Birth papers hit book sales

The release of President Obama’s long-form birth certificate may have failed to satisfy hard-core skeptics, but it did drive a dagger through the initial sales of “Where’s the Birth Certificate? The Case That Barack Obama Is Not Eligible to Be President,” by Jerome Corsi.

The book’s presales had driven it to No. 1 on the Amazon.com best-seller list. After Mr. Obama unveiled his long-form birth certificate — a short-form document had been released during the campaign — the book plummeted to No. 214.

Since its debut Tuesday, however, the book has rebounded, reaching No. 60 on the Amazon.com best-seller list Wednesday. Mr. Corsi says he doesn’t regret the title of the book, even though it has become fodder for Internet jokesters, such as the one who suggested that the publisher should paste stickers on the cover to change it to “Here’s the Birth Certificate.”

“I pressed for the title, ’Where’s the Birth Certificate?’ because I thought I could pressure him [Mr. Obama] to release something,” Mr. Corsi said. “He’s now engaged. The White House is now committed to this document. If this document is a fraud, then the Hawaii Department of Health and the White House are implicated.”

Mr. Corsi said the question now becomes, “Where’s the original copy of the original birth certificate?” He wants the White House to turn over the actual long-form birth certificate, not an electronic copy, and have it undergo a forensic examination. He also wants Kapiolani Hospital in Honolulu to release the patient records of Ann Dunham, Mr. Obama’s mother, from the Aug. 4, 1961, birth.

Given that the White House is unlikely to agree to either request, the president may have only fueled the fire with the release of the long-form birth certificate, Mr. Corsi said.

“Richard Nixon during Watergate also thought that he could end the controversy by releasing some tapes, but it only stimulated discussion,” he said. “The cover-up is in full gear.”

While polls show the release has significantly reduced doubts over the president’s eligibility, they haven’t disappeared entirely — something the White House expected and is trying to use to its advantage. From fundraisers to TV appearances, the president has used his comedic timing to mock the movement.

And on Wednesday, the Obama 2012 campaign began selling “Made in the USA” T-shirts and coffee mugs on its website. The merchandise shows a photo of the president on the front and a picture of his birth certificate on the back.

But for readers of the so-called “birther” movement, its no joking matter. They continue to challenge Mr. Obama’s eligibility to serve as president, contending that the electronic copy of the long-form birth certificate released by the White House on April 27 is a fraud.

Among the allegations being levied against the birth certificate: It was cut-and-pasted together using Photoshop; the typing is too advanced for a circa-1961 typewriter; the serial number is out of order; it doesn’t match a previous description given by a Hawaii Health Department official.

Mr. Obama appeared to anticipate the second wave of skepticism when he released the birth certificate, saying then that “there is going to be a segment of people for which no matter what we put out, this issue will not be put to rest.” Indeed, there may be no piece of evidence that can put to rest the doubts over the president’s birthplace, said Ross Baker, professor of political science at Rutgers University.

“If you’re disposed to see things in a conspiratorial light, particularly if you have strong feelings on the subject, almost no amount of contradictory evidence is going to change your mind,” Mr. Baker said.

Before the April 27 release, a USA Today/Gallup poll showed that only 38 percent of respondents said Mr. Obama was “definitely” born in the United States. Surveys taken since the release show voters across the board are more confident that the president was born in Hawaii. A Gallup poll taken May 5 to 8 found that 47 percent of voters now say Mr. Obama was “definitely” born in the United States.