Ted Poe: To Birth or Not to Birth

U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, is embarrassing his constituents again. I am one of them. Poe, the former headline-happy judge turned right-wing nut champion, has shown himself to be in the forefront of the “Birther” movement.

The so-called “Birthers” are those who either cling to the fantasy or have helped perpetuate it that President Obama was born in Kenya. Poe has at the very least done his share to make sure this second round of raising the birth issue gained a little press. Others among the Birthers believe Obama’s election to U.S. president is part of some larger conspiracy.

Poe, who shows up touting his right-wing views on CNN’s Lou Dobbs and various Fox News programs, was  one of the sponsors of a bill that would require presidential candidates to produce a copy of their birth certificate. Somewhat ironically, Poe and others pushing the “Birther Bill” voted for a resolution honoring Hawaii’s 50 years in the the union and noting the Aloha State is the birthplace of Barack Obama.

Officials in Hawaii today once again affirmed that Barack Obama was born in Honolulu.

Back to Poe, he has proven that he is more interested on hot-button issues that will get him on Must See Right-Wing TV than helping out the home folks back in the 2nd Congressional District of Texas. For instance he appeared on one right-leaning TV show, I think it was Lou Dobbs, using El Paso as a backdrop. While I too have concerns about El Paso I am not a congressman. Poe is and he doesn’t represent El Paso.

Although the district no longer represents the heart of the East Texas Pineywoods as it once did —  the 2nd being urban and in the affluent ares north of Houston certainly more Republican —  it is easy to determine that Ted Poe is no Charlie Wilson.

Maybe next election the folks of the 2nd Congressional District of Texas including Republicans will do as others did in electing Obama and a Democratic-controlled Congress, and turn out Ted Poe so he can do his wingnut act without taxpayers footing the bill.