Obama is the Mystery of the Century-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A viral email makes a number of claims about President Obama’s personal history and calls him the “mystery of the century.”
The Truth:
This eRumor makes a number of claims about Barack and Michelle Obama’s personal histories.
Here’s a look at some of the specific claims:
No birth certificates have been provided for the Obama’s daughters – Truth!
It’s true that birth certificates for Obama’s daughters have not been made public. The Washington Post reports that presidential administrations have “long been protective of first family’s minor children” and that it’s considered taboo to report on or photograph the underage children of any U.S. president.
None of Obama’s former girlfriends have come forward – Fiction!
Author David Maraniss chronicled relationships that the president had with Genevieve Cook and Alex McNear in the 1980s in his book “The Story.” Excerpts from Cook’s diaries from that time have also been widely published.
Accusations about Barack and Michelle Obama meeting, marriage – Fiction!
Barack and Michelle Obama met in Chicago in the summer of 1989. Michelle worked at Sidley Austin law firm and was assigned to mentor Barack, a summer associate at the firm. Their former colleagues recounted those years in a 2008 Washington Post report. The Obamas married in Chicago in 1992 with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. officiating the ceremony. Concrete information about who was in the wedding party couldn’t be found. Photos indicate that Barack’s half-brother, Malik, and Michelle’s brother, Craig Robinson, may have stood up in the wedding.
Nobody from Columbia recalls Obama – Fiction!
Obama said he was “painfully alone and really not focused on anything” during his time at Columbia from 1981-1983, the Wall Street Journal reports. However, claims that nobody remembers the president during that time are false. Obama’s roommate at Columbia reflected on his time living with the future president in a 2009 campus publication. Columbia has also acknowledged the president as an alumnus of the university.
Questions about the bar exam, law license – Fiction!
Both Barack and Michelle Obama were licensed to practice law in Illinois, according records held by the Illinois Supreme Court Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of the Illinois Supreme Court. Barack was licensed in December 1991, and Michelle was licensed in May 1989. Those records don’t indicate that any disciplinary action was taken against Barack or Michelle. Barack’s status is listed as “retired” and Michelle’s status is listed as “voluntarily inactive.”
Posted 11/04/14