Born In the USA: Obama Hits Back At Doubters
Friday 15 April 2011 10:48, UK
The US President has rounded on Republicans expressing doubts over whether he was born in America saying it will backfire on them at election time.
said most people knew he was born in Hawaii and were more concerned about rocketing fuel prices and rising unemployment than his birth certificate, in an interview with ABC News.
The question of the President's place of birth was thought to have been settled long ago after state officials confirmed he was born in Hawaii.
The matter was taken so seriously at the time that his Hawaiian birth certificate was made public.
But billionaire businessman , and possible , breathed new life into the conspiracy theories by raising the issue of Mr Obama's birth place again.
Conspiracists known as '' have long claimed that the President was actually born in Kenya and is not eligible to stand as President of the United States.
But at a fundraiser in Chicago, Mr Obama's hometown, the US leader seemed unruffled by the Republican jibes and joked to an appreciative crowd about the birth issue.
When talking about his deep connection with Chicago the President said: "I wasn't born here (long pause)...just want to be clear... I was born in Hawaii".
The latest rumours over Mr Obama's birth place come as the state of approved a proposal for presidential candidates to prove they are US citizens before their names can appear on the state ballot.
Similar legislature is now being considered by 13 other states.