Washington (CNN) - Republicans will suffer electorally if they continue to fan the flames of the so-called "birther" debate instead of focusing on the economy, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday.
"I think the Republicans are making a terrible mistake in making this a big issue," Bloomberg, an independent, said on "Fox News Sunday." "We have the deficit. We have the economy. Those are the things that the public cares about."
"If the Republican Party doesn't start addressing that, they will lose and they deserve to," he added.
Even though he called Donald Trump, who has become a champion of the birther movement, a "friend" and "New York icon," Bloomberg wouldn't say whether or not he takes Trump's presidential flirtations seriously.
"Look, anybody can run for president if you're 35 and an American citizen and born here," Bloomberg said, before adding that President Barack Obama was born in the United States too.
PRESIDENT Obama's mother was a Kansas-American - the same as McCain's mother was born American. THEY ARE BOTH AMERICANS.
Those idiots with their birther, death panel, lower-the-taxes for the wealthy, nutjobs are certifiable.
Ultra Fundamentalist endorsement of Trump makes me skeptical. When a very prominent evangelical fundamentalist churchman endorses a political candidate my attenta are listening for either an outspoken or hidden social agenda that IMHO doesn't belong in American politics. We have major economic, infrastructure and environmental problems to solve. If we as a nation are going to accomplish a very difficult task we need everyone in the country pulling in the same direction. Social issues are divisive and we have neither time not money to spend on issues that are none of our collective business.
Hey Mayor if they won't listen to you I know a party that will.
Hint hint
Conservative political talk shows and FOX news pushed the birther issue for such a long time that a majority in the GOP/Tea Party believe in the lies. Tell a lie often enough that it becomes historical fact, no matter how absurd or outrageous.
Bloomberg is right, the birther mess is covert racism , just as the tea baggers, the quote we want our country back fit the same mold(racism)
The keeper pf the history. ..without it we are a lost soul.
People who believe Obama is not born here even 0.0000000001% simple they don’t like him
2008 when he got the democratic nomination I was unhappy today I am happy he is my president.
He is doing excellent job
I oppose the Detroit bailout (auto industry) today I thank him
His plan helps the housing market
Simple today We are better compare to 2008
This is all so stupid. The Republicans have a large majority in the House. If they really wanted this issue to be resolved all they would have to do is hold hearings on the legitimacy of the birth certificate. We'd know after a couple of expert witnesses whether a Hawaiian Certification of Live Birth is a valid birth certificate that establishes when and where a person was born in the eyes of the law. I'd be surprised if it took even an hour of hearings.
So what are the Republicans waiting for? It sounds to me like the birther side of the party doesn't want the truth to come out - and neither does the non-birther side.
The public is catching on, and the Republicans better get ahead of the issue or it will explode in their faces.
GI Joe – you are the certifiable one if you think having an American mother makes you eligible for the US Presidency.
And as for Bloomberg and CNN - there are a very few in the Republican Party and the Conservative movement in general who support the "birther" mentality. You love to paint the entire GOP as a bunch of idiots because of the actions of a very few within that party. The vast majority of serious candidates (I said "serious") within the party have rejected the birther idea for over a year now, yet still you try to paint the opposition insidiously.
I think Trump might be purposely leading the Republicans off a cliff. Think about it... he's getting them all fired up about the birther issue, bringing it to fever pitch to the point where 80% of the right doubts he was born here. What if after the investigation he says that based on the findings he now believes the Pres. was born here, and then decides not to run. He would have led all these idiots into the middle of a desert and then jumped on a golden airplane and bailed out, leaving them all there to roast. I can see this happening easily.
"...Republicans are making a terrible mistake," he said. Just delete "making" from this quotation and he hit the nail on the head.
The Republican party won't address anything serious because they have zero ideas. We need work here in America. We need jobs and a solid economy not this made-up nonsense to keep from discussing the real issues. President Obama is an American citizen, get over it and get on with the business of pulling us out of this Republican-caused mess. Where are the job the Rethugs promised when they ran? Where are they?
You can't change crazy. And the tea baggers are all crazy.
It's because the Republican Party is a total fraud and disgrace. To the point this is the only topic that can get the rightie nuts excited enough to show up to vote.
Bloomberg 2012!
Both you Republican and Tea party people are nuts. Paul Ryan plan is a bunch of crap. Extend the Bush Tax cuts , They haven't work for six years now because they haven't been any JOBS. The Only thing It done was to make the RICH even RICHER. And you need to leave the Middle Class, the POOR and the OLD a long.
No doubt about it. Obama's mother was an American citizen, so he is a citizen no matter where he's born. The same logic should apply to those born here to illegals. They are citizens of the country from which their parents came. However, the "birther" controversy lives on because of the failure of one person to stop it – Barack Hussein Obama. Calling those who suspect skullduggery idiots is blaming the victim. Obama can dispel the silly rumors with one act – publishing the long-form birth certificate. Anyone who persists after that event IS an idiot. Right now, the people defending Obama's secrecy are the idiots.
Bloomberg are wrong wrong that trump are alright against act birther certificate we don't want unless who have with plot terroist without fasle of birth certificate
I have to give credit to Bloomberg for pointing out the obvious. Unfortunately for the GOP, the ability to identify "obvious" and truth are no longer requirements for membership. But I would love them to run the nutcases in 2012 so they will see how far off the deep end they've gone.
I ask bloomberg how 3 states was false with birther certifcate
I thanks god that repbluic are keep act against fraud birth certificate with scam
Where was Stanley Ann Dunham in August 1961? Evidently she was in Hawaii following her freshman year of college. Maybe she took a flying trip to Kenya to have her baby. It will be interesting to see what Big Birther, aka Donald Trump, comes up with.
I noticed that Franklin Graham has sort of spoken favorably of Trump for President. This doesn't make sense. I would think that Reverend Graham would weigh heavily of the morality of a potential President. Trump is not a moral man. He is not honest and he is not faithful to his marriage vows. I would think Reverend Graham would not even consider Trump for President.
BLOOMBERG!!!!! DON'T TELL THEM THAT!! My god man...whose side are you on?? You don't tell them the mistakes they are making...just let them dig that hole deeper and deeper but you don't TELL them that it's deep enough already.
Mayor Bloomberg says, "Republicans will suffer electorally if they continue to fan the flames of the so-called "birther" debate . . . " I sure hope so. The party that inflicted Palin on us as a potential VP deserves to be marginalized. Bring it on! Oh, and keep on attacking immigrants–illegal, undocumented, children of who are born here, or otherwise. That plays great for Dems in the west and southwest states! Oh, and keep trying to privatize Social Security and force millions out of health insurance. Life is good, and getting better. And don't forget the attack on legal abortion. The Republican'ts have a self-destruction buffet table in front of them.
Agree with Mayor Bloomberg, but the big question is when wiill Trump. He should be prepared to be "fired" if he is wrong and has led decent Americans on a goose chase
Big price to pay Mr Trump!
They'll keep talking just like Snooki Palin does.. Where is Snooki hiding now? Come out and run Snooki run!