By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer

The controversy over the legitimacy of President Barack Obama’s citizenship continues to rage after CNN’s Lou Dobbs reported that Hawaiian officials destroyed the original birth certificate, a charge the state’s health director flatly denies. Congress has also become involved in the fray.

The Honolulu Advertiser is reporting that in an effort to stop the persistent rumors that Obama was not born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961, the state’s health director reiterated that she has personally seen the original vital records certificate on file with the State’s Department of Health.

“I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the Hawaii State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawai’i State Department of Health verifying Barrack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen,” she said in a statement issued yesterday. “I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago….”

Congress has also become involved after a resolution marking Hawaii’s 50th anniversary was held up because it states that Obama was born in the state, which many believe is a veiled attempt to have lawmakers affirm his U.S. birthplace.

The resolution, introduced by Hawaiin Rep. Neil Abercrombie, includes a clause stating “Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961.”  Some construe this as an attempt to get Congress to affirm Obama’s U.S. citizenship, says Abercrombie spokesman Dave Helfert said.

Abercrombie’s office had already issued a statement announcing the House’s unanimous approval of Abercrombie’s resolution when Minnesota Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann rose to object to the vote, saying there was not a quorum present.

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