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Case Not ClosedAfter losing at the Supreme Court, Obama conspiracy theorists meet the press.

By David WeigelPosted Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008, at 11:44 AM ET

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After the lawyers had their say, Schultz recognized Rev. James David Manning, the Harlem preacher who has called Obama a "long-legged mack daddy," and a member (alongside Jeremiah Wright and Oprah Winfrey) of the "Trinity of Hell." For some reason, Shultz gave Manning a microphone to talk about Obama's parents.

"It is common knowledge," explained Manning, "that African men, coming from the continent of Africa—especially for the first time—do diligently seek out white women to have sexual intercourse with. Generally the most noble of white society choose not to intercourse sexually with these men. So it's usually the trashier ones who make their determinations that they're going to have sex."

Manning grew more intense as he went on. Berg and Taitz seemed to squirm in their chairs; Berg started taking quiet cell phone calls before Manning evoked the memories of Africans who lost their lives "packed like sardines" onto slave ships, now in "a watery grave." "Do you think we want to wake those people up and tell them that the womb of a 16-year-old white girl has produced your redeemer? Has produced your savior? I don't think they want to wake up to that. I think they want to keep sleeping in that grave until true justice might be given."

Every possible reason for disqualifying Obama was laid out, laboriously, if not exactly backed up with facts. After it was pointed out that the "forensic experts" who have accused Obama of forging the birth certification reproduced on FightTheSmears.com have not even revealed their names, Berg pointed out that the certification denoted the race of Obama's father as "African." "In 1961, no one talked 'African.' It was 'Negro.' I mean, that's what shows how phony this document is."

"How about that?" murmured Shelli Baker.

Still, none of the lawyers, nor Manning, could agree on a path forward for Obama birth certificate skeptics. Schulz proposed a citizens' convention—"continental congress, We the People congress, call it what you like"—that could hash out the issues around Obama's eligibility. Taitz was still working her cases and claimed that Obama could be held liable for an Illinois bar form on which he didn't list any other names he'd gone by. Berg hinted at a secret lawsuit that he was participating in and couldn't discuss, as well as information from an unnamed "barrister from England, who spoke to me on his nickel," that the FBI and CIA had information proving Obama's Kenyan birth.

The press conference wrapped up with the lawyers meeting well-wishers and handing out documents, as the few reporters still in the room headed for the door. Ruth Mizell, the widow of former Rep. Wilmer Mizell and a volunteer for two of George H.W. Bush's campaigns, idled in her chair for a little while longer. She was frustrated that the people she'd told about this story kept blowing her off.

"I can't stand to watch Obama," Mizell said. "He looks so deceitful. I feel like it's witchcraft going all over everybody, that he's witchcrafting everybody. He doesn't say anything. He uses a lot of good words."

Can we sue him for that?