US president Barack Obama today called a controversy over his birth certificate a "side show" that distracted from important issues such as the federal budget.
The White House today released a longer version of Mr Obama's birth certificate to try to quiet a debate within Republican circles that he was not born in the United States and is therefore ineligible to hold his seal of office.
The new document confirms what a shorter version has said, that Mr Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961, but provides a little more information, such as that he was born at Kapiolani Maternity and Gynaecological Hospital.
Billionaire Donald Trump, who is considering a 2012 presidential bid as a Republican, has joined so-called “birthers” in questioning whether Mr Obama is a natural-born US citizen. The "birthers" claim that he was born in Kenya rather than Hawaii and is not eligible for the presidency.
In a statement at the White House today, Mr Obama, said he has been "puzzled" by continued questions about his place of birth and said the controversy has distracted the country from urgent policy debates.
"Over the last two and a half years I have watched with bemusement, I've been puzzled at the degree to which this thing just kept on going," he said.
The question has dominated the news in recent weeks even as the country is in the middle of a debate about the federal budget and how to cut the nation's debt, he said.
"We're not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers," the president said. "We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We've got better stuff to do."
Mr Trump, speaking in New Hampshire, told reporters that he was "really happy" that Obama addressed the issue and is ready to debate other issues. "I feel I've accomplished something really, really important and I'm honoured by it," he said.
A USA Today/Gallup published yesterday showed that 38 per cent of Americans say they believe Mr Obama was born in the US. Some 18 per cent said he probably was, 15 per cent said he probably was born in another country and 9 per cent said he definitely was born outside the US.
The poll also showed that Republicans thought the president was born abroad by a 43 per cent to 35 per cent margin.