Advertisers get a trove of clues in smartphones - Print Version - International Herald Tribune

Advertisers get a trove of clues in smartphones

By Stephanie Clifford

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The millions of people who use their cellphones daily to play games, download applications and browse the Web may not realize that they have an unseen companion: advertisers that can track their interests, their habits and even their location.

Smartphones, like the iPhone and BlackBerry Curve, are the latest and potentially most extensive way for advertisers to aim ads at certain consumers. Advertisers already tailor ads for small groups of consumers on the Web based on personal information. But cellphones have a much higher potential for personalized advertising, especially when they use applications like user-review sites like Yelp or Urbanspoon with GPS to identify a person's location, right down to the street corner where they are standing.

Advertisers will pay high rates for the ability to show, for example, ads for a nearby restaurant to someone leaving a Broadway show, especially when coupled with information about the gender, age, finances and interests of the consumer.

Eswar Priyadarshan, the chief technology officer of Quattro Wireless, which places advertising for clients like Sony on mobile sites, says he typically has 20 pieces of information about a customer who has visited a site or played with an application in his network. "The basic idea is, you go through all these channels, and you get as much data as possible," he said.

The capability for collecting information has alarmed privacy advocates.

"It's potentially a portable, personal spy," said Jeff Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, who will appear before Federal Trade Commission staff members this month to brief them on privacy and mobile marketing. He is particularly concerned about data breaches, advertisers' access to sensitive health or financial information, and a lack of transparency about how advertisers are collecting data. "Users are going to be inclined to say, sure, what's harmful about a click, not realizing that they've consented to give up their information."

For now, advertisers are using a wide lens to survey people's behavior on phones, aiming at people by city rather than by specific neighborhood or street.

And while they collect specifics about how someone behaves on the mobile Web — for instance, that someone bought a "Hot N Cold" ring tone after seeing an ad for it, then watched a Miley Cyrus video on TMZ.com — they use that information to categorize that person as a pop-culture fan, and then show a movie ad.

Advertisers are eager to use the information for much more specific targeting, however. An advertising system could know, for instance, that someone is 27 years old, male, a New England Patriots fan (which NFL.com can track), plays Blackjack, travels frequently between Boston and New York on weekdays (which applications using GPS can track) and uses a 3G iPhone. That would make him attractive to a host of advertisers, like the Delta Shuttle or a Las Vegas hotel, whose ads would appear while the consumer was browsing the Web on his phone.

"Everyone's in an arms race to find out more and more about their users," said Eric Bader, the managing partner of the mobile advertising firm Brand in Hand. Even application developers are handing over information about their customers to marketers. Dockers San Francisco, a brand of Levi Strauss, for instance, is beginning a campaign this week that will run on applications like iBasketball and iGolf. It will show a model wearing khakis, and the iPhone customer can shake the phone to see the model dance.

Dockers will start by tracking how long people shake the ad, and then "if it does make sense to do follow-up with these consumers, we'll do that," said Jonathan Haber, the United States director of Ignition Factory at OMD, the media agency directing the campaign. "We dig in, specifically, with these application developers and owners to get information about usage behavior."

It's not just behavior, but also data about income, or even whether you have children, that mobile advertisers consider. A company called Acuity Mobile, whose clients include the MGM Mirage and Harrah's Entertainment, lets clients use consumer data, including, potentially, income, to determine what kind of offers clients should see.

"Someone who does not spend a lot of money with your brand might get a lower-value offer, like a free dessert in Vegas, versus a free buffet" for a high roller, said Alan Sultan, the president and founder of Acuity Mobile.

Applications that use GPS can offer even more specificity, including Loopt, Yelp, Urbanspoon, Where and almost any iPhone application that shows the pop-up box saying it "would like to use your current location." Several firms are experimenting with a program called AisleCaster that can offer specials based on a person's exact location in a supermarket aisle or mall.

Advertising systems can track not only the location of the phone, but also that person's travel pattern: uptown New York to Nob Hill in San Francisco, for instance.

For now, systems like Quattro are using broad city-level categories while trying to sell to advertisers like Amtrak. "You don't want to necessarily go down to location-level stuff like specific street corners, because it wanders over into really creeping out the user privacy-wise," Priyadarshan said.

For now, there are not enough people using smartphones to make it worthwhile for advertisers to use highly specific criteria. But as more people switch to smartphones, that will happen more frequently. The smartphone market in North America increased 69 percent in 2008, according to the research firm Gartner. Google, Palm and BlackBerry are all introducing their own application stores. Despite the amount of data in the market, as long as advertisers don't use personally identifiable information, there is no current regulation or law that governs how closely advertisers and application developers can track mobile phone users. Opting out of mobile targeted advertising is difficult, and that's assuming consumers are even aware how closely they are being tracked.

"I didn't know they were doing that, although I'm not surprised to hear it," said Jordan Penn, 32, an affordable-housing developer in San Diego who has downloaded about 12 apps to his iPhone. "It doesn't really concern me any more than all of the other tracking that goes on when you access the Internet." Paul Schwartz, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and an information privacy law expert, said tracking by advertisers was problematic. "People should be allowed to trade most kinds of information for value as long as the terms are fair," he said. "They're not fair now."

Mike Wehrs, the chief executive of the Mobile Marketing Association, said the trade group was updating some of its self-regulatory principles, for example, suggesting that applications e-mail their privacy policies to subscribers rather than asking them to read a policy on the small mobile screen. "I agree there's more that can be done," he said. "One thing about mobile, it's an amazingly fast-moving industry."

Alan Keyes launches 'Liberty' blog

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=90951 Monday, March 09, 2009 WorldNetDaily Exclusive Alan Keyes launches 'Liberty' blog Warns of 'Obama's push to make U.S. Soviet-style state' Posted: March 07, 2009 12:20 am Eastern By Drew Zahn WorldNetDaily Alan Keyes Alan Keyes, a 2008 presidential candidate who now is a plaintiff in one of the many lawsuits seeking to verify whether Barack Obama qualifies under the U.S. Constitution's requirements to occupy the Oval Office, has launched a new blog website where, according to the site, "faith gives reason for citizen action." "Given Obama's push to overturn constitutional government and make the U.S. a Soviet-style state," Keyes told WND, "I think it's more important than ever that those of us who believe in liberty deliberate and work together." Keyes' new Loyal to Liberty site includes a variety of blog posts, comment boards, polls, podcasts and even Twitter updates. Keyes also announced his intention to update the site daily with views and comments on current events, including plans to serialize longer works that may be published later as books or pamphlets. (Story continues below) Never one to mince words, Keyes made headlines recently by calling President Obama a "radical communist" and suggesting "we are either going to stop him or the United States of America is going to cease to exist." On Loyal to Liberty, Keyes explains in more detail. As part of a post called "Obama's a communist: Why is it name calling?" Keyes explains that "communism" is simply an accurate descriptive term of policies, but after years of watching it fail in the Soviet Union, those to whom the term fits would rather not be associated with communist history. "The enemies of freedom do their best to limit or eliminate words that interfere with their design for despotism," Keyes writes. "They especially seek to stigmatize and discourage the use of words freighted with the sad and tragic history of tyranny and dictatorship. That's why the use of the word 'communist' to describe Barack Obama has aroused such furious diatribe and aspersion." Keyes continues, however, by alluding to the saying: "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck." "It's easy to understand," Keyes writes, "why folks who are looking, waddling and quacking like communists would rather we called them messiahs." Keyes then follows with a list of 15 ways in which he suggests Obama has been "quacking" like a communist. Other recent posts include a theological series on the foundation of society, criticism of the two-party system and the Republican Party and thoughts on the federal "stimulus" package. As WND has reported, Keyes has brought one of the nation's many legal challenges that have alleged Obama does not meet the "natural born citizen" clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, which reads, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President." Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 300,000 others and sign up now! Some claim Obama was not born in Hawaii, as he insists, but in Kenya. Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time. Other challenges have focused on Obama's citizenship through his father, a Kenyan subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of his birth, thus making him a dual citizen. The cases contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born. The Keyes case is being handled largely by Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation. Others playing a key role in the legal actions include Orly Taitz of California and Philip Berg, both of whom already have had their arguments rejected as not worthy of hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court. Here is a partial listing and status update for some of the cases over Obama's eligibility: New Jersey attorney Mario Apuzzo has filed a case on behalf of Charles Kerchner and others alleging Congress didn't properly ascertain that Obama is qualified to hold the office of president. Philip J. Berg, a Pennsylvania Democrat, demanded that the courts verify Obama's original birth certificate and other documents proving his American citizenship. Berg's latest appeal, requesting an injunction to stop the Electoral College from selecting the 44th president, was denied. Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing. Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing. Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support. Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe. Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied. In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied. In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied. In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter. California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters. In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include: In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed. In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed. In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade. In Washington, L. Charles vs. Obama. In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed. WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions. The governor's office in Hawaii said there is a valid certificate but rejected requests for access and left ambiguous its origin: Does the certificate on file with the Department of Health indicate a Hawaii birth or was it generated after the Obama family registered a Kenyan birth in Hawaii, which the state's procedures allowed at the time? Related offers: Sign the petition Get "The Audacity of Deceit," and learn about the looming hostile attack on Judeo-Christian values and freedoms Americans hold dear Will Obama bring the end of prosperity? How higher taxes will doom the economy – if we let it happen Look who's seething over anti-Nazi warning! Comparisons between Nazi leader, Obama draws strong reaction Whistleblower magazine's "THE SECRET LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA" Previous stories: Alan Keyes: Stop Obama or U.S. will cease to exist Keyes: President 'has something to hide' about eligibility 'Sanctions' sought in eligibility case State lawmakers: Prove you're president, Mr. Obama Congress sued to remove prez from White House More challenges fail in Supreme Court Supreme Court refuses 2nd challenge to eligibility Status report: The eligibility issue Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote Join exploding demand for citizenship documentation Electors challenged to investigate birth dispute Last few hours to FedEx Electoral College voters Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote Eligibility question? FedEx Electoral College members Not even Supreme Court can kill citizenship dispute Supreme Court denies citizenship challenge More than 60,000 letters sent to U.S. Supreme Court Petition to see the birth certificate Will Supremes review citizenship arguments? Imaging guru: 'Certification' of birth time, location is fake Chasm dividing Americans over birth certificate widens WND launches new forum on Obama's eligibility Supremes to review citizenship arguments 'Constitutional crisis' looming over Obama's birth location Obama camp: Lawsuits by citizens are 'garbage' Will Supreme Court have say in presidency?

BLANKLEY: Obama lied; the economy died

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

BLANKLEY: Obama lied; the economy died

Tony Blankley

OP-ED:

I am trying to capture the spirit of bipartisanship as practiced by the Democratic Party over the last eight years.

Thus, I have chosen as my lead, the proposition: Obama lied; the economy died. Obviously, I am borrowing this from the Democratic Party theme of 2003-08: "Bush lied, people died." There are, of course, two differences between the two slogans.

Most importantly, I chose to separate the two clauses with a semicolon rather than a comma because the rule of grammar is that a semicolon rather than a comma) should be used between closely related independent clauses not conjoined with a coordinating conjunction. In the age of Barack Obama, there is little more important than maintaining the integrity of our language - against the onslaught of Orwellian language abuse that is already a babbling brook, and will soon be a cataract of verbal deception.

The other difference is that George W. Bush didn't lie about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He was merely mistaken. Whereas President Obama told a whopper last week when he claimed he was not for bigger government. As he said Tuesday night: "As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by President's Day that would put people back to work and put money in their pockets. Not because I believe in bigger government - I don't."

This he asserted though the budget he proposed the next day asks for federal spending as 28 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), higher by at least 6 percent than any time since World War II. Moreover, after 10 years, Mr. Obama's proposed spending as a percentage of GDP would still be 22.6 percent, nearly 2 percentage points higher than any year during the Bush administration, despite the full costs of the terrorist attacks of Sept, 11, 2001, the Iraq and Afghan wars and the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Consider also his assertion in his not-quite-State of the Union address that:

"My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs. As you can imagine, this is a process that will take some time. But we're starting with the biggest lines. We have already identified $2 trillion in savings over the next decade."

But, lamentably, a few days later, The Washington Post reported: "A senior administration official acknowledged yesterday that the budget does not contain $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade. Instead, the figure represents Obama's total efforts at deficit reduction, including tax hikes [of more than $1 trillion] on families making over $250,000 a year. It also includes hundreds of billions of dollars 'saved' by not continuing to spend $170 billion a year in Iraq."

Only a big government man would think of calling a trillion-dollar tax increase a spending cut or "saving." Technically, of course, it is true. A trillion-dollar tax increase will reduce spending by a trillion dollars for those private citizens who were taxed. And, from the perspective of the federal government, a trillion dollars taxed is a trillion dollars saved from the greed of the taxpayers who produced the wealth - and might well want to spend or invest it in non governmental activities.

But the foregoing are merely pettifogging numbers compared to Mr. Obama's bigger ideas about energy and health care.

Our president shares a fascinating idea about energy with most of what used to be known as the "small is beautiful" crowd. It is a curious phenomenon that one needs a very big government to enforce the beauty of small.

As Mr. Obama's energy secretary, Steven Chu, said last year: The price of electricity in America is "anomalously low." You see how much smarter that Nobel prize winner is than you. You probably thought you were already spending enough on electricity and fuel.

And sure enough, Mr. Obama explained last week that in order to make alternative energy sources wind, solar - perhaps eventually human muscle power? - economically competitive, he intends to raise the price of carbon-based energy until it is so expensive that even solar power will be such-a-deal.

This level of destructive irrationality cannot be accomplished in the private sector. It will take a very big government indeed to bring such inanities into being. (disclosure: being rational, I give professional advice to carbon-based energy producers.)

If President Obama were to try to misrepresent his positions for the next four years, there would be nothing he could say that would approach the inaccuracy of his claim last week that he is not for big government. It is the essence of the man and his presidency. He doesn't like America the way it has been since its founding - and it will take an abusively big government to realize his dreams of converting America into something quite different. If you don't know that, you don't yet know Barack Obama.

Tony Blankley is the author of "American Grit: What It Will Take To Survive and Win in the 21st Century" and vice president of the Edelman public-relations firm in Washington

More military officers demand eligibility proof

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=90574 Tuesday, March 03, 2009 OBAMA WATCH CENTRAL WorldNetDaily Exclusive More military officers demand eligibility proof Plaintiff: 'In the worst case … it's going to be revolution in the streets' Posted: March 02, 2009 8:18 pm Eastern By Bob Unruh WorldNetDaily Military officers from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are working with California attorney Orly Taitz and her Defend Our Freedoms Foundation, citing a legal right established in British common law nearly 800 years ago and recognized by the U.S. Founding Fathers to demand documentation that may prove – or disprove – Barack Obama's eligibility to be president. Taitz told WND today she has mailed to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder a request that he "relate Quo Warranto on Barack Hussein Obama II to test his title to president before the Supreme Court." The lengthy legal phrase essentially means an explanation is being demanded for what authority Obama is using to act as president. An online constitutional resource says Quo Warranto "affords the only judicial remedy for violations of the Constitution by public officials and agents." Requesting the action are Maj. Gen. Carroll Childers; Lt. Col. Dr. David Earl-Graef; police officer Clinton Grimes, formerly of the U.S. Navy; Lt. Scott Easterling, now serving on active duty in Iraq; New Hampshire state Rep. Timothy Comerford; Tennessee state Rep. Frank Nicely and others. (Story continues below) "As president-elect, Respondent Obama failed to submit prima facie evidence of his qualifications before January 20, 2009. Election officers failed to challenge, validate or evaluate his qualifications. Relators submit that as president elect, Respondent Obama failed [tO] qualify per U.S. CONST. Amend. XX [paragraph] 3," the document said. John Eidsmoe, an expert on the U.S. Constitution now working with the Foundation on Moral Law, an organization founded by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore after he was removed from office for formally recognizing the Ten Commandments' influence in the U.S., said the demand is a legitimate course of action. "She basically is asking, 'By what authority' is Obama president," he told WND. "In other words, 'I want you to tell me by what authority. I don't really think you should hold the office.' "She probably has some very good arguments to make," Eidsmoe said. The letter, dispatched to Holder today, is the latest development in the quest by a multitude of lawyers and plaintiffs nationwide for documentation that Obama qualifies to be president under the requirements of the U.S. Constitution. WND has reported on dozens of legal challenges to Obama's status as a "natural born citizen." The Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President." Some of the lawsuits question whether he was actually born in Hawaii, as he insists. If he was born out of the country, Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time. Other challenges have focused on Obama's citizenship through his father, a Kenyan subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of his birth, thus making him a dual citizen. The cases contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born. Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 300,000 others and sign up now! Several of the cases have involved emergency appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court in which justices have declined even to hear arguments. Among the cases turned down without a hearing at the high court have been petitions by Philip Berg, Cort Wrotnowski, Leo Donofrio and Taitz. Taitz' plaintiffs, some of whom potentially face life-or-death situations in defense of the U.S. Constitution on a daily basis, note that information on Quo Warranto against a federal officer normally is related to the attorney general. But since Holder is an Obama friend and appointee, they are asking for the appointment of a special prosecutor to help in presenting documentation to the Supreme Court. "This information on Quo Warranto includes action between the United States ex rel. and the State of Hawaii over original birth records of Barack H. Obama II being withheld per Hawaii's privacy laws. Hawaii's action obstructs the constitutional duties of election officers to validate or evaluate President Elect Obama qualifications to become President under U.S. CONST. art. II § 1, and amend. XX § 3," the document said. Eidsmoe said it's clear that Obama has something in the documentation of his history, including his birth certificate, college records and other documents, "he does not want the public to know." What else could be the reason for his hiring law firms across the nation to fight any request for information as basic as his Occidental College records from the early 1980s, he asked. A separate lawsuit has sought the documents to find out whether they indicate Obama, possibly under the name Barry Soetero, attended the college on aid for foreign students. Obama's critics warn of the impending constitutional crisis should it be discovered Obama is ineligible and the resulting chaos of trying to figure out what, if any, of his executive branch orders, should be valid. According to the online Constitution.org resource: "The common law writ of quo warranto has been suppressed at the federal level in the United States, and deprecated at the state level, but remains a right under the Ninth Amendment which was understood and presumed by the Founders, and which affords the only judicial remedy for violations of the Constitution by public officials and agents." Taitz told WND the "relators" include members of the Army, Air Force, Marines and Army and feature recipients of some of the highest honors the nation awards, including the Purple Heart. One is Harry Riley, a veteran military officer who spent part of his career in the Pentagon. Riley said the issue is basically over whether Americans will allow "the trashing" of their Constitution. "Myself, along with hundreds of thousands of other warriors, have fought for the U.S. Constitution. The whole issue is one of constitutional crisis, in my judgment. How can an individual become the commander-in-chief, or the president of the U.S., with questions regarding his constitutional qualifications?" he asked. "The whole idea is that America cannot allow an individual to serve as president who isn't qualified. It destroys our Constitution. It's the bedrock of our nation," he said. "In the worst case, in the long run, if he continues [to fight revealing his documentation,] it's going to be revolution in the streets," he warned. "It's simply a matter of producing a $12 birth certificate," Riley said. "It's just mindboggling to think an individual who's been sworn in as the president of the United States would be so small and be such a hypocrite who would be unwilling to simply show a birth certificate," Riley said. Taitz told WND she has assembled a list of about 100 names of people – so far – who are willing to be plaintiffs in such a demand. Childers told WND he'd be perfectly happy if Obama is legitimate, but the truth still matters. "I personally admire many things about him," he said. "But if he's not legitimate, if he's allowed to violate the Constitution, what else are they going to violate? Take my guns, and my television, telephone? What's the limit?" Taitz told WND she's asking for the appointment of a special prosecutor, such as the role Archibald Cox played in investigating Watergate. According to author Chester Antieau in his "The Practice of Extraordinary Remedies," Quo Warranto is one of the oldest rights in common law. "The earliest case on record appears in the 9th year of Richard I, 1198," he wrote. "The statute of 9 Anne c. 20 in 1710 authorized a proper officer of a court, with leave of the court, to exhibit an information in the nature of quo warranto, at the 'relation' of any person desiring to prosecute the same – to be called the relator. Early American statutes were modeled after the Statute of Anne and, indeed, the statute has often been ruled to be part of the common law we inherited from England." Antieau noted the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled, "Quo warranto is addressed to preventing a continued exercise of authority unlawfully asserted, rather than to correct what has already been done. ..." Its first recognized purpose, he said, is "to determine the title of persons claiming possession of public offices and to oust them if they are found to be usurpers." Among those who are subject to its demands, under court precedent, are chief executives in other U.S. governmental positions, including governors and sheriffs. As WND has reported on several occasions, none of the so-called "evidence" of Obama's constitutional eligibility produced thus far is beyond reasonable doubt nor as iron-clad as simply producing an authentic birth certificate, something Americans are required to do regularly but the president still refuses to do. As Jerome Corsi, WND senior staff writer, explained, "The main reason doubts persist regarding Obama's birth certificate is this question: If an original Hawaii-doctor-generated and Hawaii-hospital-released Obama birth certificate exists, why wouldn't the senator and his campaign simply order the document released and end the controversy? "That Obama has not ordered Hawaii officials to release the document," Corsi writes, "leaves doubts as to whether an authentic Hawaii birth certificate exists for Obama." Although Obama officials have told WND all such allegations are "garbage," here is a partial listing and status update for some of the cases over Obama's eligibility: New Jersey attorney Mario Apuzzo has filed a case on behalf of Charles Kerchner and others alleging Congress didn't properly ascertain that Obama is qualified to hold the office of president. Pennsylvania Democrat Philip Berg has three cases pending, including Berg vs. Obama in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a separate Berg vs. Obama which is under seal at the U.S. District Court level and Hollister vs. Soetoro a/k/a Obama, brought on behalf of a retired military member who could be facing recall to active duty by Obama. Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing. Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing. Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support. Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe. Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied. In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied. Also in Ohio, there was the Greenberg v. Brunner case which ended when the judge threatened to assess all case costs against the plaintiff. In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied. In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter. California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters. In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include: In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed. In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed. In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade. In Washington, L. Charles Cohen vs. Obama. In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed. Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions, the biggest being why, if there exists documentation of Obama's eligibility, hasn't it been released to quell the rumors. Instead, a series of law firms have been hired on Obama's behalf around the nation to prevent any public access to his birth certificate, passport records, college records and other documents. If you'd like to sound off on this issue, please take part in the WorldNetDaily poll. Related offers: Sign the petition Get "The Audacity of Deceit," and learn about the looming hostile attack on Judeo-Christian values and freedoms Americans hold dear Will Obama bring the end of prosperity? How higher taxes will doom the economy – if we let it happen Look who's seething over anti-Nazi warning! Comparisons between Nazi leader, Obama draws strong reaction Whistleblower magazine's "THE SECRET LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA" Previous stories: Obama eligibility tops AOL News California used to check prez candidates' eligibility Major General says president's eligibility needs proof Eligibility lawyer argues for president's deportation 2nd U.S. soldier in Iraq challenges eligibility Soldier questions eligibility, doubts president's authority Senator questions Obama eligibility Alan Keyes: Stop Obama or U.S. will cease to exist Keyes: President 'has something to hide' about eligibility 'Sanctions' sought in eligibility case State lawmakers: Prove you're president, Mr. Obama Congress sued to remove prez from White House More challenges fail in Supreme Court Supreme Court refuses 2nd challenge to eligibility Status report: The eligibility issue Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote Join exploding demand for citizenship documentation Electors challenged to investigate birth dispute Last few hours to FedEx Electoral College voters Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote Eligibility question? FedEx Electoral College members Not even Supreme Court can kill citizenship dispute Supreme Court denies citizenship challenge More than 60,000 letters sent to U.S. Supreme Court Petition to see the birth certificate Will Supremes review citizenship arguments? Imaging guru: 'Certification' of birth time, location is fake Chasm dividing Americans over birth certificate widens WND launches new forum on Obama's eligibility Supremes to review citizenship arguments 'Constitutional crisis' looming over Obama's birth location Obama camp: Lawsuits by citizens are 'garbage' Will Supreme Court have say in presidency?

IT'S ON - John and Ken 2009 Tax Revolt

REVOLT, RECALL AND REPEAL! The John and Ken 2009 Tax Revolt is on! Make your voice heard! Join John and Ken: Saturday March 7, 2009 3-6PM Doors open at 3PM, Live Broadcast 4-6PM The Slidebar Cafe 122 E Commonwealth Ave Fullerton CA 92832 714 871-2233 Located in the Fullerton Transportation Center Plenty of free parking Take your car, take the train or take the bus. Just come! Listen today for the official announcement.

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Where's The Water?

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Soldier doubts eligibility, defies president's orders

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=89837 Tuesday, February 24, 2009 OBAMA WATCH CENTRAL WorldNetDaily Exclusive Soldier doubts eligibility, defies president's orders 'As an officer, my sworn oath to support and defend our Constitution requires this' Posted: February 23, 2009 9:35 pm Eastern By Bob Unruh WorldNetDaily Soldier Scott Easterling A U.S. soldier on active duty in Iraq has called President Obama an "impostor" in a statement in which he affirmed plans to join as plaintiff in a challenge to Obama's eligibility to be commander in chief. The statement was publicized by California attorney Orly Taitz who, along with her Defend Our Freedom Foundation, is working on a series of legal cases seeking to uncover Obama's birth records and other documents that would reveal whether he meets the requirements of the U.S. Constitution. "As an active-duty officer in the United States Army, I have grave concerns about the constitutional eligibility of Barack Hussein Obama to hold the office of president of the United States," wrote Scott Easterling in a "to-whom-it-may-concern" letter. (Story continues below) Obama "has absolutely refused to provide to the American public his original birth certificate, as well as other documents which may prove or disprove his eligibility," Easterling wrote. "In fact, he has fought every attempt made by concerned citizens in their effort to force him to do so." Taitz told WND she had advised Easterling to obtain legal counsel before making any statements regarding the commander-in-chief, but he insisted on moving forward. His contention is that as an active member of the U.S. military, he is required to follow orders from a sitting president, and he needs – on pain of court-martial – to know that Obama is eligible. Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 250,000 others and sign up now! Taitz said other legal cases questioning Obama's eligibility filed by members of the military mostly have included retired officers, and courts several times have ruled they don't have standing to issue their challenge. Easterling, however, is subject to enemy fire and certainly would have a reason to need to know the legitimacy of his orders, she argued. "Until Mr. Obama releases a 'vault copy' of his original birth certificate for public review, I will consider him neither my Commander in Chief nor my President, but rather, a usurper to the Office – an impostor," his statement said. Easterling said he joined the Army at age 40 after working in Iraq as a contractor. "I chose to work … to support my troops and then left that lucrative position when the Army raised its maximum enlistment age to 40. Upon completion of basic training, I entered Officer Candidate School and commissioned as a 2LT in August 2007. After completing the subsequent basic officer leadership courses, I was assigned to Ft. Knox and shortly thereafter deployed to Balad, Iraq," he wrote. "I implore all service-members and citizens to contact their senators and representatives and demand that they require Mr. Obama prove his eligibility. Our Constitution and our great nation must not be allowed to be disgraced," he wrote. Taitz said Easterling is among the plaintiffs she is assembling for a new legal action over Obama's eligibility. Others include a list of state lawmakers who also would be required in their official position to follow orders of the president. "My conviction is such that I am compelled to join Dr. Orly Taitz's lawsuit, as a plaintiff, against Mr. Obama. As a citizen, it pains me to do this, but as an officer, my sworn oath to support and defend our Constitution requires this action," he said. Easterling was "saluted" in a forum on Taitz' website. "Lt. Easterling, As a retired US Army SFC, I salute you sir as a true American patriot and hero! Thank you for your unselfish service to our country. It is rare to find someone today with such moral courage to do the right thing regardless of repercussions," said one contributor. Said another, "For your voluntary service to our country, we owe you a debt we can never pay." As WND reported yesterday, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said during a meeting with constituents in Cullman County he has never seen proof the new president was born in Hawaii. "Well, his father was Kenyan and they said he was born in Hawaii, but I haven't seen any birth certificate," Shelby said. "You have to be born in America to be president." Shelby's office later stated the senator is confident of Obama's vetting process, although it did not elaborate. WND has reported on multiple legal challenges to Obama's status as a "natural born citizen." The Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President." Some of the lawsuits question whether he was actually born in Hawaii, as he insists. If he was born out of the country, Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time. Other challenges have focused on Obama's citizenship through his father, a Kenyan subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of his birth, thus making him a dual citizen. The cases contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born. Here is a partial listing and status update for some of the cases over Obama's eligibility: New Jersey attorney Mario Apuzzo has filed a case on behalf of Charles Kerchner and others alleging Congress didn't properly ascertain that Obama is qualified to hold the office of president. Philip J. Berg, a Pennsylvania Democrat, demanded that the courts verify Obama's original birth certificate and other documents proving his American citizenship. Berg's latest appeal, requesting an injunction to stop the Electoral College from selecting the 44th president, was denied. Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing. Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing. Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support. Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe. Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied. In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied. In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied. In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter. California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters. In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include: In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed. In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed. In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade. In Washington, L. Charles Cohen vs. Obama. In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed. WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions. Related offers: Sign the petition Get "The Audacity of Deceit," and learn about the looming hostile attack on Judeo-Christian values and freedoms Americans hold dear Will Obama bring the end of prosperity? How higher taxes will doom the economy – if we let it happen Look who's seething over anti-Nazi warning! Comparisons between Nazi leader, Obama draws strong reaction Whistleblower magazine's "THE SECRET LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA" Related story: Eligibility petition hits quarter-million mark Previous stories: Senator questions Obama eligibility Alan Keyes: Stop Obama or U.S. will cease to exist Keyes: President 'has something to hide' about eligibility 'Sanctions' sought in eligibility case State lawmakers: Prove you're president, Mr. Obama Congress sued to remove prez from White House More challenges fail in Supreme Court Supreme Court refuses 2nd challenge to eligibility Status report: The eligibility issue Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote Join exploding demand for citizenship documentation Electors challenged to investigate birth dispute Last few hours to FedEx Electoral College voters Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote Eligibility question? FedEx Electoral College members Not even Supreme Court can kill citizenship dispute Supreme Court denies citizenship challenge More than 60,000 letters sent to U.S. Supreme Court Petition to see the birth certificate Will Supremes review citizenship arguments? Imaging guru: 'Certification' of birth time, location is fake Chasm dividing Americans over birth certificate widens WND launches new forum on Obama's eligibility Supremes to review citizenship arguments 'Constitutional crisis' looming over Obama's birth location Obama camp: Lawsuits by citizens are 'garbage' Will Supreme Court have say in presidency?