April 25, 2011 11:30 PM UTC

11 GOP Senators Sponsor Last-Minute "Birther" Bill

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: FOX 31 reports:

11 Republican state senators have introduced a last-minute resolution that would require elected officials to provide proof of citizenship before they are sworn-in…

“The concurrent resolution requires any person elected to public office in the state of Colorado to provide proof of citizenship along with the oath of office,” the resolution states. “If an elected officer fails to file proof of citizenship, the office is deemed vacant.”

The measure appears to be Colorado’s first legislative foray into the “birther” controversy surrounding President Obama’s citizenship which has ignited the Republican base. [Pols emphasis]

Clearly, a proud moment in Colorado Republican history.

—–

Today, we got an update on how 11 Republican state senators–Sens. Kent Lambert, Bill Cadman, Scott Renfroe, Mark Scheffel, Keith and Steve King, Nancy Spence, Kevin Grantham, Ted Harvey, Mike Kopp, and Kevin Lundberg–have been spending their time as the session winds down. That is, the vast majority of the GOP Senate caucus. And yes, it’s their time, but being elected officials paid with your tax dollars, it’s kind of your time, too.

Anyway, what do you suppose Sens. Lambert,  Cadman, Renfroe, Scheffel, King and King, Spence, Grantham, Harvey, Kopp, and Lundberg think you care about right now? The deficit? Public education funding? Perhaps even “Obamacare?” If you guessed any of those, sorry!

It’s “Birther bill” time!

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 11-003

SUBMITTING TO THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE STATE OF COLORADO AN AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION CONCERNING A REQUIREMENT THAT AN ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICER PROVIDE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP BEFORE ENTERING UPON THE DUTIES OF OFFICE.

Folks, we realize that we should not be surprised to see such a manifest waste of the legislature’s time introduced, and we understand that this measure has approximately zero chance of surviving its first date with the Senate State Affairs Committee. But we have to admit that when this bill appeared in our inbox a little after noon today, we were fairly stunned by the mind-boggling political cluelessness of it. “Birther” conspiracy theories occupy an almost singular joke status around the nation tdoay, the stock and trade of fringe players who even most Republicans will not share a stage with. While not wading into the specific constitutional requirements to be president of the United States, SCR-003 would establish the range of documents an elected official can supply to “prove citizenship,” and require such proof before that official can take office. Birth certificates and “legible photocopies” qualify, though it doesn’t say if that needs to be the fabled “long form” birth certificate like Donald Trump wants to see from Barack Obama.

Not that it matters; every sponsor looks like an idiot, beyond even our ability to have predicted. Can someone, anyone, please tell us who thought this was a good bill for all but four of the Republican caucus in the Colorado state senate to sponsor? With the exception of a few “birther” crazies whose votes are not in contention, it hurts them far more than it could ever help.

We would swear at least a few know this, which makes their sponsorship even more bizarre.