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.
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This says "Certificate of Live Birth". But that is not the original birth certificate. Where is that?
Sarah:
"Who cares if the President was born in the US GET OVER IT!!!! "
It is a constitutional requirement!!!! Get Over it!!!
It takes a special man to make George Bush look competent. Barack Obama is that man.
Sarah,
I agree the issue has been made too much of when there are more pressing concerns. But to say "who cares," is blatantly to disregard the Constitution. Once that begins, as it has, what else might one say who cares to?
Joe
It doesn't matter, these nut job birthers will still complain.
So what's the big deal? Why did this take so long?
Grand, I'm far more interested in his college transcripts.
I am over here LMAO! Barack Obama just called Trump a liar...HAHAHAHAHA
Donald Trump – YOUR FIRED! Will the next candidate please step up to the podium. We are all looking forward to the next Republican wild goose chase with baited breath.
Trump just got trumped. Nice move President !
Yeah....I still don't believe it. Just like when Dan Rather had those documents made up with Bush's military record.
You have to hand it to Trump...the man gets things done.
sarah the president of the us must be born in this country one a several requirements.
Perhaps he was born in Hawaii but was his citizenship relinquished by his mother when she married her 2nd husband. How at that time did he travel to Indonesia on a US passport and attend the madrasa there if he was a US citizen.
Pathetic we are focued on this... and this is coming from the right wing conservatives who want to pay attention to a birth certificate document... i mean I'm not suprised cuz why would they want to focus on getting our country back from the wraths of hell they left us in when Bush was in office
It's about damn time! Now folks can move on...Does make you wonder, if he had it, why did it take so long to produce it and put an end to the speculation?
Yay I hope those coffee partiers and birther fools will finally be silenced for ever
It's good to see that our Black president is half White.
Where he was born is really a moot point, I've always said. His father was a Kenyan. That automatically disqualifies him under the 'Natural Born Citizen' clause put forward under the 'Law of Nations', per our Founding Fathers. Look it up.
@Sarah,
Only people who believe in the Constitution. I know that doesn't matter to liberals but it does matter to some of us. Especially us veterans.
I bet there was a lot of strategy involved here. Letting Trump and others make fools of themselves first, then release the birth certificate; well played. Still a crappy President but well played sir, well played.
He should have made this available in 2008! Look at all the wasted time and energy that resulted from his refusal to provide this. Sure, it's easy to say that people shouldn't be wasting time on this, but obviously it matters to a great many people and only one man had the power to shut all that down.
Maybe now those racist morons can realize that he WAS born here and is trying to bail us out of 8 years of their crap! Stop giving tax breaks to the rich and plotting to cut SS and Medicare to pay for it.
I wouldn't have caved to the birthers if I were Obama. Now they'll find some fault with the actual certificate – it's not wrinkled enough, it has the wrong color ink, its serial number is out of sequence, the list will go on and on. You cannot win with these people, ever!
Oh, for crying out loud! So many more important things going on and people are wasting their time on this drivel!