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Commonwealth Court rejects effort to keep Obama off primary ballot
Philadelphia Inquirer
Chris Brennan
3/19/2012
Excerpt:
"Pennsylvania "birthers" are 0-for-3 in their efforts to knock President Obama off the April 24 Democratic primary election ballot after a ruling in Commonwealth Court on Friday.
Philip Berg, a Lafayette Hill lawyer who previously tried to take his claims about Obama's citizenship to the U.S. Supreme Court, lost his ballot challenge, which Commonwealth Court rejected at the request of John Lavelle Jr., Pennsylvania counsel for Obama for America.
The court, in a two-page order, said ballot challenges can be based on the authenticity of signatures on nominating petitions, the affidavits of the people who circulated those petitions, or the affidavits candidates file about their financial interests.
"The sole basis for the objection is [Berg's] contention that President Obama is not a 'natural-born citizen' eligible for the office of president of the United States under the United States Constitution," the ruling said, adding that Commonwealth Court does not have the jurisdiction to rule on Berg's claims.
Berg called the ruling "unconscionable" and said he was considering an appeal, either to the state Supreme Court or another try in federal court.
"As far as I'm concerned, he's a phony, he's a fraud, he's an impostor, and this is the biggest fraud perpetrated on the country in history," said Berg, repeating his claim that Obama was born in Kenya."
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View the complete article at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...ry_ballot.html
Philadelphia Inquirer
Chris Brennan
3/19/2012
Excerpt:
"Pennsylvania "birthers" are 0-for-3 in their efforts to knock President Obama off the April 24 Democratic primary election ballot after a ruling in Commonwealth Court on Friday.
Philip Berg, a Lafayette Hill lawyer who previously tried to take his claims about Obama's citizenship to the U.S. Supreme Court, lost his ballot challenge, which Commonwealth Court rejected at the request of John Lavelle Jr., Pennsylvania counsel for Obama for America.
The court, in a two-page order, said ballot challenges can be based on the authenticity of signatures on nominating petitions, the affidavits of the people who circulated those petitions, or the affidavits candidates file about their financial interests.
"The sole basis for the objection is [Berg's] contention that President Obama is not a 'natural-born citizen' eligible for the office of president of the United States under the United States Constitution," the ruling said, adding that Commonwealth Court does not have the jurisdiction to rule on Berg's claims.
Berg called the ruling "unconscionable" and said he was considering an appeal, either to the state Supreme Court or another try in federal court.
"As far as I'm concerned, he's a phony, he's a fraud, he's an impostor, and this is the biggest fraud perpetrated on the country in history," said Berg, repeating his claim that Obama was born in Kenya."
.................................................. .....
View the complete article at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...ry_ballot.html