Associated Press
COMMERCE, Mich.
Republican Mitt Romney raised the discredited rumor that President Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States, jokingly declaring “no one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate” as he campaigned Friday near his own Michigan birthplace.
Romney later insisted the remark was just a joke and not meant to question Obama’s citizenship. But the comment risked creating an unwanted distraction for Romney in his last few days of campaigning before the Republican National Convention begins Monday. It came a day after Romney caused another stir by declaring that big business was “doing fine” in the current struggling economy in part because companies get advantages from offshore tax havens.
Romney made his birth- certificate remark at a large outdoor rally in Michigan, where he grew up and where his father, George Romney, served as governor. He was joined onstage by his wife, Ann, and running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.
Romney told supporters that he and Ann had been born at nearby hospitals.
“No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised,” Romney said.
The crowd of more than 7,000 responded with hearty laughter.
But Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt swiftly denounced the remark, saying Romney “embraced the most strident voices in his party instead of standing up to them.”
Romney was asked about his comment in a CBS interview later in the day.
“No, no, not a swipe,” Romney said. “I’ve said throughout the campaign and before, there’s no question about where he was born. He was born in the U.S. This was fun about us, and coming home. And humor, you know — we’ve got to have a little humor in a campaign.”
The authenticity of Obama’s birth certificate has been questioned by some Republican critics who insist Obama is not a “natural-born citizen” as required by the Constitution. Obama released a long-form version of his birth certificate last year as proof that he was born in Hawaii in 1961.
But polls show some Republicans remain unconvinced. A Pew Research Center poll taken in April found 19 percent of Republicans, when asked where Obama was born, said they weren’t sure, and 6 percent believe he was born in another country.
Comments
Yes, anything that will raise doubts ...that is what politics is all about.
Well played SSD.
wow, trump is running romney's election campaign....say or do anything huh,mitt....call him the spinner because he's the rubberband man
how pathetic. don't really care about his or obama's birth certificate...but i sure would like to see more of mitt's tax returns!!
This man is a complete fool and americans are willing to put this fool in office. I guess most americans are so rich they do not care if they loose there Medical or Social Security, because if this man gets into office that is what is going to happen. Remember you heard it here first from Papa Mafia so do not come crying when this becomes a reality.
Papa....You hit the nail on the head. It is amazing when you realize these fools voting for romney are voting against their own best interest.
Some how the true Repubs in office have convinced that the 99% should protect the 1%. If any one believes Willard is looking out for anybody but himself and the extremely rich, they are really blind and can,t see the true Willard.
Willard. You are no commedian. Keep your day job. You know. Firing people. Selling companies. Outsourcing to other countries.
Go MItt, lets get this country back on the right track. Enough hand outs, and make people accountable for the actions.
I think we all should pay the same rax rate. Why should some people get to write off all their expenses. I buy clothes for work but can't write them off. Its the Willards IE 1% that write the laws and make every tax advantage forthemselves. Dems and repubs alike. If one makes ten thousand or ten million, same tax rate.
Now, businesses and tax incentives make sense to me. But I hate arguement that taxing the rich will hurt employement. Bullcrap. If IBM is paying top CEOs millions then they should pay the same rate as the regular workers. Taxing the CEO has nothing to do with IBM or GM or anyother companyhiring folks.
AAC and the others prove they're idiots, again! Mitt paid two million eight hundred thousand dollars in federal tax in 2010 alone and you are complaining about what exactly? You think we should all pay the same *rate*? How about we all pay the same AMOUNT. Low earners like you and the other dimwits here get away nearly scott-free while the earners and burners pay for it all. *That* is totally unfair. Let's all pay the same amount I say. Total national budget divided by number of citizens. Pay it. That is fair. This is the land of equality. Let's all pay an equal share. Or is equality, as usual, not *quite* what you brats want? Equal share would be more than fair to all, especially the higher earners that currently pay for it all while super big mouths like you reap the benefits in spite of the fact that you *still* cannot find a way to keep your stupid trap shut.
Keep voting Democrat, you dummies!
My God, it was just a tongue in cheek comment. Society really needs to lighten up. Have some fun in life for a change. Geez.
And before you go off about Mitt, I'm still undecided. So save your blasting the guy.
honest abe, you don't care about Obama's "birth certificate" BUT you want to see more of Mitts tax returns? WHY? Why wouldn't you want to know about Obama's schooling (how a poor kid from ???, got to Harvard?) How Obama in his short life span got to be a Senator?-- who was backing him?
you don't want to know these thing BUT you want to know about someones TAX returns??