At the end of December 2010, newly-elected Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie said he'd try to find and release Obama's original birth certificate which is supposedly on file with that state. Then a few days ago he said he'd found a "recording of the birth" that was "written down".

Now, he says he can't release the (supposed) certificate (link):

Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie will end his quest to prove President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii because it's against state law to release private documents, his office said Friday.

State Attorney General David Louie told the governor he can't disclose an individual's birth documentation without a person's consent, Abercrombie spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said.

"There is nothing more that Gov. Abercrombie can do within the law to produce a document," said Dela Cruz. "Unfortunately, there are conspirators who will continue to question the citizenship of our president."

Obviously, that flies in the face of what Chiyome Fukino did in July 2009: she claimed that Obama was not only born in Hawaii but was a "natural-born American citizen". The first claim would certainly seem to be a violation of the very same Hawaiian laws that Abercrombie now says he can't in turn violate. And, since Fukino is not to my knowledge a legal scholar, she's not qualified to make the second "natural-born" claim.

But, all of that doublethinking and obfuscation and possible law-breaking doesn't matter. Instead, I suggest just taking the word of these people:

* Fukino (a civil servant, just as Helen Jones-Kelley was a civil servant and whose statements read more like someone being held hostage and who realizes that if she isn't telling the truth and is found out will face no repercussions)

* Abercrombie (someone who's misled about this issue and who's so wrapped up in this that he claimed that anyone who questioned the official story wasn't a "good American")

* Obama (who's repeatedly lied: Obama misleads, Obama immigration, etc.)

* the mainstream media (which has consistently lied and misled about the basic, indisputable facts of this matter)

Don't worry about those who have a personal stake in the matter and who have from unknown to little to no credibility. Instead, just trust them.

On the other hand, if you can think for yourself, see the Obama citizenship page for our extensive coverage, and click here if you don't understand our take on this issue and why this issue is so vital.

UPDATE: A January 2009 interview casts doubt on whether Abercrombie saw Baby Obama as he claims.