On Thursday, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow took on the “birther” movement, warning viewers not to Google “Obama born” lest they find themselves plummeting down an online rabbit hole of “crazy.” She pointed out several attempts in Alabama to take Barack Obama off the ballot in that state on the grounds that he’s not really a U.S. citizen.

Beloved 50′s crooner Pat Boone says he does not believe President Obama was born in the United States and called his birth certificate a “photoshopped fraud.”

The recent emergence of Donald Trump as a possible presidential candidate and ringmaster of the Magical Birth Certificate Mystery Tour® has thrust the Birther movement into the national spotlight once again. Beyond Trump, though, there’s a teeming Birther subculture with its own cast of characters, including Lucas Daniel Smith, whose nude painting of Orly Taitz just sold for $350 on eBay.

In a sure sign that Donald Trump‘s tireless PR efforts on behalf of the Birther movement are working, Autism Speaks co-founder (and former NBC head) Bob Wright came to his interview about Autism Awareness Month prepared to prove where he was born. Following his and wife Suzanne’s introduction, Wright volunteered his birth certificate, eliciting a [...]

Businessman and reality TV star Donald Trump has shot to the top of the Republican presidential field on the strength of a weeks-long campaign to become the Elvis Presley of the Birthers. While The King seems to have enjoyed most of his starmaking Birther interviews, he ran into an interviewer who wouldn’t humor him on Alan Colmes’ radio show Thursday night, and from the sounds of it, would have rather been document-hunting in Hawaii than getting grilled by Colmes.

Republican Congressional candidate Tim Walberg (not the unsung “Sixth New Kid on the Block”) has joined the ranks of mainstream GOP figures to make a play for the all-important “Birther vote.” He recently told a group of voters at a coffee shop that, while he “take(s) him at his word that he’s an American citizen,” he’s got a plan for Obama to put the whole thing to rest: a private birth certificate viewing party.

The most entertaining part of the clip, though, is the Council of Elders that Walberg puts together to bear witness to the grand event. (h/t Think Progress via Alan Colmes)

Ory Taitz appeared on RT (Russian Television) regarding a recent portrait of her created by artist Dan Lacey that portrays her giving birth to a pancake. Yes you read that right, a pancake. Lacey is a non-traditional artist who portrays public officials with pancakes. In the interview, Taitz claims that the painting was created to intimidate her from running to office in her adopted state of California. “It’s extremely insulting and inappropriate,” Taitz said, before explaining how this is part of a larger conspiracy against her.

Only 58% of Americans believe that President Barack Obama was born in this country, which was a topic on CNN’s AC 360 last night. Host Anderson Cooper led off by asking guest Roland Martin, “what’s wrong with the state of Arizona saying you know what? presidential candidates should produce a birth certificate, and we have the write to demand that.” Martin did not demure, saying “cause they’re stupid.” A ha!

If you thought 2010 was the future, think again. A phony new email chain letter — one of the antiquated viral sort leftover from the AOL era — is claiming that the case against President Barack Obama‘s citizenship has reached the Supreme Court, based on a forged and typo-riddled Associated Press “report.” The birther movement seemed to lose steam in the year since the 2008 election, but this new email spreading takes the accusations to a new level of ridiculousness based on fake news done poorly. And those typos!

Why do people keep letting crazy Birther lady Orly Taitz on their TV shows? Maybe because she’s Rod Blagojevich say-anything kee-razy with a head of hair to match? Joy Behar‘s show is new, and everyone needs the buzz, so there you have it: Orly Taitz was on Joy Behar last night, accusing President Barack Obama [...]

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham Thursday blamed the lack of civility in today’s political discourse on 24-hour news cycle, talk radio and voters’ electing confrontational politicians to office. But he saved some of his best shots for Fox News hosts. Asked what he thinks of Glenn Beck, Graham replied, “Only in America can you make that much money crying.” Snap!