Opinion> Joseph Farah> Is The Constitution Important Or Not

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Is the Constitution Important or Not?

The presidential eligibility issue reached critical mass last week when Barack Obama addressed it in his National Prayer Breakfast speech. And I hit it hard at the nationally televised tea party convention, representing the first time that the importance and legitimacy of the birth-certificate controversy has been dealt with in such a media forum.

From the beginning, this issue has separated the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, the constitutionalists from the political pragmatists.

It's an issue that makes many weak in the knees. I keep hearing how it is not a "winning issue." How do I put this simply? If the constitutional eligibility of the president is not a "winning issue," then our nation is lost.

I admit I am not a political pragmatist any more than our Founding Fathers were. I believe in truth, honesty, justice and other moral values that transcend short-term political pragmatism. My goal in pursuing this issue aggressively has never been about scoring points for any politicians or party or for elevating my own stature or acceptance in elite circles.

Not surprisingly, I've been under attack for my comments — from the left, the right and in-between.

Some people say there are more important issues to be discussing. Yet, no one has ever accused me of ignoring other important issues at the expense of the eligibility question. In fact, I would dare say that my news agency has done more to raise all the important issues facing the nation than have any of those employing this weak criticism.

But even if you consider the eligibility issue a "minor" question, doesn't it deserve to be aired by someone? How do you feel about the total media blackout of any serious discussion of it? How do you feel about media hosts day after day using their time to dismiss it without any evidence and bashing those who raise it with the worst kind of vicious ad hominem ridicule?

I'm not at all surprised by the criticism I have received from so-called "conservative" figures.

Despite the way many members of the "conservative" establishment complain about the media, they often seek its validation.

You won't get it, of course, by suggesting Barack Obama is deliberately hiding something from the American people by refusing to release his original birth certificate, along with dozens of other documents pertaining to his travels, education and health.

I have never sought that kind of media validation. Neither do I care about adhering to the conservative movement's own brand of political correctness.

For 35 years, I have devoted myself to seeking the truth through a very traditional brand of American muckraking journalism — watchdog reporting that has been virtually abandoned by my colleagues. I believe you seek the truth and let the chips fall where they may. You pursue it vigorously no matter what anyone else thinks about your quest — especially not what political activists of the left, right and middle think about it.

That's what World Net Daily and I have done with the eligibility issue, and that is what we will continue to do — no matter how ugly the name-calling gets. It's a matter of principle. It's a matter of the Constitution. It's a matter of honor.

Some people actually think Barack Obama is setting us up — that one day he will release his birth certificate to embarrass us and others concerned about this issue. That is just plain crazy. Talk about your conspiracy theories!

First of all, I'm not afraid that I might some day get what I am asking for — the birth certificate. It's what I really want. I wouldn't be asking for it if I didn't want it. And if it ever does appear some day, it will because of the hard work of people at WND and those who support it.

Second of all, my instincts developed in 35 years of traditional American muckraking journalism persuade me that Obama is hiding something. I believe most of the country believes that, too. That's what the polls on this issue suggest.

Why other journalists would not share those suspicions is something I cannot even fathom. Why they show so little curiosity is astonishing to me. Why they are more concerned with attacking and marginalizing those who do is even more alarming.

But make no mistake, I will not be deterred. Last week I spoke to the nation from my heart. Those words represent my deepest views and convictions. I will not back away nor apologize for them.

And I will never willingly allow the truth, or the Constitution, to be compromised.

To find out more about Joseph Farah and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.