Obama's 2012 Campaign Fundraises Off Mitt Romney's Son's Birth Certificate Joke

President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is fundraising off of comments on Obama's birth certificate by Mitt Romney's son Matt.

Matt Romney joked in New Hampshire Thursday that his father would release his tax returns if Obama released his grades and birth certificate. "I heard someone suggest the other day that as soon as President Obama releases his grades and his birth certificate ... then maybe he'd do it," Matt Romney said in an exchange that was captured in a video by Patch.com.

After Matt Romney made the joke, his brother Tagg chimed in to say that it was not his father saying that.

"He has not said that he will not do it, and he's also not said that he will," Matt Romney said about whether his father would to release his tax returns. "I don't know the answer to that. I'm not sure he knows the answer to that, but he'll do everything that he needs to. He's certainly not afraid of anything, he's not hiding anything."

Matt Romney created a Twitter account Friday and wrote, "I repeated a dumb joke. My bad."

The Obama r-eelection campaign sent out a fundraising email Friday afternoon with the subject line, "The birth certificate thing again?"

"This is how the Romney campaign thinks it's going to win the Republican primary: by pandering to the dead-ender fringe of extremists who still question where the President was born," wrote Obama for America Campaign Manager Jim Messina. "We can't make them rewrite their talking points. But we can drive up the cost of this kind of politics."

The email also includes a link to mugs with the president's birth certificate on them. The president released a long-form version of his birth certificate in April.

The Obama campaign also fired back at Mitt Romney over Twitter, asking why Romney won't release his tax returns, and about his son's comments, linking to the mugs.

Romney has thus far declined to release his tax returns, breaking with the tradition of recent presidential and vice-presidential nominees. He also has not released his birth certificate.

Also on HuffPost:

 

 

Comments

[mcnatejr]

02:00 AM on 01/01/2012

The GOP nomination process gets a lot of attention from the media. When will the crude ignorant jokes and attacks on the other candidates stop. The time is long past when we deserve to hear about their policies, and how they plan to change things that will serve the majority. I'd consider voting for anybody that would demonstrate to me that they have a workable measurable plan that would start to solve our many problems.

[jasmineflowers]

11:40 AM on 01/01/2012

Bottom line: It is "politically INcorrect" for anyone to mention Obama's bc. Romney's son is guilty of being politically incorrect. Big deal~

[mcnatejr]

07:32 PM on 01/01/2012

If you intended to reply to my comment, President Barack Obama or his Birth Certifcate was not mentioned, but it is a good example, thank you. We here in the USA are about to elect the person that will lead our country, as well as the world for the next four years. Lies, baffoons, social defiants and payed for candidates need to be exposed. Yes.Jasmine, that is a big deal. Silly ignorant jokes and unfounded attacks are totally irresponsible, whoever or wherever they come from.

[emanafunk]

07:34 PM on 12/31/2011

Williard's son sat out the Iraq/Afghan war and now are runting off at the mouth? What gives?

[scandaliciousreserve]

09:46 PM on 12/31/2011

What year did Obama join?

[eddw88]

10:23 PM on 12/31/2011

The same year you did.

[jemdad99]

07:32 PM on 12/31/2011

Where was Mitt born? What were his grades? I think Mitt was born in the Golden Parachute which is not the US.

[GaModerate]

06:45 PM on 12/31/2011

I bet Romney paid no taxes and he was born in Mexico like his father.

[jasmineflowers]

11:41 AM on 01/01/2012

To American parents. Big differenece~

[eagle17765]

12:04 PM on 01/01/2012

Mitt's parents are NOT Americans as they were born in Mexico.

[rp75]

12:56 AM on 01/02/2012

flowers, you know barack obama's mother was an american, right?

[ruthtruth]

05:57 PM on 12/31/2011

Keep running you mouth there, Matt. I guess when your father flip flops more often that a pancake maker this is the best material you've got. Keep helping the President raise money, it's ok with me. In fact do it some more.

[Hardyman1966]

05:56 PM on 12/31/2011

So, let's say you're already 3 months pregnant when you get married on Maui in February.  All of the sudden, and most inexplicably, you go to Kenya for no apparent reason to squat in the brush 6 months later for the sheer magic of it all?

REALLY?!?!

I can't work with these people.  It's beyond "special needs"...

[hardworkisntfree]

05:37 PM on 12/31/2011

He certainly can't and won't run on his record. So...you are left with this.

[JuliaDemJules2020]

05:23 PM on 12/31/2011

Romney is a hateful man who has publicly stated he wants to take the welfare check away from the poor and WILL NEVER TAX THE RICH. He also wishes he haa a VP just like Dick Cheney.
THE BAGGERS MESSAGE OF HATING THE HOMOSEXUALS AND NEGLECTING THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS AND USING RELIGION AS A CRUTCH ARE WRONG.
THIS HATEFUL PARTY IS SO WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS.

OBAMA 2012

[Maui Gal]

08:25 PM on 12/31/2011

It might be wise to cut back on the dose of HATE pills you are taking?

[jasmineflowers]

11:36 AM on 01/01/2012

Romeny is hatful because he wants the poor to get out there and work?

Wow. Just wow~

[Dan Bianchi]

05:20 PM on 01/01/2012

I would say calling Romney "hateful" is a bit extreme (although Michelle Bachmann and especially Rick Santorum and Rick Perry all qualify) but he does expect the poor to work more for less pay so there's more to give to the wealthy. That is, at the very least, monumentally out of touch.

[Col Hogan]

04:36 PM on 12/31/2011

When asked why they've never served in the armed forces, Romney said his sons were serving America by helping his campaign.
I don't agree with Romney,
boot camp would have taught this childish 41 year old some valuable lessons he didn't learn from his dad.
I don't think Matt would have lasted three weeks though.

[jemdad99]

07:33 PM on 12/31/2011

And neither could his dad have lasted 3 weeks.

[arthur99]

07:58 PM on 12/31/2011

they are 'serving' their own self interests...

mitt and cheney had 8 deferments between them, typical chickhawk consack

[scottwarhar]

04:03 PM on 12/31/2011

Mr.Romney could have a one hours debate with himself and it would sill be inconclusive.Tomorrow still is a day away and so is what he really stands for or against depending on where he is at or talking to.

[zardozh]

03:59 PM on 12/31/2011

Mitt Romney's father, George Romney (Governor of Michigan and CEO of Nash-Hudson), ran for President in 1968...battled Nixon, Reagan, and Rockefeller for the Republican nomination......George Romney was born in Mexico.......nobody questioned whether he was a "natural born citizen"......

[eddw88]

07:24 PM on 12/31/2011

George Romney was not black period.

[scandaliciousreserve]

10:07 PM on 12/31/2011

Black Conservatives STANDING UP for AMERICA:
http://www.RunawaySlaveMovie.com

[Shelley Peterson]

03:54 PM on 12/31/2011

Frankly, Romney can't hold water up against this President! I'm taken all bets anyone?? lol

Conjecture POV: ..."But Romney has portrayed himself as a Mormon of high moral character who adheres to the bible and its prohibition on lying, but by lying profusely, Willard belies that he is honest, a Christian, or has any moral character whatsoever. If Romney is willing to tell abject lies that are easily refuted, what does it say about every other statement the man has ever told? It is unclear if Mormons are encouraged to lie because of the secretive nature of the religion, but if Willard Romney is any indication, then one must assume that his religion does indeed promote lying in order to earn the highest office in America."

http://www.politicususa.com/en/obama-job-creator

[GaModerate]

06:39 PM on 12/31/2011

It is beyond me how the Mormons claim to be Christian when they don't believe in redemption by the death of Jesus Christ. That is what Christianity mean so I wish they would stop lying about the Mormon's being Christians

[Shelley Peterson]

07:34 PM on 12/31/2011

Well don't hold your breath, he's lying about everything else so obviously he holds no true morals for anything. The whole Republican Party gives nothing but lip service, yet the run on "Family Values" hummm....They sure have a strange way of showing it. That's not the Christian values my Bible teaches. Sure we all make mistakes...but they all take the cake if you really want to down to it! Some say they don't know enough about Mormon Religion, HA, none of them act like they know real true Christian Values or at least they are doing a real poor job at up holding them to me.

[Pd9]

04:13 PM on 12/31/2011

As always, rich man's war, poor man's fight.

[Mock38]

04:34 PM on 12/31/2011

I wish someone would report the number of times Willard and five little Willards proclaim to love America more than anyone on Earth. Listen carefully to Willard and you will hear it quite often.

Serve in the military?

Oft repeated love only goes so far.

[arthur99]

03:14 PM on 12/31/2011

first, 'matt', is not a kid
he is 41 years old, and has been a politcal shill since birth,,,just not too smart
that's what being a spoiled brat will do to you
what 41 year old 'man' says 'my bad'...an immature and poorly raised one

second, mitt lost to mccain!!!
again, he LOST to MCCAIN!!!
and obama wiped the floor with mccain....
mitt changes like the wind: abortion, healthcare, global warming, religion...whatever it takes to appease the people in front of him at that moment...we can't an afford a man with his lack of moral fiber, guilded and entitled immature mentality to be in office, ANY office

[amd02148]

07:32 PM on 12/31/2011

Faved arthur99 and fan #41

[scandaliciousreserve]

09:59 PM on 12/31/2011

@ arthur:

"and obama wiped the floor with mccain...."

***
with the help of ACORN's community activities - and Obama rewarded ACORN with direct access to over $8 BILLION from within his $787 BILLION Stimulus legislation - in spite of ACORN offices being raided by the feds - during the 2008 presidential election.

[the964kid]

03:01 PM on 12/31/2011

Why isn't the tea party asking for Romney's birth certificate a d tax returns?? Oh that's right - he's white.