My interest in the birth certificate issue, or Donald Trump, is the extent to which either can help us defeat the president in his bid for a second term. If you look at today's USA Today poll showing only 38% of Americans are confident that Obama was born here, you have to think it's a drumbeat that will hurt him. And you don't have to be a birther to wonder why Jay Carney can't answer one simple question - Why not produce the longform and be done with this?

The "this is a settled issue" ruse doesn't wash because producing a longform birth certificate is the only thing that puts it to rest.