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December 5th, 2008
07:01 PM ET

Clarence Thomas agrees to hear Obama citizenship case

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/POLITICS/04/10/thomas.threats/art.thomas.gi.jpg caption="Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas"]
The Daily Voice

The controversial effort to challenge Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship got unexpected support when Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas pushed the issue onto the Court's docket for Friday after it had been rejected last month.

The Court will decide on Friday whether to consider a New Jersey case against Obama that charges the president-elect has not demonstrated his U.S. citizenship, as required by the Constitution.

The case, Donofrio v. Wells, was filed by Leo C. Donofrio against New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells and heard by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Read more...


Filed under: Barack Obama • Raw Politics • Supreme Court
soundoff (22 Responses)
  1. lampe

    Thomas, is only doing the job, for which he was elected to do. If there is nothing wrong with Obama's birth Records, then show it to be so and then let it go. If, there is a problem,it is better to settle it now and not later. And, I do believe the first person to question this was a Democrat, and not a Republican. So, please put the blame where it belongs. Not, everything is Republicans fault, look at you own Party, to place some of the blame.

    December 5, 2008 at 9:34 pm |
  2. Louisiana Joe

    Black on Black crime at its highest level. Hey Rodney, this is why we all can't get along! (and the struggle continues)

    December 5, 2008 at 9:31 pm |
  3. Grannie Sandy

    Old news – Obama's "birth certificate" issue DEAD at Supreme Court! I cannot believe that Anderson Cooper woud post such an innane commentary.

    December 5, 2008 at 9:01 pm |
  4. Anthony

    It's becasue what's in question is not just US Citizenship. There is also dual citizenship in question, and a Hawaii ammendment that didn't comply with US Statue of eligible individuals that may run for presidency.

    December 5, 2008 at 8:51 pm |
  5. Sara

    I'm actually glad the Supreme Court will hear this case. It's better to get it out of the way now than to have it looming over his head for the next 4 years.

    Annie Kate, while it's true that Obama could have been born anywhere and still be an American citizen through his mother's citizenship, the Constitution requires all Presidential candidates to be born on U.S. soil. I believe someone raised this issue against McCain as well.

    December 5, 2008 at 8:45 pm |
  6. Ronda, State College PA

    It's a little early for an April Fools story, isn't it?

    December 5, 2008 at 8:17 pm |
  7. hugh ~ california

    Clarence Thomas should be removed from the bench. This lifetime rule is a travesty–Thomas proves it! Justice in America? Not with people like Clarence Thomas in the Supreme Court.

    "Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." Mark Twain

    December 5, 2008 at 8:15 pm |
  8. Kerri Rath

    I love it, not only am I a "mutt" like Obama but I'm also a dual citizen. My Mother is also american, my father is Canadian, and I was born in Canada. I guess I'm not a 'natual born' American but I am proud to be American just the same.

    December 5, 2008 at 8:14 pm |
  9. Lisa Bates

    What a disgrace! Shame on you Clarence Thomas! You know it would just be a damn shame if we got a young, fresh BRILLIANT man to represent the United States! What Thomas should be wasting his time and American tax dollars is pondering the millions of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS who are drawing state welfare and federal medicare money!

    December 5, 2008 at 8:12 pm |
  10. Judy

    It would have helped if Obama would have been properly vetted – so we didn't have to put up with this stuff now. The Selective Service registration is also in doubt.

    Judy
    Alpharetta, GA

    December 5, 2008 at 8:08 pm |
  11. Tammy, Berwick. LA

    Well, the question needs to be settled once and for all by those who are actually qualified to interpret The Constitution (and not the armchair Obama cheerleading squad). If he isn't proven to be a naturally born citizen, he shouldn't be president. No one is above The Constitution. The fact that Justice Thomas is questioning it proves how good and fair of a justice he actually is. Once again, the system does prove itself to work.

    December 5, 2008 at 8:04 pm |
  12. yolonda spinks from memphis

    It is sickening that the Repubs would put the real "house Negros" Thomas and Alan Keyes up to do their dirty work. It is a crime and a shame. But I hope Thomas knows that this was an historic election and he is not ready to go against the American public on this one. We wont give our concession speech like Gore when he was cheated we will fight until the end. Oh Keyes is still mad because he lost to the President in the Senate race and he is thinking, "that could be me as president." I hope Keyes understands that even if he had won he would not be President not even with a landslide.

    December 5, 2008 at 8:00 pm |
  13. jim

    I believe Clarence Thomas should hear the case of Obama's citizenship. I believe it to be relevant because Obama won't produce a birth certificate. Apparently he is hiding something. Personally, I believe he was born in Kenya. I am hoping he is determined not to be a US citizen.

    December 5, 2008 at 7:59 pm |
  14. Cal-G

    As I said in a post on a related page, this is an effort by the imploded, scandal-plagued sore-loser Rethuglicans to derail a Democratic president of color. Their thinking is that by using a black man on the bench (Thomas) to push the matter through, it would appear more "fair" than if a white man (Souter) had done so. I recall reading somewhere earlier this year that Obama DID produce his birth certificate and related documents. These people will stop at nothing to derail him, test him, twist his words around, tell lies, and in the process completely undermine my country. No more of this! This is all out of the fear that the white man will lose power and importance. It's the 21st Century, it's America, and it's way past time for that power to be shared by all.

    December 5, 2008 at 7:58 pm |
  15. Larry

    Obama has never had a dna test to prove that his biological dad is the one from Kenya; its possible that his mom had relationships with other black men. Also, there is the Indonesian connection; did Barack’s mom lose her American citizenship when she married an Indonesian man as Indonesia does not recognize dual citizenship and why did young Barack attend school there under the surname of his mother’s new husband?

    December 5, 2008 at 7:57 pm |
  16. chuck

    Clarence Thomas has to be from outer space. NFG.

    December 5, 2008 at 7:54 pm |
  17. Larry

    Obama has never had a dna test to prove that his biological dad is the one from Kenya; its possible that his mom had relationships with other black men. Also, there is the Indonesian connection; did Barack's mom lose her American citizenship when she married an Indonesian man as Indonesia does not recognize dual citizenship and why did young Barack attend school there under the surname of his mother's new husband?

    There are prbably questions regarding what hospital and personnel were present.

    December 5, 2008 at 7:35 pm |
  18. Michelle

    The SCOTUS will not hear this case. Remember the 2000
    debacle?

    December 5, 2008 at 7:35 pm |
  19. D. A. Reuter, Bremerton, WA

    The person who is filing this challenge is a tad bit confused. Senator John McCain was born in Panama, President Elect Barack Obama was born on United States of America's soil in Hawaii to an American parent. Next thing, that confused person will telling that those of us who have one American parent and the other parent is from another country is not a citizen of the United States. How dare that person question our citizenship!!!

    December 5, 2008 at 7:30 pm |
  20. Patricia Lum

    This is outrageous. He was born in Hawaii in 1961, 2 years after my home state became a state. While his biological Father was from Kenya, his biological Mother was born in Kansas. He is a US citizen, naturally born. I can't believe an African American judge would want to revisit the Courts original decision.

    December 5, 2008 at 7:19 pm |
  21. Annie Kate

    Obama was born in America; even if both his parents were foreign citizens that fact alone makes him an American citizen. However, Obama's mother was an American citizen so he could have been born anywhere and still be an American citizen. The fact that his father was Kenya is not pertinent to this. The phrase "natural born citizen" from the Constitution refers to those people who become citizens by immigrating to the US and taking the citizenship tests and fulfilling the residency requirements. Its ironic because we call that naturalization!

    I don't see the point in this unless the Supreme Court just wants to meddle again. Didn't they do enough damage in 2000 without having a repeat? Obama fits the bill constitutionally and this just looks like a desperate attempt by the lunatic fringe to discredit Obama and his achievement.

    Annie Kate
    Birmingham AL

    December 5, 2008 at 7:18 pm |
  22. Cindy

    WHAT!!?

    I can not believe that this case and others are still going on! I thought for sure that once Obama won the presidency they would be dropped.

    What is Thomas thinking!? Does he want to keep this mess going and cause more problems than is necessary? Do they know what would happen in this country if by some chance they found Obama to not be a citizen!? It would be all out chaos and rioting!

    Cindy...Ga.

    December 5, 2008 at 7:12 pm |