in. I refuse to call him my President. I respect the office but this man is a thug worthy of criminal prosecution for deliberately working to tear down our country and make it vulnerable to assault of all kinds. Thanks for saying it!
Anyone who says they support the constitution should believe that BO's eligibility is an important issue. Afterall our forefathers deemed it important enough to state that only a natural born citizen should hold the office of President and VP. Failure to address Obama's eligibility equates to dismissing the US constitution.
At this juncture in time the Tea Party Movement (Constitutionalists) must focus all its energy on the 2010 Elections. We must retake the Senate and the House. That should be the paramount goal at this point. We must make certain that EVERY candidate for ANY office, local, statewide, etc are Conservative Constitutionalists. We must direct very pointed questions to every candidate for every office, i.e., what they stand for, smaller government, lower taxes, no government run health care, pro defense, a person who can actually say "War on Terror" without choking. In other words we must know them inside out. Also, check to see if they give the same answers to the same questions consistently. Attend more than one event they conduct. Their answers need to be published and placed on the Internet so anyone can see their position on critical issues. It could be that someone from either or both parties may be found to have similar views. We must know our candidates BEFORE election day. After the Senate and House are retaken, those citizens who are justifiably concerned about Obama's lies in regard to his origins need to DEMAND that he be fully investigated but NOT by Congress. Everyday citizens of this nation should be the ones who are given every power necessary to delve completely and unfettered into his sordid past. Please, please do not let anything hinder the drive to retake Congress as it is of the utmost importance to our country and our freedoms.
If it is NOT A BIG ISSUE… SHOW THE DARN BIRTH CERTIVFICATE…!
SHOW ALSO, THE "TWO" VERSIONS OF ACCEPTANCE OF (PELOSI SIGNED BOTH OF THESE) THAT WERE CONFIRMATIONS THAT BARRACK HUSSIEN OBAMA WAS QUALIFIED TO BE CONSIDERED A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN, ABLE TO HOLD OFFICE AND NOTERIZED… AND THE SECOND VERSION THAT DID NOT HAVE THE 'NATURAL BORN CITIZEN PHRASE IN IT AS THE CONSTITUTION STATES THAT THE PERSON MUST BE TO HOLD OFFICE….
MAYBE BREITBART WOULD BE INTERESTD IN THAT… I CERTAINLY AM…. THIS COULD BE FRAUD OF THE HIGEST ORDER… AND I WOULDN'T PUT IT PAST PELOSI TO 'COOPERATE IN DOING THIS'.
ALL OF OBAMAS PAST IS SHUT UP, SHUT OFF, AND LAWYERS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING EVERY COURT CASE AND EVERY CHALLENGE TO KEEP IT SECRET…. "WHY???????" THAT'S ALL WE WANT TO KNOW.
WE DESERVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH. FIGHT ON.
COMMON' BRITBART, YOUR SMARTER THAN THAT… SEEK THE FRIGIN TRUTH.
WHAT IS EVERYONE AFRAID OF????? IF THIS CLOWN IS A FRAUD AND PRETENDER… WE SURE AS HELL NEED TO TAKE HIM OUT.
I am not a 'truther! I do not believe, and have never believed, that the Bush administration helped the muslims destroy our country by planting some kind of explosive device inside the towers to help them 'unexpectedly' fall down.
I am not a 'deather' either! I do not need to see pictures of bin Laden'shead blown off to prove that he is dead! I trust our fantabulous Navy SEALS team, and all of our military, that they did kill him! It's a game changer, but it needed to be done. Justice has been served!
I am not a 'birther'; I am a constitutionalist!!! I do believe that Barack Hussein Obama II/Barry Soetoro is NOT constitutionally eligible to serve as POTUS/C-in-C, according to Article II, Section I, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution. The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights are not scraps of paper to be bypassed, trampled on, or shredded, as the current administration has done time, and time again. They are important historical documents that need to be followed, protected, and preserved. It's for national security; no usurpers allowed!!!!!