Tea party to Arizona: Check Obama's eligibility

Evoking an overlooked provision of state law, Arizona tea party groups are circulating a petition urging a chamber of the state legislature to pass a resolution that would force Arizona's secretary of state to examine Barack Obama's birth credentials.

The law does not require a signature from Gov. Jan Brewer, who previously vetoed a bill that would have required Secretary of State Ken Bennett to ensure Obama is eligible for Arizona's 2012 ballot.

Brian Reilly, co-chairman of a gathering of tea party groups held Saturday at the Church on the Green in Sun City West, Ariz., said the strategy is to "force the hand" of Bennett "without requiring the Arizona legislature to pass a bill in both houses and to get the governor's signature."

Reilly said the petition serves as a "command for the Arizona secretary of state to perform," which would require Obama to submit eligibility documentation even if Arizona never passes an eligibility statute.

As WND previously reported,, Sheriff Arpaio and lead investigator Mike Zullo of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office addressed the joint tea party meeting, explaining the evidence behind the sheriff's conclusion that there is probable cause that Barack Obama's birth certificate and his Selective Service registration form are forged.

Help Sheriff Joe blow the lid off Obama’s fraud. Join the Cold Case Posse right now!

At the tea party meeting, Reilly and co-chairman Jeff Lichter got 1,092 signatures from the estimated 1,100 in attendance, including members of the Surprise Tea Party, in Surprise, Ariz., and the Sun City West Tea Party.

The tea party groups planned to present the petition on Monday to state Rep. David Burnell Smith in the Arizona House of Representatives and to Sen. Judy M. Burges in the Arizona Senate, both strong supporters of passing new eligibility legislation.

The online petition has drawn an additional nearly 600 signatures so far.

The petition is being advanced under Arizona Revised Statutes 41-121-1, which reads: "The secretary of state shall: (1) Receive bills and resolutions from the legislature, and perform such duties as devolve upon the secretary of state by resolution of the two houses or either of them."

The petition reads:

We the undersigned Arizona citizens are requesting that the Arizona House, and/or the Arizona Senate pass a RESOLUTION directing Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett to send a certified letter to Democratic National Committee Chairperson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, requesting that she produce certified source documents that are satisfactory to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office that positively identify the U.S. natural born citizenship and the Selective Service System Registration of Barack Hussein Obama II. With the recent findings of the MCSO Cold-Case Posse, there is probable cause to believe that Barack Hussein Obama II's Selective Service Registration Form and his State of Hawaii Certification of Live Birth are criminal forgeries, it is imperative to determine Barack Hussein Obama II's status regarding his eligibility to be placed on the 2012 Arizona ballot.

Only Arizona residents are allowed to sign the petition.

On April 18, 2011, Brewer undid the work of Republican majorities in both houses of the Arizona state legislature by issuing a veto of House Bill 2177, which would have required the Arizona secretary of state to examine eligibility documentation before placing a presidential candidate on the Arizona ballot.

As WND has reported, there exists virtually no mechanism in the U.S. for investigating whether or not a presidential candidate meets the Constitution's Article 2, Section 1, "natural born citizen" requirement.

WND has also reported state Rep. Carl Seel has introduced a bill into the Arizona House requiring candidates to sign an affidavit affirming they meet the legal requirements and giving citizens with legitimate concerns legal standing to challenge in court a candidate's eligibility.

Read the preliminary findings of Sheriff Arpaio's Cold Case Posse investigation after six months investigating Obama’s constitutional eligibility to serve as president in "A Question of Eligibility," co-authored by Jerome Corsi and Mike Zullo.

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Previous stories:

Hollywood producer heard Bill Clinton say Obama ineligible

High court justice: Obama birth certificate fishy

Russian media expose Obama birth ‘forgery’

Media blackout on Obama eligibility near-total

Mailman discouraged from telling Obama story

U.S. military purging ‘birthers’?

Immigration records missing for week of Obama’s birth

Sheriff Joe: ‘Tons’ more shocking info on Obama

O’Reilly: My probe better than Sheriff Joe’s