Sheriff Joe's posse to the rescue

I was beginning to wonder if any official, law enforcement agency in America was ever going to examine the critical issue of Barack Obama's eligibility for the presidency.

Finally Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., has ridden to the rescue with his "Cold Case Posse."

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In a script right out of Hollywood, a local sheriff is taking on the seemingly untouchable issue – one that instantly evokes ridicule and contempt from all corners of the media and the Washington political establishment.

So intense is the pressure against any investigation or accountability for Obama that legislation in 13 states last year was all essentially either dropped by lawmakers or vetoed by governors who couldn't take the heat from their party elite.

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But that kind of political correctness has never scared off Joe Arpaio, who proudly wears the title "America's toughest sheriff."

He has assigned a special team of investigators with subpoena power to determine the authenticity of the document Obama released last April, claiming it to be his long-form birth certificate. Numerous independent graphics experts have proclaimed it a forgery since then, but the media establishment treats it like it's the Holy Grail. Arpaio got into the case in response to requests from a local tea-party group concerned that a fraud of this magnitude was being swept under the rug.

So just who is Joe Arpaio?

He was born in Springfield, Mass., to Italian immigrant parents, both from Avellino, Italy. His mother died giving birth to him in 1932, and he was raised by his father, a grocery store owner. At 18, Arpaio enlisted in the U.S. Army and served from 1950 through 1954. After his discharge, he moved to Washington and became a police officer. He also served in the Las Vegas police department for a time, before being appointed as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, which later became the Drug Enforcement Administration. During his 25-year stint in the DEA, he was stationed in Argentina, Turkey and Mexico and ultimately headed the DEA's Arizona office.

In 1992, he campaigned and won the position of Maricopa County sheriff. He was re-elected in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Known for his outspokenness and no-nonsense approach to law enforcement, Arpaio captured the public's imagination from his first day as sheriff. Famous for his "get smart and get tough" approach to jails, "Sheriff Joe," as he is universally known, conceived the Tent City Jail where he houses his inmates in surplus Army tents left over from the Korean War.

But I have a feeling Sheriff Joe's notoriety has not yet reached its zenith.

What he is doing now is more courageous than any other challenge he has undertaken to date: He is taking on the pretender in chief. He needs your encouragement. And his posse, which is not supported by taxpayer dollars, needs your support.

Those wishing to contribute to the 501(c)3 supporting the Cold Case Posse investigation of the Obama birth certificate are asked to send contributions addressed to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office at: MCSO Cold Case Posse, P.O. Box 74374, Phoenix, Ariz., 85087.

This is what it has come to in America circa 2011. In order to pursue justice and accountability for the highest officials in the land, the people must rally around the very few fearless law-enforcement agencies around and hope for the best.

By all accounts, Sheriff Joe is a straight shooter who is taking this unprecedented action in response to pleas from his constituents. What a concept! If only our elected representatives in Washington were so inclined.