Romney birth certificate remark sets off firestorm

Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign rally with vice presidential running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on Friday, Aug. 24, 2012 in Commerce, Mich.

/ AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Updated at 5:22 p.m. ET

(CBS News) COMMERCE, Mich. -- Despite his previous reticence to go anywhere near controversy over President Obama's birthplace, Mitt Romney dove in headfirst on Friday with a joke that touched off the latest round of partisan fireworks between the two campaigns.

Speaking to a crowd of several thousand people at an orchard farm and cider mill in his home state of Michigan, Romney raised the subject while reminiscing about growing up here with his wife, Ann.

"I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. Ann was born in Henry Ford Hospital. I was born in Harper Hospital," Romney said. "No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised."

In an attempt to tamp down speculation that the presumptive Republican nominee was himself raising doubts about the president's birthplace, Romney aide Kevin Madden sent an email to reporters saying the candidate was "only referencing that Michigan, where he is campaigning today, is the state where he himself was born and raised."

"The governor has always said, and has repeatedly said, he believes the president was born here in the United States," Madden wrote.

(Watch: Romney: No one questions my birth certificate.)

In an interview later with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, Romney said his remark was an off-the-cuff joke -- not a "swipe" at the president.

"No no, not a swipe," Romney said. "I've said throughout the campaign and before, there's no question about where he was born. He was born in the U.S. This was fun about us, and coming home. And humor, you know -- we've got to have a little humor in a campaign."

Nevertheless, the remarks drew a quick response from Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt, who emailed reporters the minute Romney finished speaking.

"Throughout this campaign, Governor Romney has embraced the most strident voices in his party instead of standing up to them," wrote LaBolt. "It's one thing to give the stage in Tampa to Donald Trump, [Arizona] Sheriff [Joe] Arpaio, and [Kansas Secretary of State] Kris Kobach. But Governor Romney's decision to directly enlist himself in the birther movement should give pause to any rational voter across America."

Obama's official Twitter account responded with a tweet: "Song of the day: 'Born in the U.S.A.,'" with a link to the 1984 Bruce Springsteen anthem.

The outrage from Democrats, in turn, led Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer to point an accusatory finger at Democrats and accuse them of hypocrisy.

"I found it somewhat laughable that these guys who have taken gutter politics to a new low, if you can do that, are suddenly feigning outrage about this kind of comment," Spicer said on MSNBC.

Romney's quip dominated headlines from the event, which was supposed to be focused on "President Obama's failures on the economy and the Romney-Ryan Plan for a Stronger Middle Class," according to a campaign aide who previewed the event for reporters.

With the beginning of the week dominated by controversy over comments about rape by Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin, the campaign's economic message has been largely overshadowed in the runup to the Republican National Convention.

Trump's embrace of Romney -- and, until Friday, Romney's decision to stay far away from the birth certificate issue -- has forced his campaign into awkward situations in the past. The business mogul and reality TV star revived charges that the president was born in Kenya last May, just as he was set to appear at a fundraiser with Romney in Las Vegas.

Madden at the time told MSNBC that Romney disagreed with Trump about the birth certificate.

[Jakarta_Expat]

LOL, Let's discuss Romney's Mormon extremist Grandpa, now why did he flee the US to Mexico and south of the border? Exactly how many wives did Grandpa Romney have, was it 8 or 9? Which of the 8 or 9 wives gave birth to Mitten's father, was it No. 4 or 5 or maybe 8, and was she an AMerican or a Mexican citizen that he picked up along the trail? Where was Mitten's father born? South of the border I believe, does that make Mitt the son of a *******?

[Blowin_in_the_Wind]

Even Obama's own campaign website is making birther jokes and telling everyone else it's all good to join in by offering a "Made in USA" coffee mug for sale at store.barackobama.com. Their ad caption says, "There's really no way to make the conspiracy about President Obama's birth certificate completely go away, so we might as well laugh at it -- and make sure as many people as possible are in on the joke. Get your Obama birth certificate Made in the USA mug today."

So now, where's the outrage coming from if everyone is supposed to be "in on the JOKE?"

[britjunkie]

My My, the dimorats sure are sensitive about this issue. Where there is smoke there is fire. Perhaps this issue needs a close investigation

[gogirl52]

Obviously, our humorless President thought he was funny when talking about Romney 'strapping a dog to his car roof', but he cannot take a joke about himself. This election has truly sunk to a new low - they both need to discuss the true issues...our economy, taxes, entitlements, healthcare and immigration. It is a sad time for our country -

[Jakarta_Expat]

GoGirl52, do you think it is ok to strap a dog the roof of a car and head on down the interstate at 65mph? I wonder if Mittens gave that dog to some Mittens to keep warm?

[jscbs1]

This is not propaganda; these are actual links to recent (2012) law enforcement agency press releases, and videos of the actual law enforcement agency press conferences. There are valid questions that should be answered.

Press releases:

http://www.mcso.org/MultiMedia/PressRelease/Sheriffreleasesobamafindings.pdf

http://www.mcso.org/MultiMedia/PressRelease/Director%20Romo%20Final.pdf

http://www.mcso.org/MultiMedia/PressRelease/Birth%20Certificate%20Investigation%20Part%20II.pdf

Press conference videos:

http://www.kpho.com/video?clipId=6799465&autostart=true

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Ngv16UQAA

[boyer68]

Now if Obama had anything, ANYTHING, at all, upon which he could run, this quip would not have even registered on his radar.

[gca2]

It's no big deal other than being subliminal and possibly raising doubts for anyone remaining undecided.

Seems to be a natural way of "communicating" lately.

[AOCGUY]

And yet once again I will ask what was the joke? Was their a punch line?

Romney is many things but a joke teller he is not. Stick with the issues and leave the humor to the comedians.

[orfl1]

What a complete waste of time and print....

[firebird9999]

I suppose it's possible that Romney can turn the economy around, but given his modus operandi, that will happen on the backs of us working poor. There's no doubt in my mind that he and his fellow millionaires/billionaires who have their money stashed in far away places will be just fine while we suckers wallow in the dirt. Before his (presumptive) first term as president is over, the middle class's taxes will have skyrocketed, seniors health care will be up for grabs, and women's bodies will belong to the State. No thank you. I'll take my chances with Obama. At least he's sane.

[76SpiritOf]

by Barry-been-inhalin August 25, 2012 9:30 AM EDT
When Romney creates jobs, maybe its time the poor get a job or better two jobs.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tell me is that your plan when they eliminate your job to hire Chinese using the excuse that they need to make their corporation more profitable?

I agree with firebird, I'll take my chances with Obama!

There is no way I am goign to support a deadbeat millionaire who uses evry imaginable loophole to avoid paying his "fair share"!

[FLHRC-12]

What "Firestorm"? To the petty and shrill Democrats it must be but to the rest of America it's no big deal and laughable. Not so much what Romney said but how the left reacted to it.

When Biden used his racist "Chains" remark it was nothing even though he used an insulting black face "Amos and Andy" accent trying to imitate blacks. Even Charles Rangel said so.
Thanks for the laughs left wing hypocrites and keep posting so we can laugh even more at you.