Mitt Romney has sunk to a new low, cracking a birther joke about President Obama while at a Michigan rally:

"No on has ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised."

Hard to overlook the racial and cultural overtones, painting Barack Obama as a foreigner, an other. If Mitt Romney deserves to lose for no other reason, he deserves to lose for his blatant flirtation with birtherism.

Why is it considered so unfair to go after Mitt Romney for the rather strange beliefs involved in Mormonism, and why is Mitt so pissy over being asked about his taxes, but it's okay to continually (his son's done it, his favorite entertainer Donald Trump's made a cottage industry of it) hint that President Obama is a liar who was born in another country?

Via Joe.My.God.:

Prove it!

As of midnight last night, it was exactly six years since my first post. It's been a tough thing to keep up with a dayjob and outside activities, and just when I think I might walk away, a valuable connection or interesting opportunity or a kind word comes my way. Thank you all for reading me.

Of whom are you more jealous?

Here are my favorite 100+ posts out of nearly 11,000. Please take some time to read (or re-read!) a couple and tweet or Facebook any you like.

xoxo Matt

The pocket pool championships were intense this year

BOY CULTURE

Boy-crazy

FROM BOY TO MAN: BC B.C. (2007): The entire history of my novell and novel Boy Culture as well as the movie version; might be my ultimate post.

Jonathon Trent & Derek Magyar make an Allan Brocka sandwich

BOY ON FILM (2006): An account of the NYC launch party for Boy Culture as it played the TriBeCa Film Fest.

I was left "Reeling" by the experience

FRIENDS AND "FAMILY" (2006): The movie version of Boy Culture hits Chicago.

No one would've mistaken me for Taylor Lautner

RAPT PUPIL (2006): The final night of Outfest with Boy Culture; I was fat but on the other hand got to meet Bryan Singer.

 

MY ART

 

Construction worker (shot this week) vs. James Dean

GUYDAR (since at least January 17, 2008) & ENDS OF THE WORLD (since at least January 13, 2008): Attractive men of the world—I got your backs. Your fronts, too.

i-i-i (phone)

Not totally built

Unaltered iPhone image that still blows me away

"Your pictures suck" (2008): An art critic attacks me, but not without sustaining some hits in return.

Let's call it a draw

DRAWN TOGETHER (2008): How my desire to draw related to my secret desire. One of my absolute favorite posts.

The shirtless one

LOST ANGELES (2009): My favorite photographic travelogue of L.A.

Even then, New Yorkers feared 9/11 was the beginning of the end

ART IMITATES LIFE (2006): My 9/11 and my distaste for grief tourism.

ME

Death of the party—Jeff in high school, already halfway through his life

BURNING MAN (2007): Tribute to my late high school friend and first romance.

Signed, sealed (eventually) delivered

LOST BOY FOUND (2011): There is a book in here somewhere.

Be Italian

CIAO HOUNDS: OUR TRIP TO ITALY (2011): Finally got José to Europe.

Death becomes here

ILLINOIS DEATH TRIP (2007): Ruminations on death while revisiting a past home, and the past.

Life is short...and meaningful

PASSING BY (2008): Mourning the loss of a person I only met once.

Lots more...

There's much harsh truth in Bill Maher's rant asking what it is the Republicans are good at. Harsh truth, sharp writing and true hilarity. Must-see...

I love that Donald Trump is such a fucking fool and that he had to sit there stewing in his own foolishness while President Obama expertly lampooned him and all the birthers at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Priceless.

This won't settle anything, because reality does not mean anything to the crazy birthers on the right. Already Donald Trump has suggested he personally wants to inspect the certificate. Maybe he also wants to check out Obama's teeth to see if they're in good condition before he bids on him.

President Obama released proof of his citizenship ages ago, and did it again today after a renewed and intensive effort to undermine his legitimacy as an American and as the president of the United States. John Kerry ignored his Swiftboating and paid for it. I'm not sure that either approach—the high road or a direct response—100% works when the other side really and truly does not give a fuck about the truth.

Just in case you were losing track.

Shockingly, kooky, right-wing Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona actually vetoed the kooky, right-wing legislature's kooky, right-wing birther bill after earlier calling it "interesting." She says:

"I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for president of the greatest and most powerful nation on earth to submit their 'early baptismal or circumcision certificates.' This measure creates significant new problems while failing to do anything constructive for Arizona."

I guess Governor Brewer is trying to say she may be kooky and right-wing, but she ain't that kooky and/or ain't that right-wing. Good for her. I respect her for drawing this line in the sand, if for very little else.

Donald Trump will say or do anything to get the Republican nomination, but saying and doing anything will haunt him once he gets it—which he won't, lucky for us all. (Yes, even if he got it and lost, it would still be a huge loss for our country that a buffoon and charlatan of his caliber could even make the ticket.) He continues his hardcore, Orly Taitz-style birther crusade with a Today Show performance that would make Silvio Berlusconi cluck at its circus-like tone.