Debunking the birther claim
By: CNN's Ed Hornick
politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com
Washington (CNN) – Developer and reality show host Donald Trump has been pushing the claim that President Obama was not born in the U.S. - a myth that has dogged the president since he took office.
CNN has investigated these claims and here are the key points:
Certificate of live birth
The Obama team and the state of Hawaii released a certification of live birth, which documents the president’s birth on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu. This is not the original birth certificate. In Hawaii and other states, original birth certificates are not released when requested later.
CNN has seen a copy of the document and verified that it is official.
The certificate, officials say, allows a person born in Hawaii to get a driver's license, purchase land and obtain a U.S. passport.
What about the signature?
The so-called “birthers” say there's no signature or raised seal on the live birth certificate. But the group FactCheck.org ( factcheck.org ), which viewed the original document, took a picture of the back of it and found there is a stamped signature and a raised seal.
Where’s the original birth certificate?
Dr. Chiyome Fukino, the former director of Hawaii's Department of Health, says she has personally viewed the president's original vital records and verified that he was born in Hawaii.
Former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican, has been quoted as saying, "I had my health director, who is a physician by background, go personally view the birth certificate in the birth records at the Department of Health. We issued a news release at the time saying the president was, in fact, born at Kapi'olani Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. And that is just a fact."
Newspaper birth announcement
The announcement of Obama's birth ( i2.cdn.turner.com ) appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser on August 13, 1961, and a day later in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin: “Mr. And Mrs. Barack H. Obama, 6085 Kalanianaole Hwy., son, Aug. 4.”
Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo told the Star-Advertiser in July 2009 ( the.honoluluadvertiser.com ) that vital statistics such as birth announcements were sent to the newspapers by the Health Department, which received the information from the hospital. These announcements were not sent in by the general public, Okubu said.
Current governor weighs in
Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat, was a close friend of the Obamas and has repeatedly said he was around during the future president’s birth and childhood.
What about his grandma’s claims?
Trump makes the claim that Obama's stepgrandmother in Kenya, Sarah Obama, said in an interview that he was born in Kenya. But the interview was done by a man characterized as a “street preacher” through a translator and there appears to be confusion over her answer.
The translator then came back and said Sarah Obama was saying that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii.
–CNN’s Brian Todd contributed to this report |
