White House releases Obama's birth certificate
(CNN) - President Obama released his original birth certificate Wednesday, saying the controversy surrounding the issue had become a "sideshow."
“We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do," said Obama.
The surprise release follows recent and sustained remarks by businessman Donald Trump, among others, that raised doubts as to whether the president was born in the United States.
“Over the last two and half years, I have watched with amusement. I have been puzzled with the degree with which this thing just kept going,” Obama told reporters Wednesday.
Responding to the development, Trump said, "I have accomplished something nobody else has accomplished."
"I want to look at it, but I hope it’s true," he told reporters in New Hampshire. "He should have done it a long time ago. I am really honored to have played such a big role in hopefully getting rid of this issue."
Earlier Wednesday, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said the debate has been "really bad for the Republican Party."
The so-called "birther" debate is "good politics" but "bad for the country," said Pfeiffer.
In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper Monday, Trump repeated his doubts and said he had been told the certificate was "missing."
A new CNN investigation revealed earlier this week what most analysts have been saying since the "birther" controversy erupted during the 2008 presidential campaign: Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.
While the president has made light of the controversy, the question remained political red meat for some of his critics. A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showed that nearly 75% of Americans believe Obama was definitely or probably born in the United States. More than four in 10 Republicans, however, believe he probably or definitely was not born in America.
See Obama's Certification of Live Birth
The U.S. Constitution says only "natural born" citizens can become president - a vague clause that some members of the birther movement contend disqualifies Obama because, they insist, he was born outside the United States.
Skeptics contend, among other things, that Obama was born in his father's home country of Kenya.
Seems to me that should have been part of the Vetting Process the Democrats should have taken on a long time ago. Would
have saved lots of time for all
hahaha take that dumb Trump
Hey, Sarah....I care if he was born here. The Constitution set it up so that forigners could not become president and run the us in with another country's best interest in mind. We are supposed to have an AMERICAN president with AMERICA's best interest. obama does not! Even if he was born here, he still treats the US as if it were not his home nation and that's why we are in the shambles we are in.
Was that so hard for him to do?
Chairman O has always had the power to put this issue to rest and now the specter of the birth certificate as a campaign issue is gone.
Next topic please.
I do believe the president was born in the USA and think this issue should die, BUT Sarah, any President of the US should be a citizen of the US.
Should have done it years ago.
This is absolutely ridiculous. With everything the nation is facing, and the main concern for Conservatives is a birth certificate? It's a shame that the White House has to confront this...AGAIN! Take the Romney approach Conservatives, focus on the real issues if you want to take on Obama in 2012.
This will not stop the Birthers. Within days we'll hear them say the long form released is a fake and Obama wasn't born in U.S. You can't stop stupid people from being stupid. You can't change the opinions of bigots. There will still be Birthers and this story will only die when the press stops reporting it.
Good thing he's had how many years to forge one?
I Think Donald should release his barber shops location. I dont believe thats his real hair.
The birth certificate is a hoax!
Finally, I'm just glad he did it because it shuts up Trump. Find something else to whine about lol.
HAAA HAAA. What now birthers? I guess you may as well come out and reveal that you really just didn't want a black guy in office, cat's out of the bag.
Oh has he. I can't wait to see it.
What, has it taken him this long to have a have-decent forgey made?
Isn't it amazing how when Trump started questioning his college records and now all of a sudden magically a long form is going to be shown. While he is in the mood why not release all of his records?
Why didn't they do this years ago and avoid all this????
Long form or short form?
Where's the rest of his documents?
Now the million $ question is... will republicans be able to read and understand this certificate?
Sarah – who cares if the president was born in the U.S.? Seriously? Have you not read the U.S. Constitution? You know, that little document that pretty much lays the foundation for every form of authority in our great nation that the libs are desparately trying to ignore and render obsolete?
And yet... you see fit to call others ignorant. Do you not see the irony here?
This is going to be good. Now the Tea Party and everyone else that wanted to see this can learn the truth and drop the subject.
OOH! Doesn't this mean that Trump needs to dislcose his finances?
That was the deal, right. Trump took the bait and offered the challenge.
Birth Certificate for Financial Disclosure. Mate in 3, Mr. Trump.
Where are the VOID when Copied Marks?
Why won't the White House release the Presidents Bris certificate. What are they hiding?
I would never have referred to myself as a "birther" by any means, but the more the white house avoided the topic, the more I began to wonder. Obama may have found this all amusing, but the more he avoided, the more I felt like maybe there was something to this theory. Thank you for putting this to rest!
Is it me or does it look Photoshoped?