What we're talking about -- or really just feeling -- is that Obama might not be sufficiently American. That's what Romney found a way to say with a smile. It's not about "defending" Romney for telling the joke or explaining the joke. Something has been made a topic: Obama's insufficient commitment to American values.

Wow, she even uses "we" to take ownership of it. Amazing. And then the, "it's been made a topic" deployed as an excuse? Yes, it's been made a topic, by Romney, and the topic is being described accurately as disgustingly bottom-feeding.

"Robert Hoffmeyer, 70, a former dental technician, said he was thrilled to see Romney show his aggressive side with the birth certificate Joke. "I loved it", said Hoffmeyer, who added that he did not think Obama had "been vetted by the press. I haven't heard that before. It was good - just say it and then leave it alone. Throw it out there. Everybody knew what he was sying, and that's why they responded."

There's also the fact that the state Obama was born in is Hawaii... so immensely far from the rest of the country (and, at the time of his birth, only recently a state).

I don't think so.  I think, at some point, it's just the next rung down on a campaign that's going to be about as ugly as any we've seen - I look for the GOP convention to get things really going.  And imagine how frustrated they'll be if Isaac interferes with their plans...

In the absence of a candidate who would get the media time to point out the flaws of both the major parties, it would be nice to have a media that would call out the major-party BS, and ask Romney, for example, how putting America back on the gold standard (something that's going to get some consideration, apparently) won't do for the US what the euro did for Europe - as in "nothing good," and ask Obama how he expects the US economy to thrive under austerity when the lesson of Europe should have us running, screaming, from it.

The real joke has nothing to do with the content of Romney's comment.  It has to do with the fact that, no matter how Republican - oops, I mean "consistent with American values" - Obama is or has been - on war, on secrecy, on catering to the wealthy and Wall Street, on the housing market, his embrace and respect for long-standing conservative ideas on the economy, being proud of being willing to cut the safety net, expanding the intrusion into all of our lives in the name of "keeping America safe," etc. - he is still, four years later, being branded as not sufficiently American for Republicans like Romney and twits like Althhouse.

Will this bait Obama into doubling down on proving his American bona-fides as Republicans always define them?  That would be his usual response - it hurts his feelings, it seems, when no matter what he does to get them to like him, they still won't let him sit at the Cool Kids table; we'll see what he does in campaign mode.

If he takes the approach that he and Mitt are both good Americans who want the same things and just disagree on how to accomplish them, I won't be shocked.  That will just give credibility to the Republican agenda, and that, for me, is the worst way to respond.

Romney is such an out of touch moron! Has he been tested for drugs lately? [Note RS is an advocate that ALL state employees, etc be drug tested by a testing group he owns.]

Romney obviously does not know that Floridians are being told when attempting in person to RENEW their driver's license they've had for over 40 years are REQUIRED to show their birth certificate AND Social Security card! And then for good measure they need to show their land deed! Why does ANYONE applying for the first time to be the President of the USA not have to do the same?

Actually, Flordians in Brevard County are told of this REQUIREMENT and then handed a flier to the b****t website gathergetgo.com to learn more .... which says nothing of the sort, but instead attempts to sell you driving courses. Nor have I yet seen any of these new CITIZENSHIP requirements on the official Florida website myflorida.com.

What does showing these "required" items get you to be able to drive legally? A STAR on your driver's license making you a certified resident of Florida, by all appearances! Still likely not good enough to get a USPS post office box which asks you for the same insane identifying information! [Whether it does anything for you with the border Nazis when coming "home" from Canada, we'll have to wait and see!]

O, and by the way, everyone KNOWS I was born at Mary Greeley Hosipital in Ames, Iowa!