‘Birther’ issue invades House race

PIERRE — Clarifying earlier remarks, Secretary of State Chris Nelson has said he believes President Barack Obama is a natural born U.S. citizen and the legitimately elected leader of the nation.

Based on Nelson’s comments on a newspaper’s blog last week, South Dakota Democratic Party executive director Erin McCarrick criticized the Republican congressional candidate for questioning whether Obama qualifies to be president.

“Personally, I don’t have any question,” Nelson told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s not an issue.”

So-called “birthers” have contended since the 2008 presidential campaign that Obama is ineligible to be president because they believe he was born in Kenya, his father’s homeland. The Constitution says a person must be a “natural-born citizen” to be eligible for the presidency.

Hawaii officials have repeatedly confirmed Obama’s citizenship, saying they have seen his birth certificate.

His August 1961 birth notices also appeared in two Honolulu newspapers.

Speculation about Nelson’s stance on the issue started after the Rapid City Journal asked him and the other two Republicans seeking the party’s nomination to run for U.S. House whether they thought Obama was born in Hawaii.

State Reps. Blake Curd of Sioux Falls and Kristi Noem of Castlewood dismissed the issue and said they want to focus on the economy, federal spending and other issues.

Nelson, South Dakota’s top election official for the past seven years, replied that it’s important that candidates meet constitutional qualifications. “If President Obama isn’t constitutionally qualified, it would be the biggest scam ever perpetuated on the American people.”

Nelson this week said his earlier comments did not question whether Obama is a natural-born citizen or legally the president. “There’s nothing in the comments I made that says that.”

He said many people before and after the 2008 election contacted his office questioning whether Obama was a natural-born citizen. Nelson said his office looked into the issue and concluded Obama was a valid candidate entitled to be on the ballot.

“Of all the issues I’ve dealt with as secretary of state, this is the one I’ve had more input and contact from the public on than anything else I’ve dealt with. There’s a segment out there of the public that’s adamant about this,” he said.

Asked if he questions Obama’s qualifications, Nelson said: “No, not at all.”

McCarrick, the Democratic Party official, criticized Nelson for raising the issue.

“It’s unfortunate that our current secretary of state thinks that this is a huge issue facing South Dakota when there are so many other immediate needs for our state. It brings to question his judgment and focus when he still has a job to do at home,” McCarrick said in a written statement.

Nelson said election officials have to consider constitutional qualifications as important. “Those are there for a reason.”

The winner of the June 8 GOP primary will face Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in November for South Dakota’s lone seat in the U.S. House.

An independent candidate, B. Thomas Marking, also is running.

Tags: chris nelson, election 2010, news, state