Issue Settled?

Barack Obama this morning finally released his certificate of live birth to satisfy those who have questioned his constitutional eligibility to serve.

Will this put a halt to the issue? Not likely. Many have started pointing out what they believe to be discrepancies between the released certificate and other certificates from the same era. It is an easy way to get under the skin of the president and his supporters, so some will continue to question the fact of his birth.

Democrats who cringe over the "birther" issue need to be honest with themselves. Had John McCain been elected, his birth in the Canal Zone would have spawned the same kind of movement on their side. They actually would have had better grounds for complaint, seeing as how Theodore Roosevelt's secretary of state flatly denied that the Canal Zone was United States territory. I am actually surprised that Republican contenders in 2008 did not make more of an issue of McCain's questionable eligibility.

The really interesting question here is why, after so long, did they finally release these records? It may indicate some fear that the Trump candidacy could start getting some traction, which is honestly a little laughable. Trump is a celebrity, not a candidate. He likes attention and this has garnered a lot for him. We are still in what political experts call "the silly season." Obama should be thinking in terms of Michael Corleone in the Godfather III when he said "Our true enemy has not yet revealed himself."

Obama is right when he says that we should focus on the issues at hand rather than the birth certificate. Ironically, the birth certificate issue is one of the few places where moderates tend to support Obama. Wiping it away does lead us back to $4 per gallon gas, near 10% unemployment, and a debt spiraling out of control. Thanks Obama! That was mighty helpful.

Trump has moved on, demanding release of Obama's college records. These could make him look bad, but it's not as if exemplary scholarship prevents one from becomign president. As the issue fades, so will Trump, until he finds a new way to get attention.

I have always maintained that Obama was likely born here. However, his ideas come from abroad. They are fundamentally non American. That is the problem.