Declaring that he is tired of the long-standing distraction posed by the argument of where he was born, President Obama has released the long form of his birth certificate.
"We do not have time for this silliness," he said.
Hear, hear.
The United States restriction on the birthplace of presidential candidates has had some amusing repercussions in American maritime history.
When a captain had his wife on board, and she shared the glad news of another maritime infant on the way, it almost inevitably led to a deep discussion. On whaling ships, it could even change the course of the voyage.
Because if the baby was born at sea -- on an American ship, to American parents -- he was not eligible to be president. And an imponderable number of whaling ship masters put their wives on shore at some American port or island, often to wait out long months because she was only "a little bit" pregnant, just so the baby would be born on American soil.
Can I think of any sons of whaling masters with presidential ambitions? No, I can not.
But at least the rule saved the world from a possible President Schwartzenegger ...
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