Ken Cuccinelli, the ultra-conservative Republican attorney general of Virginia, has apparently dabbled in Birtherism, having explored the topic with a person who asked him about it, in an audio segment that has just been posted online.
An unidentified man can be heard asking another man – who does sound like Cuccinelli, based on comparisons with definite clips of Cuccinelli that can be found on YouTube — what he might do as attorney general to take on the birth certificate issue. “Well, only if there is a conflict where we are suing the federal government for a law they’ve passed. So it’s possible,” said Cuccinelli.
Ben Tribbett, host of the Not Larry Sabato blog that posted the video, declined to identify the original source of the audio, but told us his understanding is that it was recorded after Cuccinelli’s election and before his swearing-in — that is, between early-November 2009 and mid-January 2010.
TPMDC has not been able to independently confirm the authenticity of the audio. Tribbett would not give us any further details about the date, location, or nature of the event, citing confidentiality. Cuccinelli’s office has not returned our multiple requests for comment.
Cuccinelli also raises the point that someone would need proof that Obama wasn’t born in the United States. How might we get proof, the man asked? “Well, that’s a good question. Not one I’ve thought a lot about because it hasn’t been part of my campaign,” Cuccinelli replied. “Someone is going to have to come forward with nailed down testimony that he was born in place B, wherever that is. You know, the speculation is Kenya. And that doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility.”
Late Update: Cuccinelli has released a statement, saying that he “absolutely” believes President Obama was born in the United States, does not believe the claims that Obama was not born in the United States, and that he was giving a “hypothetical” answer to a hypothetical question.
