Hoping to put an end to the manufactured controversy over his place of birth, President Obama this morning posted on the White House website the so-called long-form birth certificate, from the state of Hawaii. The certificate appears above. It shows Obama’s place of birth (Honolulu) and his mother’s signature, as well as that of Alvin Onaka, state registrar. Robert Gibbs, the former White House press secretary, had described the matter in 2009 as the “made-up fictional nonsense of whether or not the president was born in this country.”
The White House’s communications director, Dan Pfeiffer, writes:
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“In 2008, in response to media inquiries, the President’s campaign requested his birth certificate from the state of Hawaii. The state sent the campaign the President’s birth certificate, the same legal documentation provided to all Hawaiians as proof of birth in state, and the campaign immediately posted it on the internet. That birth certificate can be seen here (PDF).
“When any citizen born in Hawaii requests their birth certificate, they receive exactly what the President received. In fact, the document posted on the campaign website is what Hawaiians use to get a driver’s license from the state and the document recognized by the Federal Government and the courts for all legal purposes. That’s because it is the birth certificate. This is not and should not be an open question.
“The President believed the distraction over his birth certificate wasn’t good for the country. It may have been good politics and good TV, but it was bad for the American people and distracting from the many challenges we face as a country. Therefore, the President directed his counsel to review the legal authority for seeking access to the long form certificate and to request on that basis that the Hawaii State Department of Health make an exception to release a copy of his long form birth certificate. They granted that exception in part because of the tremendous volume of requests they had been getting.”
Obama himself held a press conference later. “We do not have time for this kind of silliness,” he said. “We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do. We’ve got big problems to solve. And I’m confident we can solve them, but we’re going to have to focus on them — not on this.” (See the full statement below.)
Donald Trump, who made the birth-certificate issue the central plank of his potential campaign for president, took credit for the release. “I’ve accomplished something nobody else has accomplished,” he said. “We have to look at it. A lot of people have to look at it. I hope it’s true, and the reason I hope its true is because we have real problems in this country.”
The release is unlikely to end the “made-up fictional nonsense,” since birther contentions have never been distracted by fact.
Obama’s news conference this morning:
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Transcript:
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Now, let me just comment, first of all, on the fact that I can’t get the networks to break in on all kinds of other discussions — (laughter.) I was just back there listening to Chuck — he was saying, it’s amazing that he’s not going to be talking about national security. I would not have the networks breaking in if I was talking about that, Chuck, and you know it.
Q Wrong channel. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: As many of you have been briefed, we provided additional information today about the site of my birth. Now, this issue has been going on for two, two and a half years now. I think it started during the campaign. And I have to say that over the last two and a half years I have watched with bemusement, I’ve been puzzled at the degree to which this thing just kept on going. We’ve had every official in Hawaii, Democrat and Republican, every news outlet that has investigated this, confirm that, yes, in fact, I was born in Hawaii, August 4, 1961, in Kapiolani Hospital.
We’ve posted the certification that is given by the state of Hawaii on the Internet for everybody to see. People have provided affidavits that they, in fact, have seen this birth certificate. And yet this thing just keeps on going.
Now, normally I would not comment on something like this, because obviously there’s a lot of stuff swirling in the press on at any given day and I’ve got other things to do. But two weeks ago, when the Republican House had put forward a budget that will have huge consequences potentially to the country, and when I gave a speech about my budget and how I felt that we needed to invest in education and infrastructure and making sure that we had a strong safety net for our seniors even as we were closing the deficit, during that entire week the dominant news story wasn’t about these huge, monumental choices that we’re going to have to make as a nation. It was about my birth certificate. And that was true on most of the news outlets that were represented here.
And so I just want to make a larger point here. We’ve got some enormous challenges out there. There are a lot of folks out there who are still looking for work. Everybody is still suffering under high gas prices. We’re going to have to make a series of very difficult decisions about how we invest in our future but also get a hold of our deficit and our debt — how do we do that in a balanced way.
And this is going to generate huge and serious debates, important debates. And there are going to be some fierce disagreements — and that’s good. That’s how democracy is supposed to work. And I am confident that the American people and America’s political leaders can come together in a bipartisan way and solve these problems. We always have.
But we’re not going to be able to do it if we are distracted. We’re not going to be able to do it if we spend time vilifying each other. We’re not going to be able to do it if we just make stuff up and pretend that facts are not facts. We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers.
We live in a serious time right now and we have the potential to deal with the issues that we confront in a way that will make our kids and our grandkids and our great grandkids proud. And I have every confidence that America in the 21st century is going to be able to come out on top just like we always have. But we’re going to have to get serious to do it.
I know that there’s going to be a segment of people for which, no matter what we put out, this issue will not be put to rest. But I’m speaking to the vast majority of the American people, as well as to the press. We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do. We’ve got big problems to solve. And I’m confident we can solve them, but we’re going to have to focus on them — not on this.
Thanks very much, everybody.
(9:54 A.M. EDT, April 27)
Mike Kales says
Words on the Statue of Liberty With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned… lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” But please make sure you prove to me about 1000x your good enough to be my president.
Jenn Carleton says
I don’t believe it. If people can make fake $$ sure as hell Golden Boy can pull off a fake birth certificate. Jus’ Sayin’
Debbie Mekkelsen says
Yeah, nothing “accomplished” really… Trump’s chances of making a successful run for office decline every time he opens his mouth.
Susan Smith says
Trump states he has sent investigator’s over to Hawaii to look into the matter and all of a sudden the president decides it’s time to show document???
Lor Cor says
Oh Emm Gee, Jenn. Give up the ghost already. You’re makin’ yourself look crazy now. It’s over. Let it go. Jus’ Sayin’.
Peggy Ellis says
And of course, that’s why this birtherism nonsense won’t go away.
Allison Burnett Pineda says
why is there not a seal/stamp on this making it official?
some guy says
My thought is why today?? Is their somthing going on today the he wants to redirect the news from??
Jan Reeger says
I am appalled at the ignorance of the american people AND donald trump over this. There are so very many real and important issues.
Rob says
Below is my post from 0930hrs under The Birther Myth.
After reading some of these posts I can say that my earlier post is prophetic.
Human behavior is very easily predictable. Let us see what is next from this crowd.
The Birther Myth
The President has released his birth certificate this morning.
Ah Ah!….. Ah Ah!
Now the YEAH BUTS will start.
The so called billionaire who have been making noise to promote himself will have to release his tax returns for all to see. I doubt he is full of anything but air that is hot.
notasenior says
“I hope it’s true, and the reason I hope its true is because we have real problems in this country.” Yes we do Mr. Trump, so why are you so gung-ho on this non-issue. Why not question John McCain (he wasn’t born in the US) about his birth records? The fact is, as evidenced by previous posters, that there is a whole segment of intellectually defecient citizenry that don’t want to recognize that we have a preseident of intellegence who is willing to work with republicans. Too many years of dumbing down the presidency by “W”
Dorothea says
Some guy wants to know what’s going on today. Only birther idiots would ask that. The long form birth certificate was requested over a week ago and picked up personally by a White House attorney after it became available. Hawaii officials require that the document get picked up personally, but, at the President’s request, they allowed his attorney to retrieve it. The birth certificate was hand delivered to the President last night and released to the media this morning. But more important, and obscured by all the birther nonsense, Leon Panetta became the Defense Secretary, replacing Bob Gates and General David Petraeus replaced Leon Panetta as the head of the CIA. Perhaps, some guy, you and Trump can find some sort of conspiracy in that.
Dorothea says
Jenn, birth certificates are sequentially numbered. Note the number at the top of the birth certificate, President Obama was the ten thousand six hundred and forty first baby born in 1961 in Hawaii. It’s impossible to make up a number that can’t be traced through a list of babies born in Hawaii 1961. Any real investigator can do it, assuming Trump’s investigators aren’t a figment of Trump’s overblown imagination.
William says
Donald Trump – America’s colostomy bag.
notasenior says
Dorothea – Both Patreaus and Panetta begin with the letter “P” – very suspicious. And I believe Gates was in Dallas on the grassy knoll. So now it’s all starting to fall into place.
dlf says
Who really cares, where this guy was born, does it require any of his time when we have so many other problems. But, he is going to be on the big O’s show today, then on to New York to raise some money for his reelection, that covers today. On Friday he will be in Florida telling everyone he is sorry they are losing their jobs but he still has one. Just look how busy he is spending our money ,what a job this jerk is doing. I agree with all the comments on the Donald but he did get the King to come out with a birth certificate, what will be next,where was he on Easter Sunday, it was not church, that we know of.
IML8 says
I have to agree with Susan Smith…why now? Why not in the beginning when he started to run for President? Was he scared Trump would find something different? Heck try going to our drivers lincense office with anything but an original birth certificate (or passport if you have one) and see if you get done what you want to get done..LOL.
Kyle Russell says
… and people look at MY generation and say we’re ignorant. Middle-aged adults nowadays…
The Truth says
Obama has released his birth certificate during his campaign. As President, you face scrutiny over every thing. The media blew this up (as did that moron Donald Trump). It is absolutely ridiculous to ask for a President to prove himself in this way when it’s obvious it was already done. The conspiracy theorists out there (most of which watch that pathetic excuse for a news channel, Fox News) believe that anything this guy does is a conspiracy. It’s pathetic what our country has come too.
Instead of focusing on true issues of our country we have spent unnecessary time and energy on this. Donald Trump stated his “investigators” were on the ground and hear that the birth certificate is missing and this and that. Now that this has been released, the moron with bad hair has nothing left to say. This guy doesn’t deserve the wealth that he has.
The Truth says
Jen Carleton: It’s people like you who have ruined our country. Everything is a conspiracy. You are brainwashed by your lovely news channel and The Trump that you can just let something be. What is left for this guy to prove? Give me a break already.
Pat says
to not a senior, Gates was not on the grassy knoll in Dallas, but George Herbert Walker Bush (CIA) was in Dallas along with several CIA agents. Google” Bush Crime Family” if you want a real education on the Bushes over the last 100 years.
Pat says
What a great day!!!! Perhaps The Donald can now find out where Jimmy Hoffa is really buried.
maryjoe says
I don’t understand why he didn’t just release it when the issue first came up. We have every right to question and get answers in a timely manner. Had he done this in the beginning, THEN it would have been a non-issue. IMO Obama made it an issue. What is it they say? Bad publicity/good publicity, both keep you in the limelight? I’m glad he’s legit. It’s unfortunate he gave Trump the opportunity but then again, perhaps that is all part of the plan. Whatever. I’m still waiting to see a candidate that I can get behind. I haven’t seen one yet.
Kevin says
Maryjoe: Exactly.
This has been this guy’s M.O. from the beginning. He stands with a blowhorn yelling about how his administration will be transparent but does the exact polar opposite. He has proven quickly to be nothing what he represented himself as. The new canard is how this “distracts and has stolen valuable time”. Bullshit! His adminstration is yet using this simplistic, yet crafty opportunity to herd the lower intellect part of the democrat pool to think and follow along this b.s. talking point. He really is simply using this to distract people’s attention from the litany of items he is failing on– from his opening of another illegal war front in Libya, his lying about Guantanomo closing, his lack of any form of intelligent economic policies at every level, his failure to communicate in any way a credible and actionable employment strategy for our nation, his attack on wealthy individuals and corporations, his class warfare comments to the nation, his very suspicious and often times very negative personal associations he has with some very bad people, the list goes on and on.
I don’t mind a democrat in office but I am really beginning to get angry about THIS democrat/marxist/community agitator in office. Yet, there are many proporting to be intellecutally superior by their comments and actions yet they follow Obama without any condemnation for what he is doing, or more importantly, failing to do while he blames others (his greatest skill to date) instead of using his supposed superior intelligence and show one decent idea to fix something on his to-do list. It is sickening and our country will suffer greatly for this president being let loose in the the Whitehouse. In years to come the negative impact of his presidency will go in history as the demarcation point and actual point of decline for us as Americans.
Now people are being called racist because they mention him playing too much basketball when in fact he does that in much of his spare time, his administration mouthpieces leading that charge, making him the true racebaiter. Truly BHO is the worst president and greatest divider of this nation that I have witnessed in my lifetime.
dlf says
Mayyjoe Exactly:WELL SAID TO THE TRUTH AND TO THE POINT !!!!
Dorothea says
Attention birthers: Obama’s birth certificate has been on-line for some time now and available to anyone in the media. Not satisfied with the normal certified short form birth certificate, acceptable to anyone or any agency, except the idiot birthers, the clamor goes on, led by the clown in chief, Donald Trump. This is a pure and simple appeal to racists by Trump, who now wants school transcripts. It doesn’t matter that Harvard Professor Larry Tribe states that President Obama was the brightest and best student he ever had. The clamor goes on. But then, most birthers don’t even know who Professor Tribe is. What white president ever went through this nonsense?
If Kevin considers Obama the worst president in his lifetime, that makes Kevin about two years old. Obama’s predecessor was decidely the worst president in my lifetime. My problem with Obama is, that unlike the rabid right Republicans who agitate the worst and stupidest elements of our society, Obama tries to negotiate with them and the rabid right Republicans turn around and spew the worst filth and lies imaginable. Big money pouring into the coffers of the rabid right is what is dividing and destroying our country, not President Obama.
Kevin says
“Obama tries to negotiate with them and the rabid right Republicans turn around and spew the worst filth and lies imaginable.” ~Dorothea
Dorothea even this two year old can see your either on a psychotropic drug of some sort and maybe a little estrogen replacement as well or you use crack by the look of your statements. Obama is the nothing but an agitator–insulting any people who are against his policies, dare you forget his insults against tea party participants, most of who have been polled to have very good educations and jobs, intelligent good people but more importantly citizens and taxpayers of the US? I am dead on in my partial list, it goes on and on. He obliterates all opposing speech through insulting the opposite side and demonizing their position-this is easy for any person to see. Its alright to appreciate your man being so aggressive but to not admit to it takes intellectual dishonesty and that is you.
Tell me in what ways has he specifically implemented anything that has helped our dollar and not hurt it instead? How about businesses that have an EBITA between 2-5 million? He is punishing that class of business. What about his energy policys? His new distraction and blame game is to go after unregulated specualtors. Duhhh dorothea they’re unregulated dummy!
Don’t worry, just drink the kool-aid because facts are irrelevant to people like yourself who are all ideology, partisan with no give and all take regarding the other side of the isle, as per your daily insults calling tead parties “tea-baggers” or better yet “idiots”. In fact it is you who is the dumb one who illogically blames this minority group of good people for the problems our nation which are developing due to another bad president in office. Instead of seeking real change we are seeing blatant paybacks to unions and corporations in return for votes.
Kevin says
Yes, I can trade the shit out of oil or nearly any market and he’ll never be able to do squat! Its a lie plain as the hand in front of your face. One can purchase already leveraged ETFS on oil giving a person 3x the daily price movement. Some portfolios available are “short” in nature and I can create addditional positions in connection with those securities with call and puts whether they are written or purchased, really adding some nitroglycerine to the mix.
Again I’m unregulated as are tens of millions like me. Some with billions doing exactly what I do, I know because I once worked for and was licensed to do just that.
Have another puff Dorothea…
Rob says
Dorothea, ,
The President producing his birth certificate won’t solve anything.
As a programmer I often joke that just when you think you have built idiot proof software they build a better idiot.
These birthers and teabaggers are really the plain clothes division of the KKK.
notasenior says
Maryjo, kevin, and other birthers – why didn’t “W” release his complete military records? He was out getting drunk when his CO was signing him in for weekend duty that’s why.
The President (yay sticks in your shorts when we call him that) has better things to do than succomb to the rantings of the lunatic fringe.
One more thing – where was your outrage when Karl Rove and Scooter libby broke the law and outed Valerie Plame? That was treason, yet the right windnuts stood silent. Great Patriots!
Dorothea says
Rob, I agree with you there. But why are so many birthers and teabaggers living in Florida? At least in other states voters are protesting and even recalling their radical right-wing politicians. We finally got a protest out of Florida when Congressman Paul Ryan’s steal from the seniors and give to the wealthy corporations budget plan hit the fan. Even the tea-bags got riled up when Republican House members went after Medicare and veteran’s benefits.
Kevin, your description of me and of President Obama is so absurdly off the mark, so I’ll let it stand for others to laugh at. Kevin’s hyberbolic bullshit aside, in fact, there is regulation of commodities. Unfortunately, the majority of the regulators were appointed by George Bush. Fortunately, in another month or two, one of them gets replaced. Kevin is also shooting blanks when it comes to contributions from major corporation, comparing them to union contributions. Corporations contribute more than eight times the money that unions contribute.
notasenior says
I was wondering how long it would take for that tired anti-union gibberish to come out. It reminds of the story of the CEO, the worker, and the union rep. were all in a room together. Someone brought in a dozen cookies. The CEO grabbed 11 of them and said to the worker, “be careful the union wants to take 1/2 your cookie!”
Kyle Russell says
“Tell me in what ways has he specifically implemented anything that has helped our dollar and not hurt it instead?”
Never mind the fact that a weaker dollar improves our exports, thus increasing American production (and potentially employment) and decreases the trade deficit.
dlf says
The next question that the Donald wants answered is why we never see the first family going to a church. They are always out of town on certain holidays, last Easter for an example. Since they can no longer go the Rev. Wright and not listen to his crap where to they go now ? They did go the the Rev. Wright but they do not remember his hatred and racist remarks, where do they go now ,not to listen? But, not listening is a trait of the King, oops Obama. The Donald will find out,how else can he make as ass out himself ?. Maybe his point is to make an ass out of someone else, wonder who that could be.
Pat says
I hope all you teabaggers and birthers continue to pay into Social Security so that I can collect my benefits for the next 30+ years, since when and if you get to be 70 years old you will find out there is nothing left for you, thanks to Rubio and the other idiot Republican congressmen. Forget about medicare, you will be given a voucher for $1,000 to cover euthanasia and cremation if you can’t pay for your own care. Republicans love all the benefits, but don’t want to pay their share.
palmcoaster says
Kevin, showing his true colors as a very concerned oil future contracts (manipulator) trader. I sure seriously resent that Obama yet did not slam the congress approved trade limits in the oil futures yet!
Then when that will materialize as many of our Democrat and Independent senators as well as the majority 3 Future Trade Commissioners with Commissioner Bart Chilton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1_q88rlUkw at the head are demanding from Obama to enforce ASAP to stop the gouging at the pump. Once enforced I could see Kevin squat while we will all enjoy a relief at the pump. http://www.cftc.gov/About/Commissioners/BartChilton/index.htm No more gouging to fatten the oil lords wallets; http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2011/20110426044931.aspx
As the law is not being enforced as we speak, yet. Specifically the Futures Trade Commission rule states that trading of essential consumer futures, should be exempted of trading manipulation… and is not right now. Also these financial trading institutions being banks, hedge funds, etc are to have sufficient collaterals to buy and sell millions in oil contracts and they have not on their margin accounts then when their trades take a dive we have to fork the stimulus. Just like happened with the darn housing market! For all those square minded, greedy bourgeois Kevin’s, Dfl’s, and other seekers of greedy special interest I am happy to see that their good times could be short lived, admiring the anger of all those foolish republicans that elected these dudes in January and now have to fight for their incomes survival on these town hall meetings in Florida and all over. Way to go Wisconsin, recall those senators now so Scott gets his shoe size in his senate and boot him out as well in 2012. Sure we should follow the example in Florida. Out with the fascist.
Kevin says
palmcoaster says:
April 29, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Kevin, showing his true colors as a very concerned oil future contracts (manipulator) trader. I sure seriously resent that Obama yet did not slam the congress approved trade limits in the oil futures yet!
Then when that will materialize as many of our Democrat and Independent senators as well as the majority 3 Future Trade Commissioners with Commissioner Bart Chilton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1_q88rlUkw at the head are demanding from Obama to enforce ASAP to stop the gouging at the pump. Once enforced I could see Kevin squat while we will all enjoy a relief at the pump. http://www.cftc.gov/About/Commissioners/BartChilton/index.htm No more gouging to fatten the oil lords wallets; http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2011/20110426044931.aspx
Palmcoaster…OMG can I hire you as a clown for my daughters party? I’ll give you two hundred dollars to speak infron of me and my family so we can laugh at what a nitwit you are. Full of assumptions you are~so would say Yoda. If you had a brain you would realize the the drop of the dollar has brought about the major rise in the cost of oil for us at the pumps fool. Trading the security marked to market against the oil and not the commdity itself doesn’t effect it you imbicile. Again you need intelligence, education, and facts to know this, none of which you have or utilize along with estrogen low Dorothea…yea I have your ticket too:o) (that is not nice I take it back–ha). I’ve got work to do no thanks to Obama perpetuator of chasing away businesses and money in general..Its ok because the decline of America is well underway and I am more than prepared. I will enjoy knowing and watching over time some of you reap what you have sewn.
Dorothea says
Kevin, how kind of you to worry about my estrogen levels. Here, I’ve been discreetly not mentioning your low testosterone count. But there are creams available to help with your problem.
The following information is for those who are trying to sort out the high gas price problem:
The main reason for high gas prices are high crude oil prices. Oil prices normally rise when demand is greater than supply. However, in 2011, high oil prices were caused by investors’ fears about unrest in Libya and Egypt. Even before that, oil prices were steadily rising, as commodities traders took bet against a declining dollar, and bought gold and futures contracts. These are agreements to buy or sell oil at a specific date in the future at a specific price. Commodities traders can create a self-fulfilling prophecy by bidding up oil futures prices. Once this starts, it can create an asset bubble.
Anyone who engages in manipulating oil commodity futures is a money-grubbing SOB and willfully engaging in destroying the American economy.
Now I must get on with my sewing, or is it sowing?
Dorothea says
Dlf,
Regarding your comments about the president’s church attendance. Ronald Reagan never attended church because he did not want to upset the congregation with security problems. Not that I give a damn who goes to church or to any other place of worship. Some of our more infamous crooks were devoutly religious, while greedily lining their pockets with their ill gotten gains.