(CNN) – President Obama joked about the ongoing "birther" debate surrounding his birthplace at a Democratic fundraiser in Boston Tuesday night.
"I think there's nothing – there's no weakness in us trying to reach out and seeing if we can find common ground. Now, there are going to be times where we can't," Obama said about reaching across the aisle. "I was born in Hawaii, what can I say? I mean, I just… I can't change those facts."
Obama was in fact born in Hawaii, but it has been a topic of conversation since the 2008 election. On Monday the Supreme Court again rejected an appeal from a "birther" proponent questioning the citizenship of the president. At least 10 states have introduced bills requiring presidential candidates to provide proof they are natural-born citizens.
From CNN Politics
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Where is the LEGAL birth certificate? Just saying if so many people are upset about Obummie being eligible to hold the office of president, why doesn't he release the OFFICIAL birth certificate. BTW, the same LEGAL document that is given today was in effect when Obummie was born. Put this matter to rest Obummie.
@Pam... why do we always drag Bush into anything matter when we are talking about Obummie? Bush served 8 years as president but hasn't been president for 2 years. Get over Bush. We are living in the present, not the past.
@ Inmyopinion
On behalf of the sane, thinking, non-sociopathic portion of the populace, let me be the first to thank you for providing such an exquisite example of the kind of pseudo-reasonable reationalized denial in which such a large percentage of the GOP's base in engaged. Highlighting the pathology the way you did is truly a public service. Kudos.
Do Republicans know that Hawaii is a state? Can you see it from Sarah Palin's house?
I would like all "birthers" to prove to everyone that the names they hold are theirs. Saying is not enough even showing any ID not enough either. How will they feel being pressed on this?
Is there a birth certificate or not? Why does this issue persist?
Crazy birther posts in 3...2...
All he has to do is produce a birth certificate.......
If the Birthers are so concerned about peoples place of birth, they all need to prove their ancestry(Caucus Mountains). The only "REAL" Americans are the NATIVE AMERICANS.
"I was born in Hawaii, what can I say? I mean, I just… I can't change those facts."
Well said, Mr. President. I don't suppose the Birthers can either, but they sure are trying hard to do just that, even when the truth is staring them in the face. I'm beginning to wonder why GOPers feel such need to spend so much of their precious time sticking their noses into everyone's personal business . . . all the while they bemoan and grumble that it is THEIR freedoms and liberties at stake. What a miserable and unhappy lot they are, to be sure.
If his mother was a citizin (she was) doesn't that make him a citizin? This is beyond stupid. I will be willing to bet you that most of these people who are questioning his citizinship believe in takling snakes and a man living to be 969 years old (the bible).
Inmyopinion, do you have any idea how difficult and expensive it was to travel from Hawii to Keny in 1961? Obam Sr. was only able to come to the U.S. to study because the Kennedy clan funded a program that flew a large group of students to schools in the U.S.
How would she have been able to fly to Kenya, have a child there, then return to the U.S. with a newborn child?
I was born in Hawaii too, but not in Highway!!? So, does it make me Japanese??!!
LOL, if you born in Hawaii before Pearl Harbour, you are considered as EMINIMIMO Citizen.
I don't think this is about Obama being black or racism because Oprah is a black woman who has proven that she is loved, adored, highly respected by millions of white Americans both Democrat and Republican and even became a Billionaire in a country where black people were and are discriminated on. Oprah could not be the power house that she is if her followers, fans were only black people. Oprah is black and loved by whites.
In response to0 "S. in California": I was born in Hawai`i and my state-provided proof (which I recently requested for a passport app) is exactly like the "Certificate of Live Birth" that the President has already provided. The President does not need to pay anything to anyone to hide anything about his birth. Some of the birthers are demanding a "long form," presumably referring to the old handwritten/typed birth certificate with the baby footprints, but the State of Hawai`i no longer provides this document.
To those mocking the "birthers", why has your messiah spent millions to obfuscate the issue? You act outraged, however if you would calm down enough and look past your narrow liberal viewpoints you would see a man named Barack Hussein Obama, who by his own admission spent his formative years in Africa and Indonesia prior to arriving in Hawaii when he was 10. With such a pedigree, and the fact that his actual birth certificate – not certificate of live birth (which, btw, the one displayed on the DaileyKos was proved to be a forgery) why wouldn't any reasonable minded adult not question his place of birth? His own aunt, who never left Kenya, has repeatedly stated on record that she was present at his birth, and the entirety of his college records have been sealed – even to the point of his admissions records. How come? Perhaps because he attended his colleges and universities by way of a foreign student visa? It will all come out eventually, and all of you shrieking and insulting the "birthers" will simply shrug your shoulders and say it didn't matter because he was the bestest president ever. You are liberal, by your very definition you are incapable of loving or respecting this country, so why would you demand the same from your false god?
This is just another way for Republicans to take the focus off their promise of creating jobs. They are experts at spewing hate,fear and lies in hopes people will forget the country needs to move forward. Every single thing Republicans do is backwards and does not do a lick of good for the future.
The Tea Party people are just frustrated Americans who can't understand why the world doesn't work the way they think it should - but the birthers are border-line delusional, and Republicans may find out, to their regret, how dangerous it is to toy with them in terms of taking advantage of their views.
some white folk just cant respect a black man even if he is president of the united states. they just wont except the facts period.
This headline is faulty. How is this "making light"? It sounds more like stating the facts. If I said that I was born in California and that I can't change the fact, it's not a joke. Maybe the people who we call the birthers are the real joke.
I would say that 99.9% of the people talking about this are those who just want to rip on those who believe something different. If you guys drop it, this will go away.
For thos showing shock over the lack of vetting of candidates, you should know that when the election process begins to make its way toward conclusions as to who the serious candidates are, all branches of security in this country, and with the help of overseas agencies, being the vetting process in earnest on the final candidates in each party. It's been this way for a godd many years.
What we have at play here, in all honesty, is the utter, incredulous disbelief by a large faction in the GOP that "one of them" is in the White House – pure and simple!
It's only equalled by the crowd that actually believes that 9/11 was an "inside job" from the White House. The Bush White House? Really?!?!?! They couldn't get anything right, yet there are people that honestly believe they could have masterminded something as intriquette as the Twin Towers?!?!?!
Unnnnnnnnnbeeeeeeeeelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Inmyopinion
How in the world do you what his parents would have wanted to do? Your post is referentially opaque and supportive of the nonsense the birthers keep squawking about. Ya'll need psychological help.
QUESTION: How come the birthers are all white Americans? Just curious.
Doesn't our judicial system place the burden of proof on the accusers? Birthers = stupid white people.
Since Hawaii was a state President Obama's mother wouldn't have needed a passport to go there.