Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie Wants Facts to Silence 'Birthers'

Dec. 29, 2010— -- Three weeks into his first term as governor, Hawaii Democrat Neil Abercrombie says ending conspiracy theories surrounding President Obama's birthplace is a priority.

Abercrombie, a friend of Obama's late parents, has described in several recent interviews a personal, emotional interest in ending the so-called birther debate. And he has instructed the state attorney general and health department director to explore ways to let the facts of Obama's birth to speak for themselves.

"It's an emotional insult. It is disrespectful to the president; it is disrespectful to the office," Abercrombie said of the controversy to the New York Times. "There's no reason on earth to have the memory of his parents insulted by people whose motivation is solely political. ... Let's put this particular canard to rest."

But doing that could be much easier said than done.

At the center of the debate is an original, long-form birth certificate for Obama that contains the name of the hospital and the doctor, his or her signature, the baby's birth weight, and the national origin of the parents. It has not been made public.

The Obama campaign released a "certification of live birth" -- a short-form certificate that carries the same legal weight as the longer -- in 2008, but it didn't quiet skeptics who insist Obama was born in Kenya.

The certification document lists only the date, hour and location of Obama's birth, as well as the names and race of his parents. It includes an embossed seal of authenticity from the Department of Health, according to images posted online.

The birthers, who have provided no evidence to support their claims, believe the withholding of Obama's original birth document reflects a conspiracy to cover up Obama's ineligibility to hold the presidency.

State law prohibits the release of original birth records to persons without a "direct and tangible interest."