(CNN) - Two days after a Kansas newspaper revoked its endorsement of a Republican congressional candidate because it came to believe he is a so-called "birther," the campaign is telling the paper the candidate is no such thing.
Twice in the span of 30 days, Republican Tracey Mann has called on President Obama to come forward with proof of his American citizenship. But now his campaign tells the Hutchison News the candidate "misspoke" and has long believed the president has proved his citizenship.
The pushback from Mann's campaign comes after the paper, emphatically withdrew its endorsement of him.
"The reason [for withdrawing the endorsement] is that it turns out Mann is what is known as a birther," the newspaper's editorial board wrote Wednesday night. "He questions the citizenship of President Barack Obama despite evidence that is irrefutable to most objective, rational people – including a birth certificate released by the Hawaii secretary of state and birth announcements printed in Honolulu's two major newspapers."
The newspaper based its judgment on Mann's most recent comments Tuesday, made after the endorsement was published, that he did not believe President Obama's American citizenship was a proven fact.
"I think the president of the United States needs to come forth with his papers and show everyone that he's an American citizen and put this issue to bed once and for all," Mann said on KSAL's "Friendly Fire" radio show. He made similar comments during a candidate forum in June.
On Thursday, Mann's campaign manager, Jake DeVantier, told the Hutchinson News that Mann "misspoke" on the radio show and that he "has seen sufficient evidence to prove Obama is a citizen."
"He believed Obama was a citizen when he said that on the air," DeVantier added.
According to the newspaper, Mann is a frontrunner in the race for Kansas' first congressional district.
DeVantier, nor anyone from the Mann campaign, responded to CNN's calls or e-mail for comment.
From CNN Politics
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One can only hope a majority of voters are less loony than candidates like Mann.
Good for the Hutchinson News. Perhaps this creep Mann should provide his birth certificate, along with his IQ score. So dirty and despicable.
So he goes around stating things he knows are not true just to stir the base,......now that's original.
The GOP will say anything to get a reaction,...."they're going to kill grandma!".
Trizzle, trazzle, truzzle, tron, time for this one to go home.
Of course anyone can misspeak – TWICE in a month – on an issue and not really mean any of the stupid things they say. I'm sure when Mann said "I think the president of the United States needs to come forth with his papers and show everyone that he's an American citizen and put this issue to bed once and for all," – even though President Obama has made his birth certificate public several times and the courts have ruled that the issue has been put to bed once and for all – he was talking about some totally different topic.
The corn dust and pesticides have really chewed up this poor guys brain.The whole state is filled with polluted people that are now suffering republican braindrain.
I think we can all agree about these two things:
1. The Republican Party has millions upon millions of dollars at their disposal, and can well-afford the best lawyers money can buy.
2. The Republican Party wants President Obama and his agenda to fail. Heck, they didn't want him to be elected in the first place!
If there was any speck of truth to the rumor that President Obama was not born in the United States and is not eligible to be president,
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WOULD TAKE THEIR CASE TO COURT AND PROVE IT!
They can't and they know it (just like any thinking person knows it).
But that doesn't stop the Republicans from using this silly issue as a way to stir up their base and divide our country.
The Republican Party is completely un-American and despicable!
"Man, it's tricky getting those Tea Party votes."
Tracey Mann is a Class A Jerk!
Oh, I "misspoke" and I've long believed he's simply an idiot.
Hope that clears things up!
Okay, I get it: don't believe what the candidate says - believe what the candidate's spokesman says the NEXT day.
Mann clearly wants to have it both ways - appease the crazy conservative birthers by telling them what they want to hear, and then turning around and saying, "but I'm not really as crazy as they are." Mr. Mann, you might not be a crazy birther, but you are spineless.
It drives me nuts that it is now acceptable to say something patently stupid, then later say that you 'misspoke'. What the heck is MISSPOKE other than 'I said something that isnt true'?
Look, either you were lying, or you made a mistake. Real people with real common sense know better, and can see the difference. I wouldnt let my co-workers or my banker get away with such doublespeak, why do you think i'd elect someone who does?
Is it now acceptable to speak before thinking, and assume you can 'un-ring the bell' later? Jeesh!
If a little bit of methane sneaked out of this guy, we might suspect that he has a bathroom need?
What do we think he needs when a little bit of "Birther" sneakes out?
Pure liar.
it's time the birthers realize just how ridiculous they look. time and time again it's been proven the president was born in hawaii. if the birthers can't accept this, then they won't be able to accept ANY facts.
The birther debate is a great way to get votes from the paranoid whack jobs who worship Fox News.
"Twice in the span of 30 days, Republican Tracey Mann has called on President Obama to come forward with proof of his American citizenship. But now his campaign tells the Hutchison News the candidate 'misspoke' and has long believed the president has proved his citizenship."
Birther or not, Tracey Mann is an IDIOT.
Now that's the way to tuck your tail, run and deny that you ever spewed the venom. Somebody should keep calling these jerks out and make them account for their lies.
"He believed Obama was a citizen when he said that on the air," DeVantier added.....OK, then if he believed it then he had no reason to even entertain the "berther" issue.
Why does the media report these things and add contradicting statements thinking we "the public" are stupid and will just let them go.
Birthers should be scorned, ridiculed and laughed at at every opportunity. It's stupidity on parade. They refuse to acknowledge the facts.
The FACT is, Obama provided a certificaTION of Live Birth, which is considered a "Birth Sertificate" in HI, yet even ppl born outside HI can obtain one, as it is outlined on the State's website!!!
A CertifiCATE of Live Birth, also accepted as Birth Certificate in HI, is given to those who are born there – one that Obama did not provide yet.
For this election cycle the new Republican buzzword is "misspoke", to be used in cases where the candidate mistakenly expresses his true beliefs.
What is going on in Kansas, another state I will keep off my list of places to visit, first they have this racist hate group going around protestesting at soiders funerals, now this nut job, if you are going to be a birther/teahaddist/ racist just be proud of it like Rush Limbaugh.
maybe he should show us his "papers"! what a moron.
If he believed President Obama was a natural-born citizen when he made this statement on the air, then he was deliberately libelling to make a point, exactly like Breitbart.
Oh please.....this is not an oops moment. Obviously he meant that he does not believe the President is a citizen. What a maroon.....
Too stupid to be allowed to continue breathing. This level of stupidity can only be addressed by Sarah's Death Panele. if branis were gasoline this boy could not fill a thimble.