The president's birth certificate

The Constitution of the United States says in Article II that "No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President ... ."

Ever since then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama first appeared on the prospective presidential scene, some questioned whether he was really a natural-born citizen of the United States, and thus eligible to be president.

Doubters claimed Obama was born in the African country of Kenya, not in Hawaii, despite birth announcements published in two Hawaiian newspapers, The Honolulu Advertiser and The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, on Aug. 13 and 14, 1961, listing the home address of baby Obama's parents in Hawaii, and reporting the birth of a son on Aug. 4.

So Obama's lawyer on April 22 requested two certified copies of Obama's birth certificate in Honolulu, and picked them up last Tuesday. The "long-form" birth certificate includes the names of the hospital and physician. On Wednesday, the president released a copy.

"Yes, in fact, I was born in Hawaii, August 4, 1961, in Kapiolani Hospital," he said in the White House briefing room.

"Normally, I would not comment on something like this," he said. "We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We're not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers."

Well, does that end the birth-question problem? It should, and for most it probably will - but for some it won't. They are already talking.

But in any case, Obama has been president for a couple of years, and has announced his candidacy for a second term. And although he finds himself not doing well in current polls, no strong Republican presidential candidate has emerged yet among several aspirants who would like to succeed him.

There are many significant issues that deserve detailed examination before the presidential election in November 2012. Obama understandably hopes questions about his birth will be put aside.

That would, at a minimum, pave the way for a range of serious topics to be discussed more thoroughly.

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