President Barack Obama released a copy of his long-form birth certificate this morning in hopes of quelling critics like Donald Trump who question whether the president was actually born in Hawaii.
State Rep. Leo Berman remains skeptical. Interviewed on the floor of the Texas House Wednesday morning, the Tyler Republican said he was pleased that Obama released the document.
"What I'm saying is I just have some questions," Berman said. "I'm not doubting that it's a truthful birth certificate but my questions still hold."
Various news outlets and organizations have investigated the matter and found that all evidence points to Obama having been born in Hawaii, including PolitiFact and Factcheck.org.
Berman, a former Arlington Mayor Pro Tem, has been outspoken in continuing to question Obama's citizenship. Berman learned about today's release of Obama's long-form birth certificate when a radio station called him for his thoughts on the matter. He quickly went online to print out the document and take a closer look.
His first thought was why Obama had waited so long to release it.
"I found that suspicious," Berman said.
Berman doesn't think the certificate released by the White House looks nearly 50 years old. He also has questions about the doctor who delivered Obama and whether the hospital listed on Obama's birth certificate, Kapiolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital, can fully confirm that Obama was born there.
Along with a print-out of today's White House blog post, Berman also had with him on the floor of the Texas House another document: a purported copy of Obama's Kenyan birth certificate.
"It has all the information on it. it just came to me in the mail," Berman said. He declined to say who sent the document to him though other versions have popped up online, only to be debunked as fakes.
Berman has filed a bill that would require presidential candidates to provide a birth certificate to the Texas Secretary of State to get on the ballot in Texas. He acknowledged the bill is "going nowhere" but also conceded that Obama would likely be able to comply with his bill by offering the document he released today.
"I hope it's the real certificate and I hope that it has proved its point and we can stop talking about whether he was born in the United States," Berman said.
-Aman Batheja
Hey Berman --- you got played the fool.
Posted by: TX_Proud | April 27, 2011 at 08:25 PM
Berman is an idiot!
Posted by: WS Z | April 29, 2011 at 07:50 AM
What an embarrassment to Texas.
Posted by: Taco Jocko | April 29, 2011 at 08:10 AM
"I hope that it has proved its point and we can stop talking about whether he was born in the United States."
i hope so too....you go first....
Posted by: dj spellchecka | April 29, 2011 at 08:12 AM
As a native Texas who now lives in Hawaii, I must say its hard to think of a more foolish and simple minded racist than Leo Berman. Having grown up near Tomball, Texas and having the Klan very active within 15 miles of my home, the extraordinary attitude of good old boys like Berman is unbelievable in 2011. The news story states Berman also has a copy of the proported 'Kenyan' birth certificate - a document so ridiculous as to show the seal of a country that did not exist when Obama was born. Yet people like Berman aren't smart enough to figure this out. Texas, its time to vet your representatives based on intelligence, not who they know when voting. You end up being the laughing stock of the entire world.
Posted by: James Allen | April 29, 2011 at 08:54 AM
"Hey Berman --- you got played the fool."
no, he is one of them (fools)
hating Obama causes brain damage
Posted by: Rich Sadz | April 29, 2011 at 08:55 AM
Berman. How did you get to be an elected official?
Posted by: GMc | April 29, 2011 at 08:59 AM
Berman is a dishonest pile of dirt. He's knows perfectly well that the BC the president provided three years ago is an acceptable legal document. All the GOP has been saying to President Obama all along is "show us your papers, boy"
Posted by: katahdin | April 29, 2011 at 09:13 AM
It is quite unfornuate that the honourable gentleman, Berman doubts the goverment agencies and the state of Hawaii credibility. The question here are: how many American presidents have published their Birth Certificate and how many have been drag to this extent even after evidence is released. Berman should be arraigned before the court for falsifying Obama birth certificate since he claimed he had one. If the document in Berman's possession is real, how did he get it and who released Obama birth certifcate to him.
Posted by: John Brown | April 29, 2011 at 11:30 AM
ouch,... Berman Berman Berman...kenya is 2 years younger than Obama...
Posted by: Killer Whale | April 29, 2011 at 02:45 PM
why do you think that Obama refused to release his birth certificate before? Why did he sign an executive order as his first act as president to keep it sealed? What does he want his college records sealed and not released? What does he have to hide? Who is he working for? I'm guessing its not for the well being of the American citizens.
Posted by: obamaisthedevil | April 29, 2011 at 05:49 PM
Well it took this long for them to produce some evidence(suspicious), it is not really birth certificate it is a certificate of live birth...the way obama treats this as 'counter productive, side show etc.....' this indicates that he is really saying 'ok I have evidence to the contrary.' not sure if he has actually come out and said "I was born in Hawaii!" I am guessing if he ever does get found out he will not be nailed for lying...but then again, how could he remember?
Posted by: robertshenker@hotmail.com | April 30, 2011 at 01:10 AM
People like this fool are an embarassment to Texas & the country. His problem is his own racism.
Posted by: magginkat | April 30, 2011 at 11:16 AM
So many fools, so little space! I have two documents, one labeled "Birth Certificate," the other "Certificate of Live Birth." The former is worthless, a pretty piece of paper the doctor signed and gave to my mother as a keepsake. The latter got me a passport. Obama didn't sign an executive order sealing his certificate. It's a state, not federal, document, and it was sealed by Hawaii law until he got a waiver to have it opened. Obama didn't spend $2 million on lawyers to keep it secret. That rumor came from post-election legal expenses. Obama, who won, spent $2 million. McCain, who lost, spent nearly that much. The best quote I've heard in a while was something like this: Don't believe anything unless it comes in an unsigned, unverifiable chain e-mail. Quite a few of you seem to follow that dictum.
Posted by: Jay | May 01, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Short of taking a time machine back to 1961 and personally witnessing the birth of Barack Obama and following him through life right up to 2008, the birthers will never be satisfied. They just can't accept that a black man (OK, half-black) was elected to the office of President. They can't prove he wasn't born in Hawaii but won't accept proof that he was. How sad is that?
Posted by: Stephen Jones | May 01, 2011 at 07:59 PM
Does it really matter who the fool would be. A socialist is in control of our Country and driving us broke as well as we should all be walking pretty soon because we cant drill here for our own oil. Dont dig up coal, let your electric get cut off. You all seem for a man who is litterally breaking us. Think about who is really foolish.
Posted by: MarK | May 03, 2011 at 03:41 PM