Where’s the birth certificate, Mr. President?

Freshman Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., has introduced a bill aimed at silencing the rumors regarding President Barack Obama’s citizenship.

The bill, H.R. 1503, would require Obama and all other presidential candidates to release their birth certificates to run for election in 2012.

Obama’s supporters have dismissed the claim that he was not born in the U.S. as nonsense. The issue came up during his campaign, but it was dismissed for a lengthy period. Once again, the issue is rearing its ugly head.

Yesterday, ‘The Week’ magazine reported on an anonymously submitted Kenyan birth certificate for Obama.

Calling it a hoax with a fatal flaw, ‘The Week’ said that the document was issued by the ‘Republic of Kenya,’ which did not exist when Obama was born in 1961.

Kenya became independent December 12, 1963, and officially declared itself a republic in 1964.

CNN’s Lou Dobbs has continued to address this issue, citing Obama’s campaign vows.

‘President Obama promised transparency and openness in his administration, yet he has chosen not to release his original birth certificate or a copy of it. A number of Americans are asking, ‘Why not?” Dobbs said on CNN.

Even Bill O’Reilly has addressed this story as ‘bogus,’ but according to Dobbs, hundreds of thousands of Americans want to see the certificate. So why doesn’t the president simply release it?

The issue appearse to have moved from the bill’s purpose to personal attacks on Obama, or at least that’s the way the media is conveying it. There’s no reason this bill shouldn’t pass. This has been an issue with presidential candidates including John McCain, Mitt Romney and Barry Goldwater.

Obama would not have to release the certificate until he begins his campaign for re-election. Despite any reasons he has for not making it public, be it more pressing matters or simply lack of concern toward the issue, he’ll have plenty of time to reassess his reasoning.

Matthew Keever is a communication junior and may be reached at [email protected]