(Photo: White House)

The White House released on Wednesday the long form of President Obama’s birth certificate in response to weeks of questions surrounding his citizenship. Obama’s campaign had previously issued the document that every person born in Hawaii receives as proof of birth, but the issue has been dominating news reports lately.

Obama said that he has spent the past two and a half years bemused and puzzled by the degree to which the issue has been discussed. He decided to release the long form, which can be viewed on the White House Website, because it has become a distraction from more important issues, such as the debate over the 2012 budget.

"We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers,” the president said at an impromptu press conference. “We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do.”

Donald Trump, who is largely responsible for the most recent attention being given to Obama’s birth did not disappoint when responding to the news. In a display of trademark Trump egoism, he actually took responsibility for the White House’s decision to release the long form.

“I’m very proud of myself because I accomplished something that nobody else has accomplished,” he said. “I don’t want to look at it, but I hope it’s true so that we can get onto much more important matters. He should have done it a long time ago.”

And now Trump will have to do something he should have done a long time ago, which is to offer some actual policy ideas.

(Courtesy of the White House)