President Barack Obama addressed the “birther” controversy with humor in his final address to the Congressional Black Caucus gala as President Saturday night, saying: “There’s an extra spring in my step tonight. I don’t know about you guys, but I am so relieved that the whole birther thing is over.”
Chuckling, the President said, “I mean: ISIL, North Korea, poverty, climate change — none of those things weighed on my mind like the validity of my birth certificate.”
He added: “And to think: that with just a 124 days to go, under the wire, we got that resolved.”
Hillary Clinton, Obama’s former secretary of state and the Democrat looking to succeed the president, lauded Obama and directly took on the birther controversy that has been swirling.
“Even when hateful nonsense is thrown their way, Barack, Michelle, their two beautiful daughters have represented our country with class, grace and integrity,” Clinton said.
She added, “Mr. President, not only do we know you are an American, you are a great American.”
Clinton, who accepted the group’s “Trailblazer Award” on Saturday night for becoming the first female presidential candidate for a major political party, nodded to Trump when she said that the choice in November “is not about golf course promotions or birth certificates, it comes down to who will fight for the forgotten.”
“We can’t let Barack Obama’s legacy fall into the hands of someone who doesn’t understand that, whose dangerous divisive vision for our country will drag us backwards,” she said, though she never mentioned Trump’s name.
CBC members blast Trump
Members of the CBC on Friday fiercely criticized the way Trump delivered his brief admission that Obama was born in the United States, saying it was insufficient and demanding an apology for Trump’s years-long push of “birther” claims.
“This is a disgusting day,” said Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a Democrat from North Carolina and chair of the CBC. “Donald Trump is a disgusting fraud.”
Butterfield, along with a dozen other members, made their comments at a hastily arranged news conference on a noisy Washington street corner, just outside a convention center where many were attending events for “CBC Week.”
One by one, members tore into Trump, calling him an array of names including “hater,” “bigot” and “racial arsonist.”
Obamas stumping for Clinton
Clinton’s campaign is relying on the Obamas to help persuade the coalition of minorities, young people and women who propelled them to the White House to cast ballots for this year’s Democratic candidate. The President made his first solo appeal this week, appearing at a campaign rally in Philadelphia and phoning in to African-American radio to talk up Clinton.
“I get frustrated hearing folks say, ‘You know, we’re so excited with Barack, we love Michelle, they take Hillary for granted,'” Obama told syndicated host Frankie Darcell. “This is not a reality show. This is not something where it’s all flash and fizzle.”
On Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama made her first campaign appearance of 2016, trying to convince her and her husband’s supporters at a Virginia rally that Clinton is also worthy of their votes.
“When I hear folks saying they’re not inspired this this election, I disagree. I am inspired,” she said, urging the crowd to register to vote and actually cast ballots for Clinton.