2006: Tammy Duckworth or Will Hoover said Obama was born in Indonesia

Around early 2006, either former congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth or Honolulu Advertiser writer (and Obama defender) Will Hoover said that Barack Obama was born in Indonesia.

That statement appeared in the January 8, 2006 article "Duckworth working to win" by Hoover (the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jan/08/ln/FP601080334.html). Unfortunately, it doesn't contain a direct quote from Duckworth in which she claims Obama was born in Indonesia, and reading it over a few times it's not clear whether she actually said that or whether it was Hoover who inserted that information parenthetically. See the quote below and decide for yourself.

9/2/09 UPDATE: See the update here.

The article is online at post time, but in case it disappears a full screen grab is in this 400kb screengrab. Duckworth is now the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and if anyone else wants to contact her to get her explanation that would be helpful.

Here's the relevant portion from the article:

"Very rarely have I met a more impressive person than Tammy Duckworth," said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in an article the day before she announced her candidacy Dec. 18. "She just has the poise and exudes the type of character that I think would make her an astounding public servant."

Duckworth is happy to point out that she and Hawai'i-raised Punahou graduate Obama have "a kama'aina connection."

Both were born outside the country - Obama in Indonesia, Duckworth in Thailand - and graduated from high school in Honolulu - Punahou and McKinley, respectively.

"The big thing for me is that I'm a McKinley High grad," said Duckworth. "That gives you a lot of street creds. I wasn't a rich kid."

Per Merriam-Webster, "kama'aina" is defined as someone who's lived in Hawaii for a long time, i.e., a "local". However, it isn't clear who came up with the Indonesia part: Hoover or Duckworth.

Sun, 08/02/2009 - 12:00 · · Importance: 4