Obama releases birth form, decries ‘silliness’

WASHINGTON (AP) - Responding to critics’ relentless claims, President Barack Obama today produced a detailed Hawaii birth certificate in an extraordinary attempt to bury the issue of where he was born and confirm his legitimacy to hold office. He declared, “We do not have time for this kind of silliness.” By going on national TV from the White House, Obama portrayed himself out as a voice of reason amid a loud, lingering debate on his birth status. Though his personal attention to the issue elevated it as never before, Obama said to his critics and the media, it is time to move on to bigger issues.