THE STORY THAT WON'T GO AWAY – AT 10:17 A.M. ET: 

HONOLULU (AP) -- A privacy law that shields birth certificates has prompted Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie to abandon efforts to dispel claims that President Barack Obama was born outside Hawaii, his office says.

State Attorney General David Louie told the governor that privacy laws bar him from disclosing an individual's birth documentation without the person's consent, Abercrombie spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said Friday

COMMENT:  Ah, the key phrase:  "without the person's consent."  Now, I am not, nor have I ever been, a birther.  I haven't seen any compelling evidence to suggest that the president was born anywhere but Hawaii.  However, strangely, Mr. Obama will not permit his "long form" birth certificate to be released.

Why is that?

It's pretty clear there's something on that certificate that is potentially embarrassing, if nothing more.  What could it be?  I'm engaging in pure speculation here, but it may be that Mr. Obama's father declared him a Kenyan citizen.  But that would be irrelevant under American law.  Under American law the president would be an American citizen.

Or, the father could have declared young Barack a Muslim.  Again, that would be a father's declaration.  Obama states that he later declared his religion to be Christian (although the church he attended seems to have some very un-Christian ideals.) 

Either situation could produce some political embarrassment, but I believe it would pass rather quickly.  Americans are remarkably tolerant, and I don't think that, if my speculative situations existed, that many would hold either one against Mr. Obama.  There's always a fringe that would, but all politicians live with fringes.

Mr. Obama should release the long form birth certificate, and clear things up.

January 23, 2011