segunda-feira, 31 de janeiro de 2011

Hawaii to offer Obama birth documents

HONOLULU, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- In a bid to quiet "birthers," Hawaiian legislators would let anyone buy a certified copy of President Barack Obama's birth certificate.

A bill introduced last week would change a state law that limits the release of vital documents to persons with a "direct and tangible interest".

"I'm hoping that it will also reduce the number of calls that we get and calm the birthers down," a sponsor, Rep. Rida Cabanilla, told ABC News.

Obama's campaign released an electronic copy of his 1961 "certification of live birth" in 2008. But people who insist, without evidence, that he was born in Kenya have swamped Hawaii with requests for original documents.

The certified copy lists the date, hour and location of Obama's birth, along with the names and races of his parents. It has an embossed seal of authenticity.

Cabanilla's bill would let anyone get a physical copy for a $100 fee.

"It's costing us an incredible amount of time and resources to field these requests and explain to people what the law says," she said.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie, a friend of Obama's late parents, has made it a priority to end the speculation. UPI