Lt. Scott Easterling has entered a novel fight while serving in Iraq: he is suing President Barack Obama. Easterling is calling the President an “impostor” and challenging his right to issue commands while his birth status is in question. It is one of a series of lawsuit challenging the right of the President to serve on the basis of his birth status. It appears that he could be joined by Senator Richard Shelby in the litigation. Shelby has refused to accept Obama citizenship until he sees a birth certificate.
Easterling is supporting challenges filed by California attorney Orly Taitz and her Defend Our Freedom Foundation. He issued a statement: “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.
The statement will raise an interesting question for an active soldier. It appears that Lt. Easterling is still following orders and he does have a right to file a lawsuit. However, calling the Commander-in-Chief an “impostor” in an out-of-court statement could be the grounds for discipline under the military code. Here is the statement that he released to the public:
To Any and All Interested Parties,
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. He 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. In fact, he has fought every attempt made by concerned citizens in their effort to force him to do so.
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.
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 Offficer, my sworn oath to support and defend our Constitution requires this action.
I joined the Army at age 40, after working in Iraq as a contractor with KBR in ‘05/’06. I chose to work with KBR to support my troops and then left that lucrative position when the Army raised it’s 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 therafter deployed to Balad, Iraq. I was promoted to 1LT on Feb. 2, 2009 and I have approximately five months remaining of our fifteen month deployment.
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.
Very Respectfull,
Scott R. Easterling
1LT OD/LG
United States Army
[Update: Now a second soldier has reportedly joined Easterling in his challenge to the President’s legitimacy.
The case may follow the same course as the court martial of Lt. Ehren Watada for his public comments against the Iraq war. His case led to some novel appeals and a mistrial. 
Hawaii does in fact have a law authorizing issuance of birth certificates for children born out of state, if the parents show they were legal residentt of Hawaii. But it did not issue such a form for Obama.
Obama’s form expressly shows that his place of birth is Hawaii. So it is not a certificate for someone born elsewhere. It does not show a birth elsewhere. Such a form might enable the holder to get a driver’s license in Hawaii and a passport from the State Department. It would not show that the place of birth was in Hawaii, because that would be a fraud on a public document, and no state allows that. (This stutute was enacted long after the Sun forgery, and had nothing to do with that incident).
Hawaii did not issue such a certificate of out of state birth for Obama. It issued a certificate showing that he was born in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. It is signed by a state official. It has a raised seal. It is authentic, not a forgery. It confirms a contempory newspaper annoucement of his birth in Hawaii.
Obama was born in the State of Hawaii of the United States, is a natural born citzen of the United States, and is the President of the United States.
And further more,
blah blah blah,
Vince already trashed anything you have to say. So go on, escalate an attack on me. That has historically worked so well for your lot.
Oh, what, now I’m supposed to be scared! lol. Now who’s getting angry?
Well, just because you’re incapable of recognizing bullshit from shinola, sport, that’d be your problem.
And I’m not angry at all. I think you’re a fool toting a propaganda line. Why would your failing make me angry? Duh.
As far as reasonable goes and your assessment of it, well, one has to be reasonable to define it. Your unreasonable refusal to accept that this point has been resolved and not in your favor is the only unreasonableness going on here.
Everyone reading this of fine conscience and regardless of what side you see in this manner, or are trying to wade through the multiplicity of words — please consider what “Buddha is Laughing” is doing.
Again, he calls me a troll. So that makes 3 posts where he refuses to address the facts that I present.
It’s somewhat sad that in this day and age people resort to personal attacks when they have no real argument.
Again, point out what I have said that is untrue. Your inability to do so betrays you … a third time. Wanna go for 4?
Vince Treacy did not post quality work from what I just read over at your link.
My statements are all in the light, Buddha. I put them out there to be tested. The truthful basis for what I have posted can be checked, that is put up to light; test what I have brought up.
A relative of mine brought an ID to the DMV at the state of California. He desired to get a drivers license there. Guess what they told him? UNLESS YOU BRING your original birth certificate, you get no drivers license.
So let me get this straight — my no-name cousin is held to a higher standard than the President of the United States?
If he is truly born in the United States, then he has nothing to lose by showing his original birth certificate. But Buddha, he won’t do it. Nor will he release ANY college record, health record, or law record.
I think it is Obama who is unreasonable. He is a “servant of the people” yet he will not allow for what you call “direct focus”, now will he?
You just betrayed yourself by your own words. Direct focus exposes the President because he knows why he won’t show. You are angry at me for pointing this out. Curious that you betray yourself twice in this manner.
You’re a higher quality troll, I’ll stipulate that, but you’re still a troll. It was denied cert. Take it up the the Supremes since you seem so complacent to let them APPOINT a President who suits your agenda.
Shadow,
I pointed you to all the answer you deserve.
And don’t try to dictate my behavior. That usually backfires.
What’s the first hint someone has no true basis? Ad hominem attack. Precisely what Buddha is Laughing did here.
Then we get something that wreeks of partisanship: A Bush appeal and addressing of entirely a different argument. Another distractor. This isn’t about anybody but Obama. So, please point out anything unfactual that I have stated, or quit wasting everyone’s time here.
This is for intelligent thought, and if you disagree, please point it out. Otherwise, understand that everything I have said is factual and verifiable. So let’s move on to productive discourse, not slander.
Shadow,
What an appropriate nick for someone without substance. There is no need to take your nonsense to task. Quantity of words do make the quality of the words.
http://jonathanturley.org/2008/12/04/eligibility-questions-can-clinton-serve-obama-and-can-obama-serve-the-country/#comment-41407
Read Vince Treacy’s posts. There is an example of quality work – the highest quality. Quality analysis is like a flashlight. It may create a shadow, but under direct focus, it can kill a shadow too. Lamont Cranston wouldn’t be pleased by a weak impostor’s effort to hide agenda and vendetta behind verbiage.
Obama is the President and he is with considerably more authority than Bush was since he was actually elected and not appointed. The continued attack of the trollish against his citizenship doesn’t smell of righteousness, but reeks instead of desperation and fear. There are plenty of issues to take him to task over, but this isn’t one of them unless you just like being wrong.
Period.
To Mr. Spindell and all of the others that have tried to malign this case in ways other than the facts:
I have been following this case for a while. I am neither Republican nor Democrat, believe what you will. I am just here to present the facts of the case to you.
First off, if a birth certificate were to surface from Kenya, where [what you would call] the “kooky” plaintiffs allege, would you believe it? Why or why not? The way I see it, a COLB, which is not official, is absolutely no different (more info on this to come in the FACTS section of my post here). In fact, a COLB is a front document for the original. So there would be every reason to believe that it may be forged in the same manner that (if you already have made up your mind about things) a Kenyan BC would be forged. Ok? Please follow with me for a bit.
What do we KNOW? Obama has an original birth certificate from the state of Hawaii. Dr. Fukino said this AND “it is in accordance with state policies and procedures” on Oct. 31 2008. That’s it.
What is one of Hawaii’s state policies and procedures? None other than statute 338.17, which you can view right here:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/vol06_ch0321-0344/HRS0338/HRS_0338-0017_0008.HTM
So it is appears to be possible and certainly a tradition of Hawaii’s, to give original birth certificates to people NOT born in their state. If you think this is crazy, I have an example of someone that in fact has gotten a BC not being born in HI. Sun Yat-Sen, a revolutionary born in China, received an original from the state of Hawaii. Look him up.
Now, given this information, how is it that a “reasonable” person would be pleased by just a COLB? This man is running, and already is, President of the United States. Yet given the above and much more skepticism of his history, including a non American father and world travels over much of his life, it is unreasonable to conclude that this is possible?
Since he won’t offer up his original, which Fukino says exists, it seems to me it is unreasonable to think he is acting in any way reasonable to trust, hope, change, etc. what he has paraded as his true priorities. He is currently the most powerful man in the world! Yet, he’s hiding nothing, except his real birth certificate, that which is required by the Constitution to be President.
No one to this day has given me one good reason why he shouldn’t show. There’s no real privacy issue. All that is on said document is length, weight, birth, medical center, OB, etc. Not showing anything, given every other president in recent history has in fact done these things, is unreasonable.
McCain, Bush, Clinton … these men showed their college records, birth certificates. There is NOT ONE record of Barack Obama’s that is not sealed — you name it: medical, college, birth certificate.
The fact is that no one checks the qualifications of candidates. I have done extensive research. The FBI denies vetting anyone. The Libertarian Party said no one ever asked about Bob Barr.
The senate voted 19-0 that McCain was qualified. They never even asked if Obama was qualified, and his detail are far sketchier. Why? Everything is sealed, and people were scared of the repercussions, political and image-wise, to confront something they realized would REALLY be sacrificial and cause a tremendous amount of energy and fight.
Everything I have said here is verifiable. Check it all. These are the FACTS. Here’s my opinion:
The president by not showing is tacitly showing himself to be a fraud. There is no other explanation. Examine the facts. This is not personal, it is indeed about defending the Constitution. Period.
Mespo:
no worries kind of hard not to since my rapier wit is known only but to me.
Did I show Publius’s absurdity or just my own?
Bron98:
Oops, sorry I missed the tongue in cheek.
Mespo:
I was joking to show how absurd Publius was being.
I wonder what Jefferson would have done to Scalia & cadre for issuing the Stay of December 9, 2000.
bron98:
“I assumed you knew that Churchill had an abiding hatred for all things German and used the war as an excuse to commit genocide.”
**********
Not to. The great Prime Minster clearly said:
“I hate nobody except Hitler — and that is professional.”
–Churchill to John Colville during WWII, quoted by Colville in his book The Churchillians (1981)
mespo is correctly quoting Thomas Jefferson.
I’m just trying to understand him.
xxxx
Mespo:
I assumed you knew that Churchill had an abiding hatred for all things German and used the war as an excuse to commit genocide.
You can see it in his writings, he just dosent know what to make of the Hun.
Publius:
“I note that your essay at 8:39 pm did not mention his position on mandatory deportation, nor his flogging of a escapee. So I have a right to balance you presentation.”
*****************
I didn’t mention Jefferson’s lisp or his awkward body language either. Nor did I dispute your assertions about these matters. Qui tacet consentit.
Churchill ordered the fire bombing of Dresden after the War was essentially won. Would you dispute his stature too for an act that makes Jefferson’s appear to be a slap on the wrist?