BREAKING: White House releases Obama's birth certificate
By: CNN Political Unit
(CNN) – The White House released President Obama's original birth certificate Wednesday.

The surprise release follows recent and sustained remarks by businessman Donald Trump, among others, that raised doubts as to whether the president was born in the United States.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump said, "I have accomplished something nobody else has accomplished."

"I want to look at it, but I hope it’s true," he added. "He should have done it a long time ago. I am really honored to have played such a big role in hopefully getting rid of this issue."

Earlier Wednesday, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said the debate has been "really bad for the Republican Party."

The so-called "birther" debate is "good politics" but "bad for the country," said Pfeiffer.

White House spokesman Jay Carney is expected to speak more about the birth certificate Wednesday morning.

In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper Monday, Trump repeated his doubts and said he had been told the certificate was "missing."

A new CNN investigation revealed earlier this week what most analysts have been saying since the "birther" controversy erupted during the 2008 presidential campaign: Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.

While the president has made light of the controversy, the question remained political red meat for some of his critics. A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showed that nearly 75% of Americans believe Obama was definitely or probably born in the United States. More than four in 10 Republicans, however, believe he probably or definitely was not born in America.

The U.S. Constitution says only "natural born" citizens can become president - a vague clause that some members of the birther movement contend disqualifies Obama because, they insist, he was born outside the United States.

Skeptics contend, among other things, that Obama was born in his father's home country of Kenya.

Yay, now the idiot chorus gets to change its refrain from "Where's the birth certificate?" to "Yes, but is it real?," with a net change of 0% in the annoyance factor for everyone else.

The argument, at least for me, has never been about where he was born but what he had to gain by going through such legally and politically inefficient maneuvers to obfuscate the matter for so long.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump said, "I have accomplished something nobody else has accomplished."

what he had to gain by going through such legally and politically inefficient maneuvers to obfuscate the matter for so long.

1. His mother signed it 3 days after the listed date of birth.

2. The Attendant Physician signed it 4 days after the listed date of birth.

3. There's no allowance for the Father's signature. Most states require both in the case of married couples.

4. It's not notarized.

I'll leave it to you to figure out which of those things is the most important.

You lack the standing to challenge her eligiblity for the presidency.

1. His mother signed it 3 days after the listed date of birth.

2. The Attendant Physician signed it 4 days after the listed date of birth.

3. There's no allowance for the Father's signature. Most states require both in the case of married couples.

4. It's not notarized.

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