David Bates tries to keep his hands clean

by: susanthe

Sat Mar 12, 2011 at 11:03:55 AM EST

New Hampshire State Rep. David Bates, chairman of the House Election Law Committee and supporter of the state's controversial 'birther' bill told TPM he can't say for certain where President Barack Obama was born. "I don't know where the guy was born, I don't care," Bates said in a phone interview on Friday. He later hedged, saying he had to accept that Obama was born in the United States because he didn't "have any evidence to the contrary."

This is what Representative Bates tells an interviewer.

Since the measure was introduced, Bates says he's received an outpouring of support from constituents. He admitted some of the positive feedback may have come from the "birther" crowd. "Perhaps some of those who are supporting this legislation, support because they have doubts about [Obama's] legitimacy. I'm sure there's a number [of people] who still question whether the president is a natural-born citizen. To me, that is irrelevant," he said.

Right! Because he's not a birther....it's those "other" people...who happen to support his bill.  

The room was packed with an ugly, Teabagger crowd. They  heckled. They mocked. They yelled at the members of the committee. They were rude and unruly. And many of them went over and whispered in the ear of Rep. Bates at some point during the hearing.

When I left the hearing that day, I went over and told Representative Bates that he really ought to teach his people how to behave respectfully in the People's House, that their display of bad manners was disrespectful to the committee and to the other members of the public who were present for the hearing. Bates mustered up some indignation and told me that these were not "his people."

Those weren't his people. They just all experienced a collective urge to whisper in Bate's ear. Bates "doesn't care" where Obama was born - he just happens to write bills supported by birthers.

Rep. Bates: using others so he can keep his hands clean.