Bill Clinton Flatly Rejects Birther Claims: ‘Everyone Knows It’s Ludicrous’

In an interview with ABC News, former President Bill Clinton flatly rejected the suggestion that there are questions about the birth of President Obama, saying “everyone knows it’s ludicrous.”

Clinton dismissed a recent poll indicating that 51 percent of Republicans who say they will vote in 2012 don’t believe Obama was born in the United States, saying the president–who launches his re-election bid today–will respond to the charge:

“I think he will fight back,” the former president said, “but I think one of the elementary rules of combat is you don’t want to get in your opponent’s way if he’s shooting himself in the foot ….”

Clinton said politically, the push by some to focus on “birther” issues may hurt Republicans in 2012:

“The economy will be better,” he said, speaking of the next presidential election. “If I were them, I’d be really careful riding that birther horse too much. Everyone knows it’s ludicrous.”

Watch it here, from ABC News:

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