Rappaport dismisses Sentinel Editorial as inaccurate

CITES NUMEROUS ERRORS IN SCHOENBERG’S OPINION PIECE

by John Charlton

(Sept. 19, 2009) — The oldest newspaper in Keene, NH, The Sentinel , had disputed the story in The Post & Email regarding Rappaport’s request for an investigation of election fraud in 2008.

The Sentinel, published this charge in an on-line editorial, by Shira Schoenberg, as previously reported here.

The Post & Email, subsequently, requested public comment from Mr. William Gardner, the New Hampshire Secretary of State, and Mr. Laurence M. Rappaport, New Hampshire Representative Coos District.  At this time, Mr. Gardner has not responded.

Mr. Rappaport, however, has in a lengthy email, criticized the Editorial by Shira Schoenberg as inaccurate:

Ms. Schoenberg is entitled to her opinion, as error laden  as that might be.  It is listed as an opinion piece (under archives->opinion->columnists) and she is certainly entitled to that.

First, Rappaport confirmed and clarified the facts:

Mr. Gardner promised me he would “look into it”, not a full-blown investigation.  He did look into it and decided he could not launch an investigation, so the material presented was presented to the New Hampshire Attorney General.

Mr. Rappaport, then, rebuts 5 points in Schoenberg’s attention getting rant:

1.   I did not claim what I presented were copies of Obama’s Kenyan birth certificates – I said I didn’t know when he asked me if they were genuine.   

2.  Secretary of State Gardner did not claim he would begin an investigation, just that he would “look into it”.

3.  To my knowledge, all lawsuits have been dismissed on technicalities – nothing has ever been adjudicated  (both arguments heard by a court).

4.  In my opinion, any words by Heidi Beirich or the Southern Poverty Law Center don’t represent any official views.  She is not even an elected official, so her views are opinions only.

5.  The “birth certificate” online is nothing but a “certificate of live birth” issued by the State of Hawaii and obtainable by anyone willing to lie.  The “long form” birth certificate, signed by the delivery doctor is not there.   Personally, I don’t accept a certificate of live birth as proof.

In conclusion, Representative Rappaport gives some words of advice to the readers of the Sentinel Editorial:

As I said in my earlier interview, I do not presume to know the answer, but I think a formal answer is needed.  Innuendo and “ad hominen” arguments mean absolutely nothing to me, nor should they to anyone who is honestly thinking.  Questioning the eligibility of Mr. Obama to be President does not make one a fool, it means one is exercising his right under the U. S. Constitution.

The Keene Sentinel allows the public to submit letters to the editor. And has its own on-line forum for readers to express their opinions. However, there seems no interface to send a letter directly to the Editor, via the SentinelSource.com.