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Misinformation as News, Obama Birth Edition

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The Supreme Court has decided against considering the latest challenge to Obama’s citizenship. Their decision was issued without comment.

This time, the story has made it past the blogosphere. The StarTribune posted a longer version of the AP’s story, which included this:

But Hawaii Health Department Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino and the state's registrar of vital statistics, Alvin Onaka, say they checked health department records and have determined there's no doubt Obama was born in Hawaii.

Fox News radio repeated the same assertion. Trouble is, they’re wrong.

The Hawai’ian officials have only confirmed the existince of the document. They have not commented on the facts represented by the document. The officials cannot do so, it would violate State policy.

Separate from the issue of Barry’s birth, this is lousy reporting. The AP is reporting what they have inferred, or perhaps what they want to be true. That’s not news, it is opinion.