TPM2012

Rick Perry Reaches Out To The Birthers

President Barack Obama and TX Gov. Rick Perry

We’ve already seen the Rick Perry campaign offer a nod-and-a-wink to conservative Christians who want to make an issue of Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith.

Now, Perry’s giving birthers a tip of his hat, too.

In an interview with Parade Magazine out Sunday, Perry said he had “no definitive answer” as to whether or not President Obama’s long-form birth certificate is real.

Here’s the full exchange, from Parade:


Governor, do you believe that President Barack Obama was born in the United States?
I have no reason to think otherwise.


That’s not a definitive, “Yes, I believe he”—
Well, I don’t have a definitive answer, because he’s never seen my birth certificate.


But you’ve seen his.
I don’t know. Have I?


You don’t believe what’s been released?
I don’t know. I had dinner with Donald Trump the other night.


And?
That came up.


And he said?
He doesn’t think it’s real.


And you said?
I don’t have any idea. It doesn’t matter. He’s the President of the United States. He’s elected. It’s a distractive issue.

Read the whole interview here.

Top Stories From TPM

Oklahoma GOP Sen. Tom Coburn Will Seek To Offset Tornado Aid

Secret Service Looking Into Radio Host’s Graphic Violent Comments About Obama, Hillary Clinton

GOP Nominee In Virginia Praised Three-Fifths Clause As An ‘Anti-Slavery Amendment’

VA GOP's Attorney General Nominee Wanted Women To Report Miscarriages To Police Or Face Jail Time

Federal Judge Smacks Arpaio In Racial Profiling Case

The NRA Thinks These Are The ‘Coolest Gun Movies’ Ever

Disqus Conversations

Click here to read the Disqus Commenting FAQ.

Editor & Publisher

Josh Marshall

Managing Editor

David Kurtz

Associate Editor

Nick Martin

Assistant Editor

Igor Bobic

Reporters

Brian Beutler

Sahil Kapur

Eric Lach

Hunter Walker

Frontpage Editor

Zoë Schlanger

News Writers

Tom Kludt

Video Editor

Michael Lester

General Manager & General Counsel

Millet Israeli

VP, Ad Sales

Bruce Ellerstein

Associate Publisher

Kyle Leighton

Assistant To The Publisher

Joe Ragazzo

Designer/Developer

Matthew Wozniak

Design Associate

Christopher O’Driscoll