Sarah Palin On Obama Birth Certificate & Other Reactions

On Wednesday morning, the White House released President Barack Obama's long-form birth certificate.

The document indicates that Obama was born in the state of Hawaii and thus is eligible to serve as president of the United States.

HuffPost's Sam Stein reports:

The move came as a surprise to the press corps, many of whom had not shown up for Wednesday's early-morning White House briefing. By the time word had spread that Obama would be making a 9:45 a.m. statement on the matter, however, the top anchors at all the networks had scurried into the briefing room.

Once there, they received a presidential scolding for their concern with "silliness." Obama began his five-minute statement with the complaint that he wouldn't be able to get the networks to break into their regularly scheduled programming for a speech on policy proposals.

Meanwhile, potential presidential contender Donald Trump took credit for the disclosure.

"Today I'm very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that no one else has been able to accomplish," said Trump on the release of the president's birth certificate in the key early primary state of New Hampshire. "I want to look at it, but I hope it's true. ... But he should have done it a long time ago."

Here's a rundown on reaction from within the political community to the release of the president's birth certificate:

House Majority Leader John Boehner's spokesman, Michael Steel said in a statement, according to CNN, "This has long been a settled issue. The Speaker’s focus is on cutting spending, lowering gas prices, and creating American jobs.”

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who has reacted less than enthusiastically to the prospect of a Trump 2012 campaign, reacted to the release during an appearance on Fox News. Mediate reports the the GOP leader said, “I have criticized members of my own party for making this some kind of an issue and so I am really surprised that the White House is doing the same.”

Sarah Palin wrote in a tweet, "Media: admit it, Trump forced the issue. Now, don't let the WH distract you w/the birth crt from what Bernanke says today. Stay focused, eh?"

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich exclusively told Talking Points Memo that he sees the birth certificate ordeal as "strange." He said, "All I would say is, why did it take so long?"

Former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney wrote in a tweet, "What President Obama should really be releasing is a jobs plan."

Comments

[JimAR]

10:20 PM on 05/15/2011

So, she quit her job as Governor mid-term. So, she doesn't read newspapers or magazines or books. But, she does have a reality TV show. So, her opinion is important, right?

[dbrett480]

05:43 PM on 05/05/2011

I love how Trump makes Palin sound reasonable.

[EricProgDem]

01:24 PM on 05/02/2011

Let's not forget to always ask what this genius thinks.

[repcommunist2012]

05:45 PM on 04/30/2011

I'm voting for Sarah Palin 2012 and Donald Trump. Those 2 will most surely turn every Republican to Democrats first year of them in office, Heck Sarah will probably quit 1-2 years into office, No money in being President!

[nico9000]

03:21 PM on 04/29/2011

Hey Witchie-Poo! Your 15 minutes are waaaay over. Take your filthy lucre and disappear.

[hopeisalive]

11:14 AM on 04/29/2011

Mr. Boehner's comment is hard not to reply to for when he said that it was a "settled issue" and that his focus is on "cutting spending, lowering gas prices and creating American jobs" I think he must believe that he's playing baseball and that getting one out of three is great. It would be nice if he would do something on jobs as that is what he said from June of 2010 till today. As for gas prices, I think I won't hold my breath on that one. He is cutting spending on programs that help the poor and needy and is giving to the top 2% so I guess he is the reverse Robin Hood who now gives to the rich and steals from the poor.

[52bunky]

03:23 AM on 04/29/2011

Old Newt said its about time. I'd like to congratulate Mr Obama for being the quickest president to release his birth cert, just a little over two years. I'm still waiting for all the other presidents from G Wash to G Bush to release theirs. And please Mr McCain release yours so we all can see that you were not born in the U.S.A. You were born in Panama. Thank you.

[Novellus]

12:28 AM on 05/05/2011

Bravo.

[exile]

03:02 AM on 04/29/2011

someone
quick
ask palin who
Bernanke is and what he does

[Jeanette Schotl]

02:28 AM on 04/29/2011

Unbelievable, between Sara Palin and Donald Trump, it feels like "bring on the clowns" Who'd vote for DT for pres? He filed for bankruptcy on his hotel bizz for chrissakes. That'd be the kind of policy maker we need in the WH, send our butts the rest of the way to hella

[computerguyllc]

11:46 PM on 04/28/2011

Sarah Palin wrote in a tweet, "Media: admit it, Trump forced the issue. Now, don't let the WH distract you w/the birth crt from what Bernanke says today. Stay focused, eh?"

Listen Friends,
This, this, thing... Sarah Palin, is no more than an opportunist. She flailed that poor kid around on stage just to get votes. It is hard for me to imagine he didn't get Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Sarah wh**rs out to any mic, eh? Now that she's Canadian, let's take a look at Sarah's going to Canada to take advantage of their Socialized Medicine. She said so herself, eh?

Somebody! Figure out a way to shut this, this, thing up! Eh?

[Jeanette Schotl]

02:04 AM on 04/29/2011

Ditto, that

[Clayton139]

11:34 PM on 04/28/2011

Sarah, What is your plan to FIX America...??!

We would like to know all the issue and plans you have, please...??

Thank you !

[Lou Sarah]

06:13 AM on 04/29/2011

Well, first of all, I think everyone should be on Facebook! 'Cause that would be fun and we could look at kitten videos and send each other little hearts and all which would help americans get along and stuff!

[bionerd86]

03:24 PM on 04/29/2011

kittens are pretty cute.

[RandyK100]

08:58 PM on 04/28/2011

Who gives a damn what the gophers say. Where are the JOBS JOBS JOBS you campaigned on? Hypocrites!

[plzgetreal]

08:30 PM on 04/28/2011

Friggin' racists the lot of them.

[wilbertson]

07:30 PM on 04/28/2011

face it reagan quayle palin gwb are not mensa material

[RandyK100]

08:58 PM on 04/28/2011

Bottom of a bird cage material.

[meena140]

04:20 PM on 04/28/2011

Sarah Palin, unreliable narrator

It's wrong to cast those who question Trig's birth story as crazed conspiracy theorists when the media have not done their job
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/apr/28/sarahpalin-alaska

A short look at the available documentation reveals that a coherent birth story is hard to determine, as several versions exist – all told by Sarah Palin herself.

[Damon Lazer]

06:06 PM on 04/28/2011

I'm glad to see someone else bring this up. I am not a conspiracy theorist by any means, I find most of them to be pretty ridiculous, from the "9/11 was an inside job" to "the moon landing was a hoax." Being open minded, though, I will allow someone to present their evidence for the conspiracy, so that I may evaluate it with my own reason and intellect. Most, like the birther conspiracy, can be quickly dismissed with a few bits of evidence. In Obama's case, the newspaper birth announcements are plenty sufficient to debunk the the theory, unless one wants to involve time travel in their conspiracy theory...But I have looked and looked at as much evidence as I can find on the Trig Palin birth conspiracy and I find the whole thing to be very very suspicious. This is one conspiracy theory that I cannot dismiss, and I have become convinced that Sarah Palin is NOT Trig's mother. What amazes me, however, is that there is no widespread movement to uncover this conspiracy. Not in the media, not from left-wingers, not amybody really except a handful of people on YouTube that all present the same damning evidence. I encourage anyone reading this to look up as much information as they can and make their own conclusions. It's all out there. Which makes it more surprising there is not a massive uproar about it, because to me, the conclusion is obvious.

[notadumbblonde]

08:03 PM on 04/28/2011

That was put to rest long ago, only raised by those who really wish it to be true.
I also use my own intellect to make up my own mind. Obama's birth cert was a non-issue for me, as is Trig's birth. And yes, I have read the "evidence," and I must say I am amused.

[RandyK100]

09:01 PM on 04/28/2011

All this birther stuff is a non-issue for me. JOBS are the issue.